Page 103 of Dragon Unhinged

She’s not moving. She looks misassembled, like her hips have been dislocated or her pelvis broken. She’s damp with sweat, her hair clinging to her forehead and the sides of her cheeks. Her skin is pallid with a sickly yellow undertone. Her eyes have dark circles and have a hollow look like she’s lost too much weight too fast.

The expected baby bump is a lot smaller than it should be, no longer round and full, more like right after a woman’s given birth. Her body is hollowed out and left with the waiting periodof the body healing. She’s had the baby and from the looks it she isn’t doing well.

“We need to go. Now.” I quickly brush the remnants of the spell into a plastic bag but keep the mirror handy. “She’s had the baby.”

Ash’s eyes flash gold, and I can tell his dragon is close to the surface. “No one is hurting my family again. Grey won’t take another Wystan, as long as I live.”

Finley squeezes his hand as she tugs him down the steps toward the waiting black SUV.

I let them take the front seats, but I focus on the mirror, watching Brianna, watching other people moving in and out of the silver frame. The same woman keeps appearing, again and again.

She’s touched by magic. I can’t tell what kind, but if she’s with Grey we have to assume she’s jacked up on Dragon’s Fire and Dragon’s Breath, which means she’s a major threat.

As I watch Brianna and this mystery woman through the mirror, I open my phone and find an app I use for scrying. It’s so much more helpful than “find my friends”, especially when I’ve already established a connection to the target.

A bright purple dot lights up on the screen, and I pass the phone up to Finley to read off directions while I close my eyes and focus on Malcolm and Declan.

“Shit. We might need to split our energies. Declan’s in Montreal already.” I shake my head, frustrated with myself for the strain on my magic, for constantly feeling like I’m always behind. “We have to get to Brianna, but we can’t have Declan destroying the entire city at the same time.”

“We’ll get to Brianna first. We’ll need her help to get Declan calmed down.” Ash’s jaw is set tight, determined. “Malcolm’s got things under control.”

I don’t know how much I believe that. Malcolm can fight—all the Wystans can—but Malcolm’s never sought out a battle. Never liked to use his claws or teeth, if he had other options. He’s young and still growing as a dragon. If Declan’s as close to the craze as it seems, I’m not sure there’s any talking him down off of this. Hopefully he can keep him distracted.

“Drive fast, Ash. As fast as you can. I’ll clear the lights, as much as possible. I’ll keep us moving.”

“Turn right, now!” Finley practically reaches over and grabs the wheel, sending the SUV careening to the right as we barely make the turn.

Three more screeching turns, and then Finley is yanking the wheel into oncoming traffic until we stop right in front of a van. I look up from my mirror and see the woman from the looking glass in the driver’s seat ahead of us. There are horns blaring and people yelling, but we don’t give them the slightest bit of attention.

“She’s in that van.” Finley hands me the phone again. Her claws are already out, ready for a fight.

“Finley, you aren’t going in there,” Ash snaps, grabbing his mate’s wrist.

Finley snarls, a tendril of smoke escaping her lip curled mouth exposing her sharping fangs. “I’m helping, mate.” Her words are muddled with the growing teeth and shifting of her body. “That’s our family in there.” Without another word she yanks her wrist out of his grip, and she’s out of the vehicle and Ash is following quickly behind her cursing every step of the way.

The driver of the van gets out, holding up her hands. “I know how this looks, but please, let me help.”

I can sense the magic much more clearly now. She’s been infected with Dragon’s Breath.

I’m standing just outside of the SUV keeping an eye on our surroundings in case this is an ambush. “Ash, we can’t trust her.”

The woman takes a step forward and Finley growls low in her chest. “Wait. I have Brianna. I have the baby. Grey thinks we’re on the way to the hospital, but she needs more than that. She needs to be claimed.” The woman gestures at the van. “I gave the baby an injection, so that Grey would think there was something wrong, but she’s okay now. I got her the antidote as soon as we were on the road. Brianna though, she’s in bad shape. Tell me this guy’s her mate.” She gestures at Ash.

I shake my head. “He’s not her mate.”

The roar of a dragon not too far off makes the woman tremble, but she backs away from the van, and I can hear a baby cooing.

Almost like she recognizes her father.

I head for the side door of the van as I pass the woman. “You better be telling the truth.”

“You can trust me. Brianna… I don’t know what she did, but my head’s been mine, been clear, for the first time in months. I couldn’t leave her behind, and I knew the moments after birth were going to be the one chance we had. Her body wasn’t ready. It was the only way I could get away from him. Get them away from him. He thought I was still under his control because I let him believe it. He ordered us to the hospital and said he would follow behind shortly. He gave me orders and I didn’t have to follow him. It’s the only way we escaped.” She shakes her head as she backs away from the van door, her hands still held high. “I had to…” I watch her squeeze her eyes shut. “I broke my oath to do no harm. It was all I could do to make sure the baby came out safely. But I gave her his heartstone. I heard those can protect the wearer. Please tell me it’s true.”

I don’t trust that she won’t still light us on fire the first chance she gets, but if Brianna really is in there, I need to see her. I need to make sure she’s okay. “What did you do?”

I can feel Ash and Finley flanking me as I peer inside.

Brianna’s laying across the bench seat, unconscious. I can feel the pain radiating off her even deep in a coma, and I curse under my breath. The ring around her finger and wrist is unmistakable as Declan’s heartstone. I can hear the tourmaline sing in the frequency that is only his. I remember the day I connected him to his heartstone. He was such a tiny baby compared to his older brothers.

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