by Jory Strong
They could all feel that truth. Just as they could feel the magical shell around the building, they could feel the energy leeching through. When the phoenix emerged, the explosion at the house would be miniscule in comparison, and the flames that would follow could extend for miles, starting fires that would rapidly spread.
“I can’t breach his spell and get us inside,” Kristof said. “Not in time.”
A muscle spasmed in Maksim’s cheek. “Spread out, now! We’ll lay a shield over the one Moates has in place.” He turned toward Taine. “Get in if you can. Stop him if possible. Get out with your mate if you can’t. We’ll hold a portion of the shielding open as long as we can.”
A nod and Taine pulled the charm belonging to the sorcerer’s sister from his pocket. He raced toward the entranceway, thoughts of Saffron in his mind.
Steps away from the door he felt resistance. His pulse spiked but Genevieve’s prediction held true. In this dire circumstance, the charm attached to him in place of Saffron.
He passed through Elon’s warding. Entered the building.
The driving need to get to his mate cut through the waves of magic trying to push him backward. He would reach his mate in time. He would save her. He would not lose her!
Taine cleared a botanical display and his heart nearly exploded. She was bound, gagged, her face scratched and bloody, but she was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
Their gazes met and if not for the need to get to her, he might have dropped to his knees at what he saw in her eyes.
He took in the sorcerer with a glance. Elon was in the center of a spell, a gold glow of magic forming a dome over him. There wouldn’t be any getting to him, not if Genevieve was also right about the charm not being capable of acting against Elon.
Taine rushed to Saffron, jerked the gag from her mouth and his mate said, “I love you.”
The bond snapped into place.
His heart swelled and his throat clogged.
Whatever happened now, they would never be separated. Their souls were bound in eternity.
Mine! It was more than dream or hope or fervent wish.
He took her mouth in a desperate, hungry kiss. A kiss as hot as the phoenix that would soon emerge from its egg.
He willed time to slow so he could bask in Saffron’s love, in the bond her admission had created. But it didn’t.
Tearing his mouth away from hers, he breathed concentrated fire on the bindings at her ankles.
The material burned away and he moved around the tree, breathed another blast of fire, freeing her wrists.
He pulled her to her feet, crushed her against him, needing the feel of her in his arms, at least for a heartbeat before saying, “We need to get out of here before the shielding makes it impossible to leave.”
“No,” Saffron said, her heart clawing its way up her throat.
She wanted to sprint toward the exit. Suspected she could set a new world record at that distance.
It wouldn’t be enough. Kristof had said the odds of preventing San Diego, or at least some of the city, from burning went down the closer it got to the phoenix emerging from its egg.
She met Taine’s eyes. Hated that they’d only just found each other. But this was about more than the two of them. “You know what I have to do.”
Smoke streamed from his nostrils, then flames that caressed her arms.
Trying to lighten the moment, she said, “You do not want to burn my clothes off in a public place. That will land you in the dog house.”
He slammed his mouth down on hers. Sent a punch of love to her heart.
She hadn’t thought anything could be hungrier than their last kiss, could taste any more like desperation. She was wrong.
Hugging him, she put everything she had into the kiss. Hope and regret, love and promise and determination.
“I have to do this,” she said, and read in his eyes how hard it was for him to release her, but he did. This was why she’d fallen in love with him, because he could allow her to be who she was.
She stepped back.
He grabbed her. Hugged her. His cheek against hers, his voice hoarse, he said, “See you on the other side.”
Taine released her again and she turned toward the egg. It was now an orange red, the flames on its surface transparent.
Do it. Don’t think. Just do.
Saffron ran toward the egg, thought of Juan Ramirez from her father’s unit, who’d hurled himself onto a grenade. Then thought of her father, who’d died in service to this country.
Safe behind his protective shell, Elon’s eyes widened. He shouted, horrified.
She felt a stab of pity, that he hadn’t been able to free himself from the past. Thought maybe the problem wasn’t that the only person he loved was himself, but that he didn’t have the courage to let love into his life.
