Page 67 of Ash

Wait.

It was her.

* * *

Tyrez plummeted toward the ground in a full-out dive.

He’d carried riders in human form before—mostly Sabres on their way to a fight—but they hadn’t caused the same reactions within him as Dani. Her long, slim legs were warm against his scales.

She was so much lighter than anyone else he’d ever carried. Lighter, and yet, so muchmore, somehow. He was aware of every shift of her body, the tightening of her legs, the little hitches in her breath.

She was holding her breath now. What the shards was he doing? Scaring the crap out of her, no doubt. He raised his head to help hold her in place as he spread his wings, leveling out only feet from the ground.

And Dani...

Danilaughed. Pure, unadulterated joy that permeated him to the core. To his shock, as they soared just above the grasses, she let go of the spikes and spread her arms out, letting the wind slide through her fingers.

Tyrez’s Dragon lips peeled back in a grin. This woman was every inch a Dragon.

Only she wasn’t.

The thought sobered him as he banked toward the gate. He had to get his fool head back in the game. Never had he suffered from so many distractions. He was acting like a youngling, instead of a seasoned warrior.

He slowed as he neared their destination, and then backwinged with care, landing with scarcely a bump. This gateway framed in stone was permanently affixed to Cara’s garden.

Tyrez lowered his front half close to the ground and raised a foreleg.

Rather than take the hint, Dani remained seated. He folded his wings and tilted his head to look back at her.

Her grin was wide and exposed the tips of her Dire fangs, a sure sign of her excitement.

“That,” she exclaimed, “Was freakingamazing!”

He snorted his amusement. “You liked the dive?”

“Liked it? Ilovedit.”

“You would make a great Dragon.” The words passed from his lips before he could stop them. Her enthusiasm was contagious.

Her breathing hitched, and her smile faltered. She swallowed, and said, “You are soluckyto be able to do that all the time.”

He had never thought of it that way. “I guess I am.” When she still didn’t move, he shook his head and waved a wingtip at her. “We do have a meeting to attend,” he reminded her.

When she did slide free from his neck, the pang of regret surprised him. Her warm fingers wrapped around the very tip of his wing finger, and she swung out onto his foreleg, and then jumped to the ground.

He shifted the moment she did so, his form first shrinking in size, and then transforming to human. He finished with his back to her, the scales chasing over the bulging muscles and buttocks as the tail receded.

When he turned, she was staring at him. At his butt, to be exact. Her eyes skimmed to his thighs before she flushed and looked away.

His lips twitched in amusement. He was accustomed to perusals from both human and Dragon females, and usually dismissed them. But he was aware of a curious surge of pleasure as he leaned down to pick up the tail spike.

“What is that?” Dani’s eyes were wide.

“My tail spike. I shed it every time I shift. It can be used as a weapon if I need it.” It was glowing with crystal energy. “If I don’t need it, I drain the energy from it and hide it. It will, eventually, turn to ash.” The glow faded from the blade as Tyrez extracted the energy. He moved past her to the gate and laid the sword in the grass at its base. Activating the gate would suck the last of the power from it.

Dani was still staring at the sword. “Take my arm,” he said.

She stiffened, and he remembered to add, “Please.” Someone had once told him he was too imperious. He didn’t mean to be, it was just the Dragon way.

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