Page 40 of Dark Embers

She jutted a hip and gave me a curious expression. “Why on earth would the great Tobias Dracul let me fuck with his mind?”

“I have a…problem that needs to be…erased,” I replied, choosing my words carefully. “One that requires your vow of secrecy.”

Her brows jumped with intrigue. “Ooo, this sounds juicy. What do I get out of it?”

I was wondering when this conversation would go there. It was in situations like this that I appreciated my family name, and the power that came with it. “Name your price. Money is no object.”

She pursed her lips and looked up. “Mmm, I was thinking more along the lines of a favor.”

My eyes narrowed on the elfin naga. “What kind of favor?”

She shrugged, holding her vape pen between her lips. “I don’t know just yet. But it’s always nice to have a powerful dragon in your back pocket, just in case. Basically, you’ll owe me one.”

I considered that for a moment. I didn’t like being in the debt of others, especially so vaguely. I liked knowing exactly what kind of deal I was entering into. But I didn’t have much of a choice. What I was asking was no simple feat.

“Alright,” I conceded. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

I extended my hand, and she shook it, sealing our bargain.

“Ex-sssellent,” Petra hissed. “Meet me in the first greenhouse at three—no, make it four. And we’ll see if I can’t erase this problem of yours.”

She took another drag from her pen.

“You know those things are bad for you, right?” I chided.

She arched a brow at me as she blew out. “Really, dude? You literally breathe fire. Let’s compare lungs in twenty years and see who’s worse off.” She patted my shoulder patronizingly and sauntered away, leaving me frowning at her assessment.

*?*?*

“Why exactly did you want to meet here?” I asked Petra, looking around at the various vegetables growing in rows of raised beds on either side of us. The warm air of the greenhouse amplified the scents of greenery, almost overpowering my keen dragon senses.

“You wanted secrecy, right?” she asked. “I can’t exactly hypnotize you in the middle of the archaic common room, now can I?”

I tipped my head, admitting she had a point. Outside of the staff who tended to the plants at scheduled times, no one ever came to the greenhouses—except for the occasional couple that wanted to make-out in private. Hopefully, none of the other students had plans of getting frisky while we worked.

“Have a seat,” she instructed, gesturing to the dusty wooden floor at our feet.

I wasn’t thrilled about getting my clothes dirty, but I didn’t argue. She sat down a foot in front of me, pretzeling her legs beneath her.

“So, what’s this problem of yours?” she asked, propping her elbows on her knees and resting her chin on braided fingers.

I looked around the shack, making certain there was no one else in here or outside within hearing distance before confessing in a hushed tone, “I’ve imprinted on Arya Walker.”

“Oh, congratulations,” she said with a wry smirk. “Shouldn’t that be a good thing? It’s not every day someone finds their destined mate or whatever.”

I shook my head. “Nevermind the reasons, I just need the imprint broken.”

She pursed her lips in consideration. “And what makes you think naga hypnosis can do that?”

I sighed and shrugged, my shoulders feeling suddenly heavy and straining with the effort. “It’s the best option I could think of, and I’m willing to try anything.”

She nodded pensively, then shrugged. “Well, I’ll give it a shot, but I make no promises. I’ve never heard of someone breaking an imprint before.”

“Then let’s make history,” I said with determination.

She grinned. “I do like thesssound of that.”

As I looked at her, vibrant green scales spread across the exposed skin of her arms, neck and face, her short, feathered hair rescinding into her scalp as a cobra-like cowl fanned out on either side of her head. Her dull brown eyes turned bright purple, her pupils elongating to slits.

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