Page 75 of Dream Reaper

“A cowardly answer,” Dragon murmured, but it made him want to laugh because she really was so very clever.

It’s the truth.

This time, he almost believed her. How he wanted to delve into her thoughts, skimming over her feeble wall so that he could explore the true depth of her emotions, but he held himself back. He didn’t dare linger long, unsure what would happen if he stretched his tether for an extended length of time.

It already strained, creaking against his determined hold.

“I need to go,” he said, “but I want you to stay. Whatever Jerrid says or tries to do, I want you to stay. Remember that, Meat Pasty. Remember that…Ava.”

He tasted her shock on his tongue as he slipped away, stealing back to himself, to his prison, to his battle…

Jerrid realized something was wrong when Ava went rigid in his arms, unmoving. He pulled back, shocked at his own lack of self-control. What the shades had he been thinking?

He hadn’t been thinking. That was the problem.

He’d been looking at her beautiful face and her stubborn, flashing eyes, and he’d only reacted to what his feelings screamed at him. Trying to hold himself back, to appear aloof and indifferent… The lie was too hard to maintain.

That’s why he had kissed her.

But now she kneeled before him, eyes glazed and unfocused.

“Ava?”

He cupped his palms around her shoulders and gave her a shake, gentle at first, and then harder, as he urgently called her name. Around them, the forest was deathly quiet, Brynja having stolen back to the camp during their argument and…

Well, everything that came after.

“Ava!” He patted her cheek until her eyelashes fluttered.

Blinking furiously, she recoiled from him, expression dazed and confused. “Where… What…”

He said nothing as she pulled herself together, but when the awkwardness lingered too long, he cleared his throat. “That was strange. Where were you?”

Her gaze flashed to his, anger darkening her cheeks. “Where was I? Where were you! I mean, where was he!”

“What are you talking about?” Jerrid furrowed his brow, wondering if his kiss had somehow broken something inside her or driven her to partial insensibility.

“Dragon! What was he doing?” she hissed, baring her little white teeth.

For the first time, he noticed that her left incisor had a tiny chip. How had he never noticed that before?

You’re an idiot, Dragon said with a snicker. I noticed.

“You,” Jerrid snapped, but when Ava flinched back, he raised calming palms toward her. “No, no, not you. Dragon. What have you been up to, you old goat?”

So rude… But other than a long, lingering snigger, the dragon had nothing else to say for himself.

Jerrid looked to Ava for answers. “What was he doing? What happened?”

Ava looked away, wrapping her arms around herself and clasping her elbows in both palms. “He was in my head. That’s what he was doing.”

“What? He can’t do that.”

Her gaze flew back to his, heated and angry. “Don’t tell me what he can’t do because he did it! He somehow got out of you and into me.”

“Dragon!” he bellowed, so loudly Ava leaned away from him.

The truth hit him in sickening waves, slowly at first, but escalating like the tide coming in. All the time he’d been kissing her, she’d been stuck in her head talking to Dragon? None of it had been real. None of it had been anything but him being exactly what Dragon accused him of.