Page 159 of The Dragon's Mate

“What the fuck?” Bones spat when the men dumpedthe body in front of him and Kaida.

“Who is this?” Kaida stared into the man’slifeless eyes.

The Senator cleared his throat again. “A volunteerwho understands the importance of what we’re trying to achieve.”

“You killed someone,” Kaida said. “You’rea – a murderer.”

“Well, I didn’t kill him,” Senator Matthewssaid. “But that doesn’t matter. Because as far as our city and the rest of theworld is concerned, the dragons killed this poor man.”

“What are you talking about?” Kaida said.

Senator Matthews smiled at her. “Kaida, that’syour name, right? Well, Kaida, unless you want to see your elder’s brainssplattered all over the wall, you’re going to set this man on fire.”

“You’re fucking insane,” Bones said.

One of the men was approaching him, a needlein his hand, and Bones bared his fangs at him. “Come anywhere near me withthat and I’ll melt the flesh from your bones.”

Martin pressed the gun against Cadmus’s temple.“I’ll kill him. Don’t fuck with me, dragon. You don’t ever want to fuck withme. You’re going to be a good little asshole and let the nice man inject you.”

“Bones,” Cadmus said. “Do not allow themto inject you. My life doesn’t matter.”

Bones stared at their high elder as the manholding the needle approached him. His big hands in fists, Bones turned hishead and exposed his throat. “It matters, Cadmus.”

“Inject the motherfucker. Now,” Martinsaid.

Kaida watched as Bones was injected. Herdragon snarled and hissed but she stopped it from surging forward as Bonescurled his lip at the man. The human skittered back, licking his lipsnervously.

“Bones?” Kaida said.

Bones closed his eyes, his hands clenchingand unclenching. “Fuck.”

Martin laughed. “You think it wouldn’t work?”

Another man approached Kaida and thesenator held out his hand. “Wait. She has to burn the body first.”

“I won’t,” Kaida said.

“You will or your giant asshole buddy dies,”Martin said. “I’m itching to put a bullet right through his ugly face.”

Bones stared steadily at him and red roseup Martin’s neck and across his face. “Fucking animal. Stop staring at me.”

“Enough,” the senator said. “Burn the body,Kaida.”

“Just do it yourself,” she snapped.

The senator cocked his head at her. “Mydear, you know that won’t work. We need the body to be ash and bone and,” hegrinned at her, “without access to a crematorium… it’s all up to you. Go on,show us what you can do to a human body.”

Her stomach roiling and her heart hammeringa frantic beat against her rib cage, Kaida drew in a deep breath and releasedher flame. The heat rushed over her and her dragon tried to make a bid forfreedom. She blew more flame onto the body, holding her dragon back with grimdetermination as the smell of burning flesh assaulted her nose.

Wincing, she continued to blow flame until thebody was nothing but ash and a few fragments of bone.

“Astonishing,” the senator whispered. Hewas holding a handkerchief in front of his nose and he waved it in the air as alook of disgust crossed his face. “God, that smell really lingers doesn’t it?”

Kaida flexed her broken hand, wincing whenpain shot up her arm. It was already starting to heal but it would take a few morehours for it to be back to normal. The man holding the needle approached herand a growl burst from her throat.

“Jesus, enough,” Martin said. “You know thedeal by now. Get injected or watch your friends die.”

Kaida eyed the needle, her heart a loud bassbeat in her eardrums.

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