Page 48 of Dragon's Flame
“What the hell is that?” Kenna growled, sounding like a dragon.
“I don’t know,” he growled, right back.
41
KENNA
The moonlight made everything inside the quarry different shades of black and gray—but up until then, Kenna had been able to place everything, rocks, trees, the beach of the pond, and a military-looking helicopter, off to the right.
It wasn’t until she’d spotted something insectile and disgusting curled over, created from shining white lumps that were netted together by something she couldn’t explain and didn’t want to, that things stopped making sense.
Even more so when she found Sarah was in the middle of it, surrounded by it, like it was...feeding on her.
“No!” Sarah shrieked, and Kenna felt Tarian tense.
“If you attack, we’ll kill the girl!” shouted a horribly familiar voice.
Cliff stepped out from behind the monstrosity, along with ten other men just like him, and this time there was no doubt that he was armed.
“What the fuck is that!” Kenna shouted back at him.
“Magic,” he said casually. “We’re keeping it alive.”
“That’s funny—looks like she’s doing all the hard work!” she shouted again, and Tarian restrained her.
“Get. Back,” he growled quietly.
“Not really,” Cliff went on. “Because it doesn’t actually want her, Kenna. It wants you.”
Tarian loomed, and she knew he was on the brink of changing.
“Why?” she shouted, before he could.
“Because out of all the women currently alive in the world, you’re the only one carrying a dragon’s energy.”
At that, Tarian let out a reverberating growl, Kenna felt it on their bond, practically rattling her bones—and Cliff brought out a gun, setting the end of the barrel against Sarah’s temple as the strange creature that held her took on an ominous glow.
“If he changes, she dies. If you wait, our magic kills her.”
“I should’ve killed you in that hotel room while I had the chance!” Tarian howled.
“Even if you had, it wouldn’t matter,” Cliff shouted back. “It would only be someone else here now, holding this same gun.”
Kenna pressed up against Tarian’s outstretched hand. “What are you doing?” he snarled at her.
The creature holding Sarah had begun to faintly pulse.
“I can’t let her die, Tarian.”
“And I did not find you just to lose you,” he said, his voice rough.
“You didn’t,” she said, taking his hand, holding it to her chest, where they were bonded. “I promise. Because I know you can find me again.”
“No.” The word ripped out of him, guttural, savage.
“And because I’m not twenty-three for another four hours and eight minutes.”
“How thefuckdo you know that?”
