Page 13 of Guardian's Dilemma

His eyes flickered down to where our hands were, my fingers curled around his wrist. At first, I didn’t even notice it. And then I saw it spark in the thin strip of light coming in from a crack under a nearby doorway.

There was a thick bracelet around my wrist.

Instinctively, I grabbed at it and tried to yank it off over my hand, but it was too small. I scrabbled at it, trying to find where the join was so I could unlatch it.

There wasn’t one.

There was no join.

The dragon’s voice was soft, almost sad, as he said, “You can’t take it off. It’s magic.”

I reached for my own magic, realising that it was my best weapon here. I had always known that, so why hadn’t I used it faster when faced with this particular dragon? That had been how he’d managed to get this thing on me.

I reached again. No magic.

I couldn’t draw it up through my fist the way I had before.

My fear must have shown in my face because he said, “It won’t harm you; it only stops you using magic.”

I scrambled off him. That was probably stupid but I’d done a whole lot of stupid things since I’d walked into this vault, starting with looking at this dragon and thinking it was beautiful. That’s what had thrown me all this time. He was just… extraordinary.

And now he’d managed to use that cunning illusion to get this bracelet on me. How could I have been so stupid?

As I pulled at the silver and struggled and began to panic in earnest, I backed away from him. He rose gracefully to his feet and kicked out at something. It was my sword. I’d left it over there in my panic and he kicked it away, further behind him. I was unarmed and powerless.

I was dead.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you out, either.”

His face, when I glanced up, was full of… was that sympathy?

I grunted. I didn’t need this dragon’s pity. I was so angry at myself for making those mistakes. I’d never, ever made them before. Why had I gone to piecesright now?

“I’m going to take you to my rooms. We need to—” He cleared his throat. “I need time to think.”

There was nothing for it. If I didn’t follow him, he’d just drag me. At least I was still alive. While I was alive, there was hope. Every moment was a chance for me to turn the tables on him. Then he’d learn that he made a mistake, just like I had: he’d shown me mercy. It would be the mistake that killed him.

I followed silently behind, taking in the layout of the vault as we passed through the long corridors. We were deep underground and there were ventilation shafts but none that a person could fit through. I noted that, particularly. They would be big enough for some explosives to be dropped down, though. It was just a thought. I’d wait and see what happened. I’d see what the Council bought with them when they came.

When I contacted them, I reminded myself.

Damn, I was such an idiot. Too pleased with myself for being able to walk through those crappy protections to stop and contact the Council. Who would come and wipe out these dragons if I didn’t get word to them?

I shook my head. I’d get word to them. That would be my next move. I just had to create the opportunity.

Chapter 7: Glimmer

My whole being was jangling with so many different feelings that it was hard to pinpoint exactly what they were.

The spell my mate had thrown at me wasn’t helping, either. It rippled through me in waves, sending pain radiating out through my limbs. At least it was getting less and less powerful. In half an hour, I probably wouldn’t be able to feel it at all and the spell would be gone.

The next half an hour was going to suck, though.

Unfortunately, the physical pain was going to be the least of it. I had to admit, it was the fact that my mate had hurt me that was messing with me the most. He’d hurt me. Deliberately. Just directed a cruel spell right at me, without a second thought.

I knew that there were some weird mates out there, and I knew that humans found it particularly hard to adjust to it sometimes, but… he’d hurt me. If I hadn’t been a hundred per cent sure he was my mate – and I was because, God, his scent – then I’d have thought there was some kind of mistake and he wasn’t anything to do with me. I could just kill him and report in to Lord Somerville.

Some more of those awful feelings squirmed around inside me. I knew I’d have to report this. I couldn’tnotreport it. That would leave my whole clan vulnerable.

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