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Dragon Awakened(41)

By:Jaime Rush


“No, only made some kind of grunting sound.” She shivered. “And he was part demon.”

That snapped his attention to her eyes. “Part demon? Describe.” When she did, he said, “A parasitic demon. Ruby, I need you to Catalyze.”

“Here? Now? But—”

“Your nose is torn in half, the cartilage crushed.” He stilled the hand that automatically went to verify it. “Don’t. And you’re losing a lot of blood. Didn’t you hear yourself slur just now? As Dragon, you’ll heal faster.”

It was bad. She felt the throbbing pain of it, but Cyn’s words caved her in. “I want to see—”

He wrapped his fingers around hers and tugged her to her feet. “Come to the bedroom.”

Had she not been bleeding all over, she might have wondered at the alternative meaning of those words. And just to illustrate how dizzy she actually was, some part of her got excited by that prospect.

He helped her settle onto the three beds all pushed together in the center of the room. “Do I want to know what this room is used for?” she murmured.

“For healing. Like now.” He turned around and waited.

Oh, yeah. Get naked. She pulled off her shirt, the tears and blood splattered all over it turning her stomach. Let’s not get sick now. This is bad enough. She summoned the Dragon, feeling the surge of power, the need to do something.

Cyn, still human, pressed her down. “Lie still and heal.”

“You like being bossy, don’t you?”

His mouth quirked. “I like being obeyed. There’s a difference.”

She snorted, a puff of smoke coming from her mouth. He sat on the edge of the bed, his shirt unbuttoned and bloody. Also her blood. He examined her body, his fingers sliding against her scales. As hard as they were, she could feel his touch as though it were on her skin.

“What’s a parasitic demon?” she asked, needing something else but the pain and his touch, wildly different sensations, to focus on. “Is it something Brom summoned?”

“Doubtful. From your description, it sounds like he was trying to tell you something. That demon was sent to make sure he couldn’t. It insinuates itself into the throat of the victim, preventing him from speaking. Like a parasite, it’s damned hard to get rid of.”

A cold wave swept over her, and she curled up and started to shiver. A dripping sound made her look down and see her own blood splattering the sheets.

Cyn stripped out of his shirt and then shucked down his pants, and if she weren’t feeling so very light-headed, she’d have thought…what? That he was being presumptuous? More arrogant than she’d even thought, thinking he could take advantage of her now? Or that he was so damned beautiful, she could barely put together any other thoughts.

Yeah, that one.

He Catalyzed, the mattress sinking under his weight as he climbed onto the bed with her. “You need a boost. You’re still losing a lot of blood. Dragons can channel their energy to help heal another Dragon.” He hovered over her, his mouth next to hers.

She moved closer to him, seeking his warmth. Only that. Not the raw energy of his Dragon, his sensuality as it filled her, coiled through her very being. Her Dragon—yes, her Dragon now—drew toward him. She could no longer fight it, closing her eyes and drifting into chaotic dreams about demons and Dragons.

The dreams went on for what felt like hours. No more demons, only two Dragons sparring and then nuzzling each other. In the way that dreams morphed without logic, she was human again, she and Cyn standing naked, still rubbing against each other. Her hands were on him, sliding across his skin. It was so real that she could even feel the slight bristle of the hairs on his thighs and then the firm skin of his ass.

Her eyes snapped open. And there it was, her hand trailing over the curve of his bare ass to the dip of his lower back. And like in her dream, they were human again, still on the bed. He lay facedown, eyes closed and head turned toward her. She was on her side facing him, her leg bent so that her knee pressed against his thigh. They were lying that close, like lovers, with his hand draped over her waist.

Her heartbeat bounced, and she swallowed hard. Was the jolt she felt because they were naked in bed together, man and woman? Dragon and Dragon? Her body felt alive in a way she’d never experienced before. Her Dragon shifted on her skin, as though it were trying to reach out to him.

A soft smile played on his lips. Oh, man, cold busted. She pulled her hand back, ready to come up with some plausible reason for why she was stroking him. Except he wasn’t opening his eyes. And wouldn’t you do that if you woke to someone touching you?

Which meant he was still asleep, having a nice dream of his own if that smile were any indication. She let herself sink back into that hazy state, easy enough when he was slowly brushing his fingers back and forth on her skin.