Page 15 of Dallas

Meanwhile, a glance over my shoulder revealed Iris and Electra clutching each other’s hands. Surely, nothing to worry about. Cold sweat broke out along my temples and the back of my neck.

If only there was some light! Only the car’s headlights provided illumination, and even that was pitiful in the face of such heavy rain, not to mention wet leaves which clung to anything they touched. I considered offering to clear them away, but that would mean stopping and losing sight of Callie. I couldn’t let that happen.

To hell with the rest of them. I wanted my sister.

The road grew steeper, and the engine worked harder as a result.

“Good thing this has four-wheel drive,” Leslie muttered.

I didn’t know what that meant, but if she was glad, so was I. The wipers moved back and forth and barely made any impact as we climbed, bouncing and rocking until it was almost like being aboard the jet again.

My jaw hurt from gritting my teeth, and my hands were cramping, pressed together as they were. Whose idea was this?

“He’s going too fast,” Iris whispered. “They’re going too fast. What’s he thinking?”

“Probably trying to muscle through this mud,” Leslie grunted, eyes narrowed, leaning over the wheel. “You go too slow, it can stop you.”

“You go too fast, it can kill you,” I whispered, then hated myself for even thinking the word.

Good thing there was too much noise all around the car—deafening, ever-present, maddening—for anyone to hear me.

Then, Leslie let out a strangled cry. “What—no—look out!” she shouted, taking one hand from the wheel and pointing ahead, where the two red lights which marked the second vehicle swung wildly back and forth before coming to a stop.

I screamed, my heart in my throat. “Callie!”

7

The collision was violent enough to daze me. Moments after impact, I shook my head, blinking hard, trying to understand what had just happened.

A scream. Callie’s? Being knocked forward as we hit a tree head-on, then to my right as the SUV slid around and struck yet another tree on the passenger side.

There was a startling, chilling silence in the car. The only sound came from the ever-pounding rain and wind outside. I wasn’t even certain I heard breathing other than my own.

I turned to Isla, seated beside me, as she lifted her head. “Are you all right?” There were certain injuries a dragon could easily sustain, and there were those which required treatment. Not the sort of treatment humans required, but more than dragons normally needed. Our blood allowed us to heal with stunning speed.

Yet we weren’t impervious to everything, and the crash we’d sustained was violent enough to have dazed me.

“I’m all right, I think.” Isla rolled her head back on her shoulders, then around. “Everything’s moving. It’s sore, but it’s moving.”

“Owen?” I leaned forward to see him.

He shook his head as if to clear out the cobwebs, then fought off the airbag which had deployed in his face. “I’m fine. Maybe. Oh, gods, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“It isn’t your fault we traveled straight into a damn hurricane or whatever this happens to be.” I looked to my right, where Callie sat.

Where Callie wasn’t moving.

“Callie.” I touched her shoulder. She didn’t flinch.

“Oh, no.” Isla reached over me. “Callie? Callie, wake up. Speak to us, please.”

“Dallas…” Owen worked back the passenger side airbag, pushing it away from Callie, and Isla let out a low moan at the sight of blood smeared across the canvas.

“Damn it.” I forced open my door and jumped out into the driving rain. It was nearly enough to blind me, the way the wind sent it straight into my face. I held an arm in front of my eyes as I climbed up onto the crumpled hood. The cover provided by the tree we’d slammed into allowed me the chance to see a bit better.

What I found didn’t inspire relief. The front passenger side was completely crushed, the door useless. How were we supposed to get her out of the vehicle without dragging her over the front seats? I had no idea if we should move her or leave her in place.

“Can you move the seat back?” I shouted.

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