Page 109 of Hoarded By the Dragon

“He doesn’t want to be pushed,” I say before pressing my lips together. Dark emotions gather like storm clouds when I think about Kalos. Thankfully myintuitionis taking up most of my contemplation because the quagmire of my emotions around Kalos feels like it has the power to break me.

Maggie’s smile is rueful. “No one wants to be pushed, but it’s not a decision for us to make.”

What will be, will be.The sentiment is sour on my tongue. I don’t like it, but I can make it useful. I can be ready to act when whatever bad thing my nerves are trying to warn me is on the horizon comes for us.

* * *

When the first explosion happens,it’s cathartic.

Which is not what I’d expect from the experience, but the encroachingintuitionhas drawn my muscles to the point of pain over the day. Having a name for what I’m experiencing helps some… but it mostly makes me impatient.

So theboomthat rattles the house nearly has me collapsing in relief. The relief is gone in a flash.Somethingis happening. Is someone attacking the manor? A gas leak? That one is unlikely. Whatever it is, it’s time to leave.

I pick up my bag from its spot under my easel and look around.

“Griffin?” I call out. He was just here! My eyes start to water, and I run down the hall to Kalos’s room. It’s his favorite place to spend the day. Each step makes my heartbeat thunder faster and harder in my chest.

I need to leave… but I can’t leave my cat.

My throat tightens at the idea of leaving everyone else, but Maggie said that she wasn’t experiencing the same type of intuition. I’m the one who can’t be here if the wards fail.

Or fate is sending me somewhere else… let’s not think about that right now.

But that thought has my stride slowing. If I’m supposed to go somewhere else because of that bitch, Fate, wouldn’t it be better for Griffin to stay?

I can’t give up on him that easily. I finally get to Kalos’s room and burst in. I can barely breathe through the constriction of panic in my chest.

“Griffin? Where are you? Here kitty kitty!” There’s no croaky meow, and I forcibly cut off my sob. The room is empty.

Ihaveto go.

I glance to the ceiling in time to see a giant ball of fiery orange hit the artistic dome. The house rattles, and I almost lose my footing. The wards hold, but this is their weakest point. Whoever is attacking the mansion must know that, because another ball of fire lights the room from the outside.

This time the crash is deafening. Static runs over my skin as the wards above snap and the glass shatters. I scream, covering my head from the glass shards raining down.

There’s a distant howling sound, but I ignore it to clutch my necklace. I’ve run out of time. My fingers find the small metal charm and it crumbles when I press down, setting an intention and releasing the magic that resides there.

It’s time to rely on all my skills.

It’s time for me to disappear.

37

KATARINA

The falling embers blur,and everything shifts around me at nauseating speed. The lush colors of Kalos’s bedroom morph into the familiar laminate lines of my apartment kitchen. I tremble and hold in my sob as I brush shards of glass from my hair. The air doesn’t smell like smoke here.

I’m safe.

Maggie.I bite my lip to keep the tears at bay.Ben. Jensen.My vision blurs.Griffin.

They will be alright. They have to. I can’t be distracted. I won’t be safe here for long. I need to head to the real sanctuary I have in mind once I pick up my supplies. I’ll have to use a ride-sharing service to keep from burning through my last portal charm.

I suck in a breath and center myself, wiping my eyes.They will be alright.

With my eyes clear, I frown. This is my apartment, but it doesn’tfeelright.

A sound has me spinning toward my tiny couch. A familiar person sits there, feet resting on the coffee table while he scratches his scalp. He doesn’t seem at all surprised by my appearance.

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