Page 74 of Fated to the Grumpy Dragon
The blue dragon’s head whipped around, yellow eyes locking on me in an instant.
With a grunt, the dragon caught me with its tail, stopping me from falling into empty air with only a few feet to spare. I lay flat, staring up at the dragon underbelly, too scared to move for a moment.
The giant beast bellowed in pain. I glanced over to see the fire splashing off his flank.
Killian used the distraction to land a harsh blow. While Rhyse was recovering, the big dragon grabbed the rest of the treasure and leaped from the bluffs, easily gathering speed and shooting out to see low over the wavetops. Within seconds, he was out of reach.
“Cowards,” Rhyse grunted as he shifted back, favoring his right side, where the skin was bright red and burned. “Damn, that stings. Are you okay?”
“Thank you for saving me,” I said, waving my hands at him. “I’m fine.”
Rhyse’s face paled. “What’s that?”
“What’s what?” I followed his gaze to see I was still holding the letter. It was wet and probably unreadable at this point, but the sky-blue coloring was unmistakable.
I looked back up, watching his green eyes and the tightness in the corners of his mouth.
No. Please, no. It’s fake. It has to be fake.
But Rhyse’s reaction confirmed it.
“You did write this, then.”
His eyelids drooped, and he closed them briefly.
“You do want me gone,” I said, choking back unexpected tears.
I’d been all ready to apologize to him. To give him a big speech about how none of what he feared mattered to me. That I did like him. That I wanted to stay.
And all the while, he’d been plotting to get rid of me.
“Emma, give me the paper,” Rhyse said.
“It’s too late. I’ve already read it,” I said as the tears fell. “I know all about your dislike of me. How you wish to ‘return me’ like a purchase you no longer like. I guess it’s a good thing I’m within the thirty-day return window, isn’t it?!”
Rhyse took a step toward me. “Listen to me, Emma. That is—”
“No, you know what? Save it,” I said, tossing the soggy paper at him. “I’m done listening to you and your excuses. Done, okay? I don’t want to hear it. Whatever you were going to say, it doesn’t matter.Thatis what matters, that letter. That’s the truth. The one you couldn’t tell me yourself!”
Rhyse growled but didn’t say anything. “You aren’t listening. It doesn’t—”
“You’re right!” I shouted. “I’m not listening! Not to you. Just send me back. I’m done. Done with you. Done with this place. I’m done with trying to make it right.”
“Emma.”
“No!”I shrieked as he came toward me, one arm outstretched. “I don’t want to hear it, okay!”
“Fine!” he bellowed. “Be that way. Prove what I wrote is true. Go for it!”
“I hate you!” I screamed. “I—”
Red-hot pain drilled into both my eyeballs. My entire body went stiff, every muscle locked up in indescribable agony.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Emma
Iremembered.
