Page 83 of Dragon's Code

My eyes pop open. From this angle, I mostly only see a profile of a man. More of a silhouette with the fires crackling on the other side of the road. “Who are you?” I murmur.

“I’m a friend. I won’t hurt you.”

I have to take his word at it. I can’t fight him off. My body is broken from my fall. I don’t even know if I’ll live, but the pain reminds me I’m still alive. I hold onto that and hope that wherever he’s taking me, isn’t to the enemy.

ChapterTwenty-Four

ATHENA

The first thing I hear is Kashton’s voice.

Athena, my goddess, are you in there?

Kash? What’s going on? Why can’t I see you?

Oh thank fuck. Athena, your eyes are closed.

“I hear her. She’s in there.” Kash’s voice sounds different, sort of like I’m underwater listening to him. Not as clear as he was a moment ago.

“Thank the gods,” someone else says. I can’t tell whose voice it is, but it sounds familiar, friendly, kind.

What happened?

I need you to wake up fully before we get into that.

Something warm touches my cheek. I want to touch him. I want to feel that he’s real. I saw him get buried under a hotel. I reach up to touch him.

“Oh shit. Look out.”

There’s a loud ruckus of stuff getting knocked down. There’s an “oooff” sounds like someone got punched in the gut.

There’s light behind my eyelids now. Slowly my body comes back to me like I was out of it for a moment. There’s pain, but it’s gone as quickly as it showed up.

I open my mouth to speak when I squeeze my eyes closed against the bright lights. Instead of my voice, there’s a roar. Like a dragon roar. My eyes slowly adjust and I see that I’m still on the rooftop of The Dragon’s Lair. The sun is up. The scent of fire and smoke cloud my senses. It’s overwhelming. My throat is dry and scratchy. I open my mouth again and a burst of fire erupts out of it.

“Syrena!”

My eyes finally adjust enough that I can see the people around me.

Kashton is right in front of me. I’m looking down at him. I look down at my feet to see if I’m standing on a platform. Instead, all I see is the body of a black dragon.

When I turn to look around, a giant dragon tail swipes across the roof nearly taking out two other guys. Darius and Jerrick, I realize.

“Athena, stop moving.”

I turn back to Kash. I open my mouth to talk, but again fire comes out.

Athena, my goddess, you’re a dragon. You need to sit still until you get a hold of yourself.

A dragon?!

I freeze, panting heavily, and then I close my eyes and really listen to my body. My talons are digging into the roof, my tail feels twitchy, but I try and hold it still. That’s why I’m bigger than Kashton.

How do I turn back?I ask.

You have to find your own trigger. Eventually, it’ll come as naturally as breathing. Just let your human side out. Your dragon shouldn’t fight you too much. You have to be exhausted and it takes more power to hold that form than your human one.

I imagine Kash pulling me into my arms and then the earth rushes up to me. I look up and Kash is towering over me like he’s supposed to.

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