Page 83 of Red Dragon’s Heart

She said to Zak-monster, I have to call the dragon now. To get us out. Can you let it come?

She felt him recede, into the back of Zak’s mind. Then, with her clawed forepaw, she pulled the necklace off. Words thundered in her brain, words she didn’t understand, but she said them out loud in a terrifying raspy voice.

And she put the necklace over Zak-monster’s head.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then his dragon surged up inside him with startling suddenness—she could feel it coming forth, growing, using its magic to burn the chemical inhibitor out of his system.

Stay where you are, Zak said to Maddie, putting his forepaws on either side of her.

He drew a deep breath, and Changed.

He expanded back and up, avoiding the force field, bursting through the back wall and the ceiling. The upper floor collapsed around them as Maddie-monster huddled under the protection of his body.

The shouts and screams inside the room weren’t so damned excited now.

The red dragon grabbed Maddie in one enormous claw, stood on his hind legs, and used the other front claw to rip his way out of the top of the building, sending more rubble crashing down on the room where they’d been.

Then he wiggled his hindquarters like a giant cat and leaped free, spreading his wings and rising up into the air.

From above, she could see their friends still fighting their diversionary action along the walls, but they hadn’t managed to bring down the spell net.

Any suggestions? Zak said, ducking to the side as bullets whistled past. I don’t really mind getting shot at, but I’m thinking they’re going to bring out the grenade launcher pretty soon, and that’s gonna be an issue.

At that moment two sections of the wall exploded, and the spell net went down.

Guess they figured out we’re not hostages anymore. This is gonna get ugly.

A second later, a huge worldgate appeared in mid-air.

Zak flapped his wings and arrowed through, and it closed after them. They were back on the featureless plain, Kira hovering in front of them in dragon form.

They all landed, and Zak put Maddie down. She was still a monster—which was good because that meant her bullet wounds were healing. It was such an odd and fascinating sensation—she could actually feel the tissue moving around inside her.

She looked down at herself—her hands were scaly with long talons, like lizard hands, and her back feet were flexible and grippy as well.

Damn. This is cool.

Zak had turned human. “You would think it’s cool.” He put his hand on her head. It felt nice. He added, “Please don’t get lost in science. Can you Change back?”

I’m not sure I should, she said. I think the creature is still healing me.

Kira had turned human as well, and was staring at them both. “Will someone please tell me what the actual hell happened in there?” She glared at Zak. “You didn’t give her your monster, did you?”

“No?” he said. “Okay, not all of it. I still have it—”

Just as the words came out of his mouth, he suddenly staggered like he’d lost his balance. And the monster—the only way to describe it was that it oozed out of him, until it was standing by itself next to him.

Well. That was unexpected. Maddie reached out tentatively with her claw to touch it. It was solid, and so was Zak. They were suddenly two different creatures.

The monster stretched its neck and touched noses with her. Then it looked around. Where is this? it demanded.

Kira said warily, The spirit world.

The monster snuffled the air. It reminds me of where I was summoned from. Similar, and yet not the same.

“Summoned?” Zak said. He and Kira exchanged glances. “Are you some kind of demon?”

Great. Now demons were real too.