Page 16 of Dragon's Flame
He thundered down the stairs, Rocky darting ahead. The Jaguar was too far in the wrong direction, but there was some sort of boxy red contraption nearer. He flung its doors open with magic, using the same to turn it on, and practically threw her inside of it, as Rocky leapt in after.
He cleared the front of the vehicle in an instant, settling himself only for a second before hitting the gas to peel out—at the same time Seris’s hand shot for the door handle.
“No!” he growled, his magic slamming the locks into place. His heart pounded, his voice rough with desperation. “You willnotharm yourself!”
Her head snapped toward him, her wide eyes blazing with fury and panic. She slammed a fist against the door, testing the strength of his magic. Her silent screams pressed against the air like phantom echoes, cutting him to his core.
“Put on your seatbelt,” he barked.
She didn’t move, her defiance a palpable force between them. Headlights flared in the mirror—each flicker a dagger to his spine.
“Seris,” he bit out, his tone softer but no less commanding. “Please.”
She stared at him for a long moment, her chest heaving, her fingers trembling against the edge of the seat. Her eyes were unreadable, filled with too many emotions for him to name.
She didn’t move. He reached across her, snapping the belt into place with a sharp click.
Her breath hitched as his hand brushed her arm. He lingered for a fraction of a second longer than necessary, willing her to feel it—to remember.
But when he pulled back, she turned her head sharply, refusing to meet his gaze.
Tarian exhaled shakily, his hands tightening on the wheel. They were three blocks away now, but they weren’t safe yet. Not from the headlights in his mirrors. And not from the storm brewing between them.
“Are you sure this is the right girl?” Rocky asked from the passenger side footwell.
“Yes,” he said.
Rocky made a grumbling sound. “I don’t think she agrees.”
“Well, she is wrong,” Tarian announced firmly—and out of the corner of his eye he saw Seris wince.
This was not at all going according to plan—probably because he didn’t have one.
14
KENNA
Kenna couldn’t believe what was happening to her.
She’d . . . been kidnapped.
She’d taken one step away from her normal life, risking things to go out with Cliff, and look what it’d gotten her?
She was trapped in some serial killer van with a crazy man and a dog.
She put her hands to her face and tried to come to her senses.
There was nowaythis was happening—life couldnotbe this unfair to her, twice!
But when she looked up next they were barreling out of Santa Cruz, as fast as the shitty van could go, and she was being taken farther and farther away from civilization.
She didn’t know if she should laugh, or cry, or just let herself go insane, because seriously, what the fuck was happening?
Then the man looked over at her. He’d called her the wrong name repeatedly—it was clear he thought she was someone else.
She’d seen all the shows, watched all the movies. She knew she was probably only a few hours away from being turned into a skin suit.
Which was ironic, considering the sorry state certain pieces of her skin were in.
