Page 49 of Fire Dragon
Jane caught her forearm. “It’s okay, you know.”
Emma frowned as she looked at the two faces she loved so much. “They’re with me. They’re always with me.”
“What exactly did Logan say to you?”
“That I’m afraid Liam will abandon me like they did.”
“Wow. Do you think it’s true?”
Emma pressed a hand to her cheek. “It must be which is why I hate Logan for saying it.” She chuckled but felt anything but amused. “I struck out at Liam, before he could hurt me. That’s what I think really happened. He made this move like he was going to leave the bed, just like he did the first time we slept together. Part of me panicked.”
“That Logan. He’s the biggest lug, he’s a terrible tease, but he can be amazingly perceptive.”
“I’m really going to have to apologize to Liam, aren’t I?”
Jane laughed. “Duh.”
~ ~ ~
You’re not even trying.These were the last words Liam had ever thought he’d say to his battle partner. He was in full-dragon and Emma levitated in from him. Her cheeks were drawn and tight, her lips grim. Liam had never seen that expression on the woman before.
He wasn’t sure what was going on with her, but she wasn’t herself, not entirely.
Now that they’d been exclusive battle partners for several weeks, he’d come to know her well, the way she stared off into the distance when she was thinking something over, the exact feel of her knees and thighs as she hit the saddle of his neck, the way her shoulders drew back at the mention of a challenge.
Right now, her shoulders remained immobile as she stared at him. “Let’s try it again. I can do better.”
The words were right, but something was off. He didn’t know how to reach her.Let’s go.
She gave a dip of her chin, and using her superb levitation, threw herself into the air.
She landed on his neck with precision. He liked that about Emma. Everything about her was precise down to the tight braid she wore with her hair pulled back when she was training or in battle. He trusted her as a partner, which only made his dilemma on a personal level that much harder.
He flew above the lake twenty miles distant from Blue Lake South proper. They were near the town of Khancliffe. One of the riders, Charlotte, commuted to HQ from there.
The entire lake system was five hundred miles long with cities, towns and villages peppered along both coastlines. The lake was life to the central part of Arranfar.
I’ll make a circuit then we’ll try the roll again.
Yes, Sir.
He liked that as well, how she addressed him while training. Still, something wasn’t working.
He flew in a brisk circle then initiated the roll. She was to bring her rifle across his back at the same time and the moment she was parallel with the horizon, she was to fire.
But she failed again and again. Her timing was off and more than once she’d lost her seat and was airborne. So not like her.
His patience grew thin, though he had to admit a small part of him was glad she wasn’t on her A game. He could pretend for a moment he didn’t like as much as he did.
Dismount and face me, Warrior.
She levitated away from him. He remained in place while she made her way to float in the air in front of him once more.
She didn’t flinch as he began his dressing down. He told her to pick up the pace and focus. She’d been lagging since they’d started the drill. He expected better from her.
Her shoulders drew upright, and she lifted her chin, but damn if tears didn’t fill her eyes. He was surprised, then appalled believing he’d gone too far, that he’d brought a woman of Emma’s tough mettle to tears.
Shit, I’m sorry, Emma.
