Page 113 of Phoenix Burn

Before I could stop myself, I bared my teeth at him. This close, I noticed his eyes weren’t pure silver. The edges of the irises were crimson.

“What are you, to Sebastian?” he demanded.

“I really have no idea,” I answered. Not entirely truthful, but I had theories only, no facts.

The fingers tightened, and he flooded me with his power. The crystal in our blood made Dragons naturally resistant to Bellati destruction, but Xumi only fed me enough of it to keep me alive. So pain lanced through me from the touch as it tried to rip apart my cells.

I gritted my teeth as my gums bled, and to my humiliation, my body responded.

My rescue came from an unexpected source. I may be nothing more than a toy, but I washertoy.

Xumi placed her hand on his arm. The Bellati went rigid, his eyes blazing at her. He pulled his power from me, and it lashed out at her.

But her crystal reserves were topped up. Her eyes gleamed as she raised her chin. A trickle of blood ran from her mouth. She smiled and licked her lips.

“Ooo, that is lovely. Don’t suppose you can bottle it? It would make a killing on the black market.”

The Bellati’s eyes narrowed, and the bodyguards moved close to lay their hands on his shoulders. I sensed the energy ramp up and saw a line of tension appear in Xumi’s jaw.

“Is this your way of developing a working relationship?” she said through gritted teeth.

The Bellati snorted, but he removed his hands from me, and she released his arm. “Do not play with me. You may be resistant to my power, but you are not immune.” He walked to the wingless Dragon, and his bodyguards followed.

Xumi swayed after the Bellatis. Her fingers wiped at the blood on her chin, and she licked them, one by one. Her eyes scanned up and down the muscled forms as though perusing their assets.

I had no doubt that was exactly what she was doing.

The Seer had backed in the opposite direction to flatten against the far wall. Sweat poured down his round face, and his hands trembled.

Their true target cringed backward in the chains, but there was nowhere to run. The Bellatis encircled him, and each reached to their throats to wrap one hand around the shining amulets they wore. The crystals began to glow with vivid red light. The two bodyguards once again put their hands on their leader’s shoulder, and he lit up with crimson energy. Then he reached out to the Dragon and placed his hands on the prisoner’s arms.

The red light pulsed as it engulfed him, and the Dragon screamed. I had never heard such a sound from one of my kind. My beast surged beneath my skin, unsure whether to fight, or flee.

Not that either was an option.

But the Bellatis straightened as the Dragon’s cries diminished. I sensed when the power reversed, flowing from the Dragon, to them.

They were sucking him dry. As the Bellatis’ eyes glowed red, their expressions were almost orgiastic. From what I glimpsed from their open cloaks, I wasn’t wrong.

The surrounding light increased until I could barely look at it. Xumi’s mouth had dropped open, and one hand played with her breasts. She reached for one of the bodyguards, but the moment she made contact, the light flared wildly. It sent her flying a solid ten feet, to hit the ground hard.

She rolled back to her feet. Their victim hung in the chains, his scales leached of all color, and his body was reduced to skin and bone. He may have survived Xumi’s twins, but not the power of these Bellati.

His suffering was over.

The glow receded, and the lead Bellati turned to her. He shone with power. “Do you require a further demonstration?”

Xumi’s eyes flashed with rage, but she hadn’t survived in the cutthroat underworld by being a fool. “Are those crystals,” she asked, “for sale?”

The Bellati waved a hand. “For you, they are nothing but baubles. Only Liberi can tap into their power. Shall we focus on the task at hand?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Capturing a Bellati will not be easy. It will cost you extra,” she hissed.

Capture him? My heart accelerated.

“All you are doing is providing the bait,” he stated. “My people will do the capture.”

She arched a sculpted brow. “My Dragons are capable.”

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