Page 80 of Bad Blood Alpha

All they had to do was hold on long enough for backup to come.

“Why the House of Al-Maddeiri?” she asked, trying to keep him talking. “Couldn’t you find any dragons from lesser clans willing to donate blood?”

He sneered. “You’re a fool,” he said. “Wild dragons have their place. But the Royal House of Al-Maddeiri is unique. Interbreeding with the Lion Guard, passing their magic back and forth from generation to generation, funneling it through their chosen vessels and back into the clan…their blood has properties you can’t even imagine. And you,” he ran his loathsome finger lightly down her cheek, “you are the Bound One, with all the magic of your House tied up inside you like a holiday gift. And you too stupid and weak to get the lion to let it loose.”

“How were we supposed to do that?” she snapped. “You were the one who bound us. You were the one who was supposed to do the Unbinding. You lost track of me. Not too smart yourself, are you?”

He hissed, his fingers pulling painfully at her hair.

“You’re a fool,” he said. “You had these.” He scooped Flynn’s bracelets up off the table where he’d piled them with his other belongings. Now he caressed the gold cuffs. “You could have used them to bond with the lion and claim all that power. But you’re an idiot princess, too busy looking in the mirror and trying to order around her betters. Just like your father. ‘Do this, Ragnor. Cast that, Ragnor.’” He spat on the floor near her feet.

“But you came here, in your stupidity, still bound, and delivered yourself and the bracelets into my hands. And now when I unbind that power, all of it can be mine.”

He slapped one of the bracelets on her wrist, and the other on his. His hand gripped hers painfully.

Blue light crackled around their hands, and she felt him digging inside her, pulling at the strands of the magic. She yanked back, resisting, trying to put up walls.

“You can’t fight me, Princess.”

Yeah? Watch me.

She dug her nails into his hand, and resisted with everything she had. He yanked again, inside her, and it felt like he was ripping her soul out.

Silently, she screamed.