AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There was no doubt Zen was powerful, and if he wanted to mate me to use my power and add it to his, he was going to be invincible.
There was nothing more dangerous than something invincible hellbent on making the world a worse place. Zen was convinced he was the answer, and the courage of someone’s conviction could be as dangerous as it could be powerful.
“As you wish,” the fae said and bowed a head, deferring to Zen’s authority and power.
What could Claudio do to Zen? The fae were powerful, a lot of shifters were scared of the fae if they didn’t work with them.
Maybe Zen figured he was in control no matter what he said or did.
Couldn’t he pick up on Claudio’s magic?
I felt it like a tuning fork, my insides vibrating, affected by the dark power that shivered and sighed over my skin when Claudio lifted his hands to start whatever process he was about to get started.
The magic grew around me, and the cave grew darker. It didn’t care that a fire was lit and dancing happily in the center of the cave—the magic drew closer and closer, bringing an eerie sense of foreboding with it.
Claudio mumbled something and kneeled in front of me. He looked me in the eyes for the first time, acknowledging my existence as more than just athing.
He reached for me and grabbed my wrist. The power that pulsed into my body was like ice water, and the reaction inside me was like steam bubbling over. My head throbbed painfully, and I cried out. He reached for my other hand, but I yanked it away. I knew instinctively that if he grabbed my other wrist, closing the circle between us, there would be hell to pay, and I wouldn’t be able to fight his magic with what I had.
I hadn’t grown up with magic or had any of it until a couple of days ago, and I had no idea how to use it. I just knew that I had to protect it as best I could.
Before he grabbed hold of my other wrist, my dragon decided she’d had enough.
Power pulsed out of me, rocking through the cave so hard it pushed the camping chair over, extinguished the fire, and pushed Zen against the wall.
He groaned.
Claudio was still in front of me, unharmed and untouched by my magic. He glared at me, and his eyes had changed so that the light watery blue of his irises faded, and his eyes were nothing but white balls that rolled around his head. His magic grew around him, and again, I knew instinctively that I couldn’t let him complete whatever spell he’d started doing, or it would be the end of my journey with my dragon before it had ever started.
My dragon wouldn’t have any of it.
She ripped out of me, and I screamed as my body twisted and changed.
I became aware of my size as the cave around me shrunk. My clothes ripped off my body, unable to withstand my new size. My body became large and uncomfortable, different from anything I’d ever felt before. My vision changed, color affecting it differently so that I could see heat and cold rather than light and dark. The fire that burned in my veins grew brighter, and my skin changed from human skin to scales.
Zen was still against the cave wall, his eyes large as he stared at me.
“You’re not supposed to be this far in your transition,” he stuttered. “Claudio!”
I felt the fae’s magic before I saw Claudio moving around me.
I tried to counter it, but the dark magic felt like oil on my skin, or tar. It was thick and sticky and wouldn’t run off me when Claudio threw it at me.
The magic tried to penetrate my skin, but my scales kept it out like a shield of armor.
Fury built inside me. I was so tired of getting kidnapped! Zen had wanted to use me as if I was weak, but I was strong, and I knew what I wanted.
Being his mate was not it.
My anger bubbled over, and fire burned in my mouth. I spat it at Claudio, who bounced away with a cry.
Zen still kept his distance—maybe my magic still pushed him up against the cave wall. I wasn’t sure which was which, and I couldn’t stick around to find out. I had to get out of here before Claudio recovered and did something to me. I knew I was powerful, but I didn’t know how to use it. Until I figured that out, I had to protect myself, and the only way to do that was to flee.
Sometimes running was the answer so that I could live to fight another day.
I spun around and made for the entrance of the cave. I got out without incident, and the cool night air was soothing against my burning scales, against the fire that boiled and crackled inside of me.
Behind me, a loud roar sounded. The deep sound trembled through the ground beneath my feet and echoed in the cave.
