Page 41 of Love Fire

I blink fast. I think I’m about to pass out again. I rub my eyes, thinking maybe I sat up too fast.

No. It’s the same as before. There’s purple ripples in my peripheral vision. My whole surroundings are like that of a 90s cartoon.

My body feels…weird? I can even feel my dragon’s side. It’s nothing like when Erin showed me that little magic trick. It feels like I’m in my dragon form, but I’m human right now.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I hear Erin yell.

“Erin, stop! Just trust me on this!”

“No!

I notice Alessandro sitting next to her, holding a plastic baggie. His head looks bigger than usual. I can see his nose hairs sticking out of his nostrils.

She swats at him while he covers himself.

“The drug acts as a healing agent to dragon shifters,” he explains.

By the look of Erin’s face, she doesn’t buy it one bit. Neither am I, but I’m still entranced by everything around me. The clouds do look like cotton candies.

Alessandro keeps talking. “That’s why so many of them are hooked on it. It’s an endless way to stay immortal.”

I snap my head at him. “Am I going to get addicted?”

“No—”

“I can’t be on drugs, Alessandro. I’m a Draconis Fire agent!”

“I know! I know. Don’t worry, it’ll be out of your system in three days tops.”

Fuck. It felt cool a moment ago, but I don't know how my body’s going to react later. What if I’m already in dragon form and I just don’t know?

My heart’s racing. My mind’s getting disconnected with my body. Am I going through an out-of-body experience? Holy shit.

I’m already addicted to it. My tail’s wagging. I never wag my tail. Only dogs do that.

What’s going to happen to me? My pride as a Draconis Fire agent is gone. Just like that. Will others be able to tell I’m a tweaker?

I pant rapidly. “We have to change locations. Now.”

I start to get up. Erin presses down at my chest. Usually she’s so fragile but her force is comparable to a brick wall. I can’t move.

“Brent, you just got shot. We can’t go anywhere,” she says.

I look down to where she points. My shirt was not red when I put this on. There’s a bullet hole in the middle of my chest. Blood’s still pouring out.

Maybe that’s why I’m freaking out. I’m not sure if what I’m feeling is pain from my current blood loss. I don’t know if the healing part of it began already.

“I think I’m dying,” I say.

“NO,” Erin and Alessandro both say.

“Then why am I still bleeding?” I growl.

Erin stands up hurriedly. “I’m going to call Nate. He can come help heal you!”

“What do I do?” Alessandro asks.

“Put pressure on his chest, dummy!” she answers back.

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