Page 48 of To Match A Dragon's Fire

Focus. This is not a fantasy novel.

This was reality.

I knew I’d seen something in town. Those scales. The way he blocked out the sky like a hellish omen of the apocalypse. Bits of memories were coming back. The fever. Pain. His bedroom and the silky sheets...

Focus!

He’d said something about venom.

It wasn’t a dream.

I yanked my shirt up, staring at the healed skin as the blood drained from my face.

Was I going to turn into one of those things?

It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to turn into a…

I leaned over to look out the window.

Yep. Those were dragons flying in the sky.

He hadn’t hurt me though. Twice now, I’d seen the red and black dragon. Both times he’d somehow helped me. First in town and now as he chased the bigger, bluish dragon through the clouds.

I wasn’t scared of Kieran’s beast.

This was the craziest thing to ever happen to me and I’d been through a lot in my life.

Willow and Riley were arguing. Harper’s eyes welled with tears. Any minute now, she’d burst into a tantrum.

“Everyone just stop. It’s not that bad.” I laughed nervously and they had the audacity to look at me like I was crazy. Hadn’t they read any of the books I recommended over the years? Things seemed to turn out well when a monster decided to protect you.

“Not that bad?” Riley gasped. “Did you see the size of those things? And excuse me, but I didn’t have dragons on the apocalypse bingo card.”

I smiled, trying to keep everyone calm. “It’ll be okay. I don’t think he, or it, is going to hurt us.”

“You don’t think…” Willow blew out a long breath. “I don’t have the luxury of waiting around to find out if we’re tasty to dinosaurs. Harper, I told you to start packing.”

“It’s not a dinosaur,” both Harper and I said at the same time.

“They’re dragons,” I explained, thinking of how Kieran had laughed when I’d said the same thing. Harper nodded along with me. “And anyway, he saved us back there. He’s rescued me twice. Why would he do that if he was going to eat me?”

“Maybe because he’s trying to fatten you up.” Willow shrugged.

Riley nodded. “Or he doesn’t like roadkill, so he was bringing you home to season and roast over a spit before dipping you in ketchup.”

“Ketchup, really?” I rolled my eyes. I’d taste better with barbecue sauce anyway. “That’s a little farfetched.”

“So is the dragon outside!” Willow and Riley screamed, causing Harper and me to jump back as Dobby fled the room in a panic.

“Now you’re just being dramatic.”

Someone knocked on the door.

I grabbed Harper’s shoulders, moving her behind me.

“It’s him,” Willow whisper-hissed.

“Get the gun,” Riley said.

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