Page 41 of Taken

My dragon, so carefully contained for decades, pushes against my control with savage determination. Wanting blood. Wanting vengeance.

Wantingher.

I rise, forcing my breathing to steady, my features to compose. I have a role to play. A cover to maintain. A woman to save, if I can.

And God help anyone who stands in my way.

Chapter 12

Talon

I stare through the observation window at Lila’s motionless form. Three days since the extraction that shattered her mind, and still, she hasn’t stirred. Breathing machines hiss rhythmically. Monitors beep in steady, emotionless rhythm. Proof of life, but nothing more.

My jaw aches from clenching.

I haven’t felt so useless since the day I watched Becca consumed by flames.

She looks so frail against the hospital sheets. Her skin, usually pale but vibrant, has taken on a waxy translucence that turns my gut to ice. The blood has been cleaned from her face, but bruises from her convulsions ring her wrists where the restraints bit into flesh.

I rest my fingertips against the cold glass, something unfamiliar stirring beneath my skin. My dragon responds to her suffering in ways I can’t control—scales threatening to surfacealong my forearms, a growl building in my chest that I swallow back with effort.

This reaction isn’t professional. Isn’t part of my cover. Isn’t something I can afford.

But I can’t stop it.

“Any change?” I ask when the door opens behind me.

Hargen’s reflection appears in the glass beside mine, his face haggard with exhaustion. “Brain activity remains sporadic. Moments of intense dreaming followed by nothing.”

“Dreaming or seeing?”

“Both, perhaps.” He rubs his eyes. “I can feel… echoes. Through our connection. Nothing clear enough to report.” His voice drops. “Nothing that would satisfy Creed.”

I turn to face him. “And her prognosis?”

His expression tightens. “The medical team has little experience with this sort of thing; usually, they don’t bother trying to keep assets alive. They’re out of their depth.”

“And you?” I study his face. “Are you out of your depth too, handler?”

Something dangerous flashes in his eyes. “I’ve kept her alive and functional against impossible odds. Don’t question my commitment to her well-being.”

“I’m questioning your expertise, not your commitment.” I step closer, lowering my voice. “You share a magical bond with her. Can you use it to bring her back?”

He glances toward the security camera in the corner, then back to me. “It wasn’t designed for that. The binding allows me to moderate her visions, channel them safely. It wasn’t meant to…” He trails off.

“To what?”

“To cross the boundary into her mind.” His voice roughens. “To pull her consciousness back from wherever it’s retreated.”

I absorb this, considering angles. “But theoretically possible?”

“Theoretically suicidal,” he corrects. “Her mind is… fractured. If I attempted it, I’d likely suffer the same fate.”

I observe him as he says this, realizing that he wouldn’t hesitate to do it if he knew it would work.

“You have feelings for her.” It’s not a question.

Hargen’s expression goes blank. “I’m her handler.”

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