count, the lingering of her body heat under his hand. She had made this possible for him, and he’d returned the favor with this nightmare.
Or had Ashcraft found a way back in?
He snarled soundlessly at the thought, dragon and man in perfect accord.
“You kicked out the king of dragons,” he murmured to her. “You can beat one out-of-bounds warlock.”
Her brow furrowed as if she heard him and disagreed with him even while locked with her subconscious.
But she was linked to him, too, if only inadvertently and impermanently. The new life she’d given his ichor had let him regain control of the dragon and push back the petralys, and ironically that would allow him to resist the dragon claiming her.
But if he didn’t take her as his solarys, beast and blight would surge over him again. Not that he would tell her that. A mate bond with one half unwilling was as crippled and useless as a one-winged dragon.
He should let her go, now, before he broke her. But first he had to wake her.
Calling to her gently and then louder, he roused her from the grip of the nightmare. When he eased her into a seated position, she stared at him uncomprehendingly for a long moment, the pure darkness of her eyes fogged with whatever had plagued her.
“You back now?” He rubbed both hands up and down her arms, chaffing warmth into her skin.
He couldn’t help but notice she’d been sleeping naked.
Did she always sleep like that? He didn’t think so, she didn’t seem the sort, but he didn’t know. Despite their encounters they’d never actually slept together.
He would have kept her warm, just as he should’ve kept the nightmares away.
She blinked at him then shifted her attention to one hand and the other. “Your wing…”
“Arm,” he said.
She bit at her upper lip. “Was that because…”
“Yes.” He wouldn’t play down what he’d taken from her, even accidentally. “I know it wasn’t your intent, but thank you.”
She looked away from him, her shoulders falling inward as if she could escape his grip even though there was nowhere for her to go. “I wish…I wish I could give you everything back,” she said in a low voice. “Before the petralys struck your clan. When dragons could fly free. But I can’t.”
Her rejection, even in the face of his new symmetry, stung. All he had—even his damn hand—and it wasn’t enough for her. “I didn’t ask for all that,” he said stiffly. “Did your friends tell you the legend of the stone blight?” When she shook her head mutely, he continued, “The Nox Incendi got our name for our ferocity, our quickness in burning down the night to take the treasures we wanted. Legend has it, the blight was a curse to teach us a lesson: without our solarys mates to bring a light to our darkness, we would become the cold, dead stones we so loved.” He looked at her steadily. “I hate what the petralys did to the dragonkin, but after seeing my brother and my cousin with their mates…” He shook his head and pitched his voice to neutral. “I didn’t come to give you a history lesson. I wanted to make sure you are all right.”
“Why…” Her lashes fluttered down then flared wide. “I was having a nightmare.”
“I felt it.”
She canted her head to stare at him sidelong. “You felt it? How?”
“The link between us will linger for a bit,” he said diffidently. “It’s nothing. It will pass, so don’t let it worry you.”
She let out a soundless sigh. “I thought…I thought I was back with Ashcraft.”
“Was it alchemy or a spell? Or was it just a nightmare?”
“Just?” she mused softly.
“If he’s stirring up trouble again…”
She shook her head. “Just a nightmare,” she echoed. “It will pass, so don’t let it worry you.”
He scowled at her, the anger in his chest as twisted as his left wing had been. “I didn’t mean to fall for you, Esme. But the dragon did. The link will fade and die if we don’t feed it, but until then, I can
Or had Ashcraft found a way back in?
He snarled soundlessly at the thought, dragon and man in perfect accord.
“You kicked out the king of dragons,” he murmured to her. “You can beat one out-of-bounds warlock.”
Her brow furrowed as if she heard him and disagreed with him even while locked with her subconscious.
But she was linked to him, too, if only inadvertently and impermanently. The new life she’d given his ichor had let him regain control of the dragon and push back the petralys, and ironically that would allow him to resist the dragon claiming her.
But if he didn’t take her as his solarys, beast and blight would surge over him again. Not that he would tell her that. A mate bond with one half unwilling was as crippled and useless as a one-winged dragon.
He should let her go, now, before he broke her. But first he had to wake her.
Calling to her gently and then louder, he roused her from the grip of the nightmare. When he eased her into a seated position, she stared at him uncomprehendingly for a long moment, the pure darkness of her eyes fogged with whatever had plagued her.
“You back now?” He rubbed both hands up and down her arms, chaffing warmth into her skin.
He couldn’t help but notice she’d been sleeping naked.
Did she always sleep like that? He didn’t think so, she didn’t seem the sort, but he didn’t know. Despite their encounters they’d never actually slept together.
He would have kept her warm, just as he should’ve kept the nightmares away.
She blinked at him then shifted her attention to one hand and the other. “Your wing…”
“Arm,” he said.
She bit at her upper lip. “Was that because…”
“Yes.” He wouldn’t play down what he’d taken from her, even accidentally. “I know it wasn’t your intent, but thank you.”
She looked away from him, her shoulders falling inward as if she could escape his grip even though there was nowhere for her to go. “I wish…I wish I could give you everything back,” she said in a low voice. “Before the petralys struck your clan. When dragons could fly free. But I can’t.”
Her rejection, even in the face of his new symmetry, stung. All he had—even his damn hand—and it wasn’t enough for her. “I didn’t ask for all that,” he said stiffly. “Did your friends tell you the legend of the stone blight?” When she shook her head mutely, he continued, “The Nox Incendi got our name for our ferocity, our quickness in burning down the night to take the treasures we wanted. Legend has it, the blight was a curse to teach us a lesson: without our solarys mates to bring a light to our darkness, we would become the cold, dead stones we so loved.” He looked at her steadily. “I hate what the petralys did to the dragonkin, but after seeing my brother and my cousin with their mates…” He shook his head and pitched his voice to neutral. “I didn’t come to give you a history lesson. I wanted to make sure you are all right.”
“Why…” Her lashes fluttered down then flared wide. “I was having a nightmare.”
“I felt it.”
She canted her head to stare at him sidelong. “You felt it? How?”
“The link between us will linger for a bit,” he said diffidently. “It’s nothing. It will pass, so don’t let it worry you.”
She let out a soundless sigh. “I thought…I thought I was back with Ashcraft.”
“Was it alchemy or a spell? Or was it just a nightmare?”
“Just?” she mused softly.
“If he’s stirring up trouble again…”
She shook her head. “Just a nightmare,” she echoed. “It will pass, so don’t let it worry you.”
He scowled at her, the anger in his chest as twisted as his left wing had been. “I didn’t mean to fall for you, Esme. But the dragon did. The link will fade and die if we don’t feed it, but until then, I can
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