Page 16 of Red Dragon’s Heart

The welts on his skin faded gradually, but he kept making new ones. He must realize that hitting the bars would cause him agony, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.

As the hours dragged by, the numbness in her body wore off. Finally, she was able to hoist herself into a sitting position on the mattress, back against the wall.

It was a mistake.

The movement caught the creature’s attention, and he went totally still. He crouched in the middle of the cell, growling, those glowing eyes fixed intently on her.

Then he leaped at the bars between their cells.

Maddie could feel the impact through her whole body. The bars held, flaring with burning light, and he dropped to the floor, new welts on his face, his clawed hands, his arms and legs where the scaly skin showed through the gaping rents in his clothes.

He crouched again, still growling, eyes still on hers.

She couldn’t look away.

Underneath the anger and the insanity, she saw a flash of something else. Fear? Desire? Despair?

Then he turned and flung himself at the cell door again.

Maddie lost track of how long it went on. She was hungry and desperately thirsty, but there was nothing to eat or drink. What if he never changed back? Would she die in here?

She could see the key card hanging on its chain from the waistband of his tattered jeans. So close, and yet so far away.

Even if she could reach through the bars without getting electrocuted, there was no way she could get it.

He’d bite her hand off.

Wouldn’t he?

He was moving slower now, his skin rippling more. Maybe whatever made him like this was wearing off?

He hit the floor again, panting, making small noises that were between a growl and a whimper.

Scooting on her butt, she inched slowly toward the wall of bars between them. The cell was probably only about eight feet wide, but it seemed to take forever.

When she was sitting by the bars, she took a deep breath, braced herself, and touched one with the tip of her finger.

Nothing.

No shock, no flare of light, no burning welt on her skin. She could see the faint glow of the force field surrounding the bars, but it didn’t seem to react to her at all.

Maybe it was only meant to contain shapeshifters?

She squinched her eyes in anticipation of pain, and wrapped her hand around the bar. Nothing happened. Then she reached between the bars.

Her hand went straight through. No resistance.

The movement caught his attention again, though, and she froze instinctively.

Pull your hand back, she told herself. But she couldn’t seem to move it.

If he comes over you can get the key card, said the other half of her brain. He probably doesn’t even remember what it is.

The smart half of her brain said, You can’t get the keycard if he bites your hand off.

He was still eyeing her hand hungrily. Could she snatch it back before he lunged?

But it was like her hand had a mind of its own, and it stayed extended through the bars.