Page 20 of Hidden Fate

Mindy bit her bottom lip as Sol stood on the porch and called out, “He’s right. After flying, you’ll reconnect with your slightly different dragon. It’ll be okay.”

I asked,Do you want me to ask them to go inside?

No, it’ll make everyone uncomfortable.He closed his eyes.I’ll be okay.

“I’m going to remove your dragon for a moment and give it back,” he informed her as his hands glowed. “Don’t be afraid.”

The magic churned through him, and I watched as everyone’s mouths dropped open. Only Theron, Hydra, and I had seen him use the magic before, and it was amazing.

His hands lit up the area around him despite the sun shining high in the sky.

I smiled as my chest swelled. He hadn’t even hesitated or needed my help. He was getting control of his magic and not struggling to connect with it anymore.

As the friction vibrated through our bond, I knew he was already working. The moment he took her dragon, Mindy whimpered, “It’s gone.”

Then a different tension filled our bond…an emotion I’d felt from him only one another time—when he’d realized Drake had captured me.

Terror.

I can’t heal her,he connected.Her dragon isn’t injured.

Fear strangled me. If he couldn’t heal Mindy, we weren’t safe anymore.

CHAPTERSEVEN

My mouth souredas his words replayed in my mind. Our group was in horrible trouble. The deal had been clear: Edna would help hide us if we healed her daughter. If Thorn couldn’t heal Mindy, she might inform Drake that we were here.

Mindy whimpered, I assumed due to her missing dragon. From the friction swirling through our bond, I knew Thorn was holding on to it.

His fear strangled our bond, making it seem half its normal size. The warmth of our usual connection cooled in my chest.

I’m going to give it back to her,he connected.Her dragon is about to dissipate. I can feel it.

Do it.He needed to hear me say it.The only thing worse than not healing her would be taking her dragon away.

Tension roiled from his body. I didn’t have to be connected to him to sense it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vlad inch toward Cassidy. His jaw clenched. He sensed something was amiss. Of course they could read Thorn. He was their son, after all.

The friction in our connection intensified as Thorn gave Mindy her dragon back. The moment the transfer was complete, our bond returned to normal. His hands stopped glowing, and he removed them from her shoulders.

Mindy gasped and opened her eyes.

“Well?” Edna asked as she scurried over to her daughter. “How do you feel?”

She bent down toward her toes…and groaned. “My back still hurts. It doesn’t feel any different.”

“What?” Theron shook his head. “That’s impossible. He healed Sol and Tyson.”

“The agreement was that he heal her.” Edna’s eyes hardened. “And hedidn’t.” She turned to my mate and scowled. “Why? Is it because she’s a female?”

My mate’s jaw slackened. “What? Gods, no. That has nothing to do with it.”

Anger sparked through me, and my hands fisted. I didn’t like her insinuation. He’d risked his life for my sister and me.

My breath caught, and my attention settled back on Mindy. “Wait. You were hurt in human form, right?”

She arched a brow but nodded.

“Sol and Tysonweren’t. They were injured indragonform.” I bit the inside of my cheek, letting my hypothesis settle over me. I was premed, so though I didn’t understand magic, I understood the human body. “When you were injured, did you go to the hospital for care?”

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