What if it was
yours demanding release?” she asked.
His neutrality didn’t budge. “Then we’d be in
a different situation than we are now,” he answered. “I wouldn’t
have come to you. I would have followed it to its alternative
destination.”
“Would you be having this same conversation
with somebody else?”
He hesitated. She marked his hesitation for
future consideration and waited patiently for his answer. He seemed
to be searching for the right thing to say. She pictured his mind
kicking into rewind, going back over everything that had come
before. Finally, his neutrality broke, and he sighed in
frustration.
“I don’t know whether I’d be here or not. You
called it. Everything I know about dragon essences, especially
mine, and their commitment to their summoner, says they won’t leave
a summoner. Especially not a summons to mate.”
“Then why—”
“I don’t know why it wanted freedom!”
he snapped. Anger, then horror, slid across his face, ending on
disbelief. “I’m sorry,” he all but whispered. “You’re asking
questions I can’t answer.”
They stood together in silence for a long
time, Greg looking out the window, Cora studying her hands. She
didn’t know what to say to him. If this were any other situation,
she’d apologize for driving him to lose his temper. She made a
point to avoid emotional upsets of any kind, to strive for
neutrality. At least, she’d been more aware before her nightmares
and insomnia began.
Remembering the nightmares, she shuddered.
With every passing minute, she grew more convinced that nothing was
coincidence—not the fire, not her subsequent nightmares about fire
breathing monsters, not meeting Greg and Salim, not the dragons
tied to her wrists. If not coincidence, though, what else?
The conversation didn’t revive itself.
Eventually, Greg murmured a need to return to his office. Cora
walked to the door with him. Neither Diane nor Alissa were anywhere
in sight.
She didn’t want to open the door for fear
that Salim would be in the corridor waiting. Her strength was
flagging, her muscles trembling as if they’d been rung out to dry.
She felt, justifiably, as if she were going insane.
Greg touched her arm, and she bit back a
scream.
“It’s not about being a surrogate mother,” he
murmured. “It’s about keeping a legend alive.”
She stared at him.
He flushed, but didn’t step out into the
hall. “I’m worried about you.”
Her eyes stung with tears. She tried to fight
them back, remaining silent with the effort, but the change in
Greg’s expression told her how unsuccessful she was at hiding
it.
He arched his eyebrows. She hesitated before
shoving her hand toward him, the white scarf offered up. “Take it
with you. I know it won’t make this go away for good, but I need
some relief.”
For a moment, he looked as if she had slapped
him. His expression smoothed, though, before she could take it
back. He slipped his fingers beneath the knotted bracelet, his skin
warm at her pulse point.
“How’s this work, exactly?” he asked.
“The knot against my skin is a barrier to
keep it at bay, while the knot at the end serves to keep it within
reach.” She grimaced. “It doesn’t make sense, does it?”
“It makes sense.” He slid the white tie free
and folded it into his pocket, then reached for the door. “Call me
if you need anything.”
After Greg left, Cora locked the door and sat
down to lean against it. She buried her face in her knees, trying
to stave off both tears and hyperventilation. It wouldn’t do to
break down when Salim showed up.
Chapter Eleven
He gave Cora more time than she’d
anticipated. The dragon, however, didn’t give her much time at all.
It was more active than with its companion/rival. While she sat
huddled on the floor, she felt the dragon-essence fold around her
like a blanket. It nudged at her awareness the way a cat butts its
head against a friendly hand. She sniffed, rubbed
yours demanding release?” she asked.
His neutrality didn’t budge. “Then we’d be in
a different situation than we are now,” he answered. “I wouldn’t
have come to you. I would have followed it to its alternative
destination.”
“Would you be having this same conversation
with somebody else?”
He hesitated. She marked his hesitation for
future consideration and waited patiently for his answer. He seemed
to be searching for the right thing to say. She pictured his mind
kicking into rewind, going back over everything that had come
before. Finally, his neutrality broke, and he sighed in
frustration.
“I don’t know whether I’d be here or not. You
called it. Everything I know about dragon essences, especially
mine, and their commitment to their summoner, says they won’t leave
a summoner. Especially not a summons to mate.”
“Then why—”
“I don’t know why it wanted freedom!”
he snapped. Anger, then horror, slid across his face, ending on
disbelief. “I’m sorry,” he all but whispered. “You’re asking
questions I can’t answer.”
They stood together in silence for a long
time, Greg looking out the window, Cora studying her hands. She
didn’t know what to say to him. If this were any other situation,
she’d apologize for driving him to lose his temper. She made a
point to avoid emotional upsets of any kind, to strive for
neutrality. At least, she’d been more aware before her nightmares
and insomnia began.
Remembering the nightmares, she shuddered.
With every passing minute, she grew more convinced that nothing was
coincidence—not the fire, not her subsequent nightmares about fire
breathing monsters, not meeting Greg and Salim, not the dragons
tied to her wrists. If not coincidence, though, what else?
The conversation didn’t revive itself.
Eventually, Greg murmured a need to return to his office. Cora
walked to the door with him. Neither Diane nor Alissa were anywhere
in sight.
She didn’t want to open the door for fear
that Salim would be in the corridor waiting. Her strength was
flagging, her muscles trembling as if they’d been rung out to dry.
She felt, justifiably, as if she were going insane.
Greg touched her arm, and she bit back a
scream.
“It’s not about being a surrogate mother,” he
murmured. “It’s about keeping a legend alive.”
She stared at him.
He flushed, but didn’t step out into the
hall. “I’m worried about you.”
Her eyes stung with tears. She tried to fight
them back, remaining silent with the effort, but the change in
Greg’s expression told her how unsuccessful she was at hiding
it.
He arched his eyebrows. She hesitated before
shoving her hand toward him, the white scarf offered up. “Take it
with you. I know it won’t make this go away for good, but I need
some relief.”
For a moment, he looked as if she had slapped
him. His expression smoothed, though, before she could take it
back. He slipped his fingers beneath the knotted bracelet, his skin
warm at her pulse point.
“How’s this work, exactly?” he asked.
“The knot against my skin is a barrier to
keep it at bay, while the knot at the end serves to keep it within
reach.” She grimaced. “It doesn’t make sense, does it?”
“It makes sense.” He slid the white tie free
and folded it into his pocket, then reached for the door. “Call me
if you need anything.”
After Greg left, Cora locked the door and sat
down to lean against it. She buried her face in her knees, trying
to stave off both tears and hyperventilation. It wouldn’t do to
break down when Salim showed up.
Chapter Eleven
He gave Cora more time than she’d
anticipated. The dragon, however, didn’t give her much time at all.
It was more active than with its companion/rival. While she sat
huddled on the floor, she felt the dragon-essence fold around her
like a blanket. It nudged at her awareness the way a cat butts its
head against a friendly hand. She sniffed, rubbed
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