Page 11 of Waking Her Dragon

Sydney felt a cold spark ignite in her chest. An ancient cage slamming shut.

Inside her mind, Kara let out a low, predatory growl that echoed through Sydney's skull. The Dragon Queen recognized the pattern.

“Gunnar felt the cage slam shut,” Sydney whispered, the timeline clicking together with terrifying precision. “And less than an hour later, the pressure built up so much that Garrett used every ounce of his remaining strength to break through the barrier and tell me to run.”

Carrick slowly nodded, the grim, lethal edge returning to his features. He looked at Ginnie, then back to Sydney.

“There are no coincidences,” the legendary Elder stated, reciting the first, most sacred rule of the Dragon Guard motto. The words echoed in the quiet room.

The pieces of the puzzle that the Universe had put into place were actively shifting, locking together like the gears of a massive, hidden machine. Gunnar’s sudden call. Sydney’s agonizing arrival. Garrett’s desperate, fiery warning. It wasn't a series of random mishaps.

The Universe was moving its pieces onto the board. And the game had officially begun.

“Alright,” Carrick said, his voice instantly dropping into the flat, unyielding tone of a commander issuing orders. “Here’s how this goes. Ginnie, please get the perimeter wards locked down to maximum. Sydney, you stay inside this house, under total concealment. You don't step outside. You don't reach through the bond. You don't breathe loud enough for the realm to hear you.”

Sydney blinked. A cold disbelief cut through her exhaustion. “Excuse me?”

“You look like hell, Syd,” Carrick said, stepping into her space, his massive frame deliberately imposing.

He wasn't doing it to assert dominance. Carrick would never do that to her, or anyone. It wasn’t his style. He was making the calculated maneuver of a seasoned Guardsman who was protecting a high-value asset.

Sydney knew what was happening, and appreciated his concern… But she was also getting madder by the minute.

Then he continued, “You just nearly collapsed on my floor. Your lungs are still burning. I can feel it from here. More importantly, Garrett didn't scream for help… He screamed for you to run. His tactical brain was working even while his soul was caged. He knows you are the target now. My job is to keep the target alive while we hunt down Gunnar’s lead.”

Sydney stared at him. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She loved the man before her with all her heart. He was the only grandfather she’d ever known. He was her mentor, a true role model…

But in that moment, she wanted to kick him in the shin.

The residual tremors in her hands vanished, replaced by a sudden, absolute stillness. The soft, sly smile she usually wore to deflect tension was completely gone.

Slowly, the Special One stood up.

She didn't yell. She didn't rage. She merely stood her ground, her spine turning to liquid steel as she met the fierce gaze of the Dragon Elder.

“Carrick, I love you,” Sydney said, saying exactly what she was thinking. Her voice was terrifyingly calm, vibrating with an ancient authority that made the air in the room hum. “I respect you. You know what a special place in my heart you have, but if you believe for one second that I’m going to sit safely behind a ward while my Mate is being tortured somewhere in the dark, then you clearly haven't been paying attention.”

Inside her skull, a fierce, golden warmth flared. “Attagirl,” Kara purred, the Dragon Queen baring her teeth in predatory approval.

Carrick held Sydney's gaze for three long seconds. The rigid, unyielding line of his shoulders slowly eased, just a fraction. He reached up, roughly scratching at the heavy stubble on his jaw, a low, exhausted sigh slipping past his lips.

He didn't argue. He didn't push back.

Sydney saw the truth. It was as plain as the nose on his face. Carrick had known exactly how the conversation was going to go before he even opened his mouth. He had just needed to see if she was ready.

And he got his answer. Sydney was definitely, without a doubt, one-hundred-percent ready to go.

The argument was over. It was time to hunt.

Sydney didn't wait for permission. She closed her eyes, shutting out the sight of Carrick’s stubborn jaw and Ginnie’s anxious eyes.

Taking a slow, deep breath, she let her mind sink past the physical room, down into the raw center of her soul. She had spent so much time desperately throwing her energy into the dark, searching blindly for Garrett, and that was why she had failed. She had been hunting for the Guardsman, her Mate himself, trying to pierce a shroud designed to hide him from the world.

She needed to stop searching for the man. She needed to follow the road he had paved.

“Kara,” Sydney mentally called, her voice ringing like a bell. “Don't look for Garrett. Look for the footprints he left behind when he shouted at us. Trace the warning.”

A fierce wave of golden comprehension flooded her mind. Kara didn't hesitate. The Dragon Queen grabbed Sydney’s Magic, locking their powers together in perfect, seamless sync.