Waves of heat hit her. Buffeted her.
This is going to hurt.
She dived forward, onto the egg.
And it did hurt, for an eternity it hurt.
For an eternity flames ate through her, burrowing into her chest and stomach, going deeper and deeper before spreading, torching every cell.
The fire roared in her head, drowning out her screams. It consumed her until she was nothing, a hollowed out shell tumbling into blackness.
A kiss brought her back.
Firm, demanding lips forced air into her lungs.
Breathe!
Breathe!
Breathe!
She gasped, and took that breath of life.
Her eyes fluttered open and firm, demanding lips disappeared.
Taine’s gaze met hers. Fire poured from his nostrils. “I knew you were going to be a troublesome kind of mate.”
She laughed. Exhilarated. Alive!
She reached up and speared her fingers into his hair, tugged him back down so his lips were whisper-close. “You knew it, but you love me anyway.”
“Always.”
Levity fell away. “I’ll grow old.”
“I’ll grow old with you. That’s what happens when a dragon takes a human mate.”
She searched his eyes. Found no regret, but said, “I can’t let you do that.”
“Already done.” There was a distinct growl in his voice. “The bond is in place and will not be severed.”
Voices intruded, and with them came the realization that she was naked, her clothing burned away by the egg. The smoke pouring out of Taine’s nostrils said he realized it too.
He straightened, tugged off the black T-shirt that warned against messing with dragons. She sat and put it on, grateful to have it though it barely covered the parts she didn’t want to flash.
“We’re getting out of here,” Taine said, helping her stand, the arm that went around her waist every bit as possessive as his voice.
She couldn’t see the protective shield around Elon now but guessed it must still be there since he hadn’t moved.
He was pale, afraid now to face the consequences. “What’ll happen to him?”
Taine’s arm tightened around his mate as Maksim and a hoard of agents came into sight. If he could get away with it, he’d put Saffron behind him rather than to allow the others to see her wearing nothing but his shirt. He knew better than to try.
“Not IRE’s mandate,” he said. “There’ll probably be a battle between the fey and djinn as to who gets to mete out the punishment.”
“Will he survive that punishment?”
“Yes, hopefully the wiser.” He laughed. “Who am I kidding, sorcerers never learn.”
“Excuse me. I’ve got sorcerer’s blood.”
He responded by muttering at the edge of her hearing. “Definitely a troublesome kind of mate.”
“You two,” Maksim said. “Leave.”
Taine shot Maksim a grateful look, caught the keys to the Lamborghini that Crew tossed him.
“Try not to torch car number four,” Crew said, knowing it would lead to questions from Saffron.
; Taine smiled. He too was a believer in karmic payback.
He shoved his hand into his pocket and fisted the ring.
With his arm around Saffron, he guided her to the sleek sports car though he was incapable of separation.
He touched his mouth to hers, one kiss leading to ten, satisfaction flooding into him at the sight of her passion-swollen lips and the sultry want in her gaze.
“You lit the Maserati on fire? Why?”
“I was thinking about you.”
Her eyes searched his. Her slow smile lit him up on the inside.
He pulled the ring from his pocket. “Be mine?”
The sultry want in her gaze turned into shining love. “I already am,” she said, promising an eternity of trouble.
Thank you!
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http://www.jorystrong.com
Amazon Author Page
About the Author
I’ve been writing since childhood and have never outgrown being a daydreamer. When I’m not hunched over my computer, lost in the muse and conjuring up new heroes and heroines, I can usually be found reading, riding horses, or walking dogs.
My stories have won numerous awards, as well as been national best sellers. I live in California with my husband and a menagerie of pets.
I love connecting with readers! Visit my website at http://www.jorystrong.com or contact me at [email protected]. I can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Copyright & Acknowledgments
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Dragon’s Flame
Copyright © 2016 by Valerie Christenson
Cover design by Syneca Featherstone
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
* * * * *
A huge shout-out and thank you to Jennifer Kiziah for her help!
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Thank you!
About the Author
Copyright & Acknowledgments
