Page 26 of Waking Her Dragon

And she already had him. The Mating Bond was still there, pulsing against her chest. The problem before was that she kept trying to use it like a window to see him or a phone to call him. But the text suggested it was much more than that.

“What if I use it as a road?” Sydney asked inwardly.

“Sydney…” Kara warned, her mental presence turning cold.

“You know it’ll work, Kara.”

The Dragon Queen went silent, but the admission was there. It would work. And Kara absolutely hated it, because walking down that path meant delivering the key straight to Leviathan's doorstep. It was exactly what the monster wanted.

Sydney’s lips curved into a dark, determined smile. “Then let’s give that Demon Lord what he wants.”

Carrick groaned, rubbing his temples. “I really hate when you smile like that.”

"We keep it simple," Sydney said, laying her palms flat on the research-strewn table opposite Carrick. "No armies. An assault team means too much Magic, too much noise, and way too much risk. Leviathan will see us coming a mile away."

Carrick crossed his arms, his expression unyielding. "Then how do we get in?"

"I’ll use the Mating Bond to forge the path directly to Garrett. Kara will shield our Magical signatures for as long as she can.” Sydney turned to Carrick. "You’re coming with me, because you're the Dragon Elder and I know there's no universe where you let me do this alone."

Ginnie stood up, adjusting her glasses. "And what about me?"

"You stay here," Sydney said firmly, cutting off the protest before Ginnie could even start. "Not because you can't handle it, but because we need someone immensely powerful to anchor our return line. If the door slams shut behind us, you are our only way back to Earth."

Ginnie looked at Carrick, then nodded slowly, accepting her crucial role as their lifeline.

The renowned Guardsman leaned forward, his bloodshot eyes locking onto hers. "And the most important part, Sydney. What happens when you actually reach Garrett?"

"I free him."

"Without opening the door."

Sydney offered a tight, small smile. "That’s the plan."

"That’s not a plan," Carrick grunted.

"It’s the part of the plan I’m still working on," Sydney countered, trying to inject a bit of humor into the suffocating weight in the room.

But underneath the brave face, Sydney knew the only parts that truly mattered. Reach Garrett. Find the threshold. Figure out how to use her Light to reverse whatever Leviathan intended before he could use her to complete it. Free Garrett and Aodhan. Then get the hell out.

The details?

She'd figure those out when she got there.

They abandoned the mountain of research and moved out onto the soft Bermuda grass in the backyard, careful to be far enough away from Ginnie’s gorgeous garden.

"Why are we out here again?" Carrick asked, adjusting his stance.

Sydney offered a tight grin. "Because I don't want to accidentally blow up your haunted mansion when I crack this open."

Even as one of the most powerful Magical Beings in the universe, she wasn't taking chances. After all, she had no idea what she was going to open or find on the other side.

Ginnie immediately went to work, raising her hands to knit together a shimmering, secure anchor point in the air for their return. Beside her, Carrick closed his eyes, his pure Dragon Magic flaring to life like a physical wall of heat, ready to shield their approach.

Sydney took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Let's go, Kara.”

For the first time since she had locked it away, Sydney deliberately reached deep inside her soul. Grabbing the Mating Bond with both hands, she ripped it open with an audible, “Oomph!”

Instantly, a wall of pure agony slammed into her chest. It was pitch black, suffocating, and freezing cold. Garrett. The sheer despair of his condition nearly swallowed her whole. Her instinct screamed at her to throw herself blindly down the link.