Page 70 of Saving Her Dragon

“No,” Kara stated with absolute finality. “Another.”

The single word hit Sydney’s mind like a physical blow.

Garrett picked up on her sudden, internal shock wave through the Mating Bond instantly. He stepped across the gravel path, his large hand wrapping securely around her waist as he scanned her face. "Syd? What is it? What did Kara feel?"

Sydney looked up at her Mate, her voice trembling slightly as she gave the impossible thought words. "Kara says... whatever Ginnie felt on that trail, it wasn't hers."

Carrick went completely rigid on the porch steps. His eyes widened.

Garrett looked from his Mate to Carrick, his tactical brain spinning the variables. "Another Dragon Queen?"

Nobody answered. The silence that settled over the gravel drive was thick, heavy, and loaded with the opening chords of an entirely new war.

“All I know for certain is that Leviathan's residual trail is carrying something with a related frequency,” Ginnie said quietly. “I don't know where he encountered it, when he encountered it, or what it means."

The renowned Leader’s jaw set into a grim, unyielding line. "Then we find out what."

Garrett turned back to Sydney. She felt the instinctive pull of the soldier through their Bond. He looked at her with a soft, intensely devoted smile.

“We going home, Special One?” he asked softly.

Sydney smiled through the lingering chill of the revelation and leaned into his chest. “We are.”

Carrick waved them off, his deep voice commanding the path. "Go. We'll handle Leviathan. Your mission is clear."

Garrett looked at Carrick, and this time, he truly believed him. "Call us if the parameters change."

Ginnie stepped up for one final, quick squeeze of Sydney’s hand, whispering fiercely into her ear, "Go! Be happy for five damned minutes, Sydney. That's a Necromancer's order."

Sydney chuckled. "That's the plan, Ginnie."

"Make it ten. Live dangerously," Ginnie winked.

Carrick leveled Garrett with a final nod. "Get her home, Son."

Sydney raised an eyebrow, stepping toward the passenger door. "Excuse me? I am the Special One. I can get myself home, thank you very much."

Garrett flashed a bright, handsome grin, opening the door for her with a mock bow. "Yes, ma'am. Tactical clearance achieved."

Ten minutes later, the SUV was cruising down the open Texas highway, the windows rolled halfway down to let the crisp, warm summer air flood the cabin.

Sydney sat comfortably in the passenger seat, her boots resting casually up on the dashboard, the endless stretch of the open road unfolding ahead of them. Braided through the loose, pale-blonde curls of her hair was the thin, vibrant strand of blue silk.

Garrett kept his left hand steady on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the highway. But as they hit a long, straight stretch of asphalt, he reached his right hand across the console. His long, calloused fingers caught the fluttering end of the blue ribbon, tracing the smooth texture of the silk with a light, deliberate brush.

That tiny piece of fabric used to terrify him. It had been the symbol of his violation, the proof of his vulnerability. Now, as he looked at it dancing in the highway wind, a slow, incredibly beautiful smile broke across his face.

Sydney turned her head, catching him. "What?"

"Nothing," Garrett murmured, his thumb rubbing the edge of the silk.

"Liar," she smirked, her eyes flashing.

"Just like seeing it where it belongs," he admitted softly, his voice thick with absolute peace. "On you."

Sydney felt her heart swell as a wave of pure, unadulterated love rushed through the mating bond. She reached over, sliding her fingers into his palm, pulling his large hand down to rest firmly against her thigh as he drove. "So do I, Dragon Man.”

The SUV rolled onward, cutting through the Texas sunshine toward the long road home, the shadows of the Homestead slowly falling behind them. Then, deep within the silent, sacred spaces of the spiritual plane, the peace fractured.