Page 92 of Destiny of the Dragons

She had the spellbook. Now she just had to get her mother to agree to letting her go.

She’d focused so long on getting the spellbook Mia never planned on the next step outside of vague ultimatums.

Jace hovered over her. “What do you need Mia? Is it the book?”

Mia pulled her knees to her chest. Smoke sat next to her without touching her.

“Mia, breathe in through your nose.”

“What else do you need? What can we do?”

Mia squeezed her eyes shut. Her heartbeat too heavy in her chest, and her mind circled repeatedly, staring at the book in front of her.

Everything in her went from happy to terrified to numb in seconds.

Here was her entire life’s goal sitting in front of her, but she didn’t know what to do with it.

“Breathe through your nose, Mia.”

“What’s wrong with her? Mia?” Jace wrung his hands, looking between the two of them.

Her heart healed at the sight of him, looking ready to break something at her distress. He really loved her.

She glanced at Smoke, steady and calm. He knew exactly what she was going through.

She breathed out through her nose. “I just feel weird. I should be happy.”

Smoke handed her the glass of water. “Small sips.”

“You don’t have to feel anything about it.” Jace frowned at the book. “You still have to get your troll of a mother to let you go.”

Her throat closed up at the thought.

“But we will be with you the entire time. She won’t hurt you again.” Jace’s face grew hard.

“I just can’t…” Her mind went blank, running through scenarios like Mother killing the three of them to Mother just waving them out of the shop.

The doorbell rang and Mia screamed.

Jace hurried to the door and took their order. He set her egg drop soup in front of her. “Small sips.”

He exchanged a look with Smoke and then smiled. “It’s been a long day. Can we finish our movie?”

“I need to figure out…” Mia gestured at the book.

“It will be here tomorrow.” Jace sat next to her. He laid their food out in front of them. “Plenty of time then to plot the downfall of your mother.”

Mia choked out a laugh and snuggled between them. She didn’t think she could focus on the movie, but they were in the middle of binge-watching cheesy series with laughable action scenes but sexy sex scenes.

Jace laughed at the ridiculous special effects, and she relaxed enough to eat some of her egg drop soup. And then the egg rolls sounded appetizing. Mia snuggled between her men and focused on the silly show, and before she knew it, three hours had passed.

Her head hurt, but she no longer wanted to crawl out of her skin.

She nuzzled against Smoke’s shoulder. “How did you know?”

He shrugged. “I knew that look.”

“I don’t know why I reacted like that.” Mia glanced at the book, shoved to the corner of the table.

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