Page 158 of A Dance of Water

No!the dragon hissed.

He exhaled, and smoke filled the air.

The dragon roared.Stop her!

The magic around her flickered, like the dying embers clinging desperately to the grass and mud. Thunder rumbled; he winced from the harsh beat radiating in his skull.

Azgorath strained in his shackles. His breath puffed behind the muzzle, amber eyes glowing with rage. The demon gave Vale a long, hateful stare as he clenched his fists. Chains groaned, but he was no use against the enchantments Tharen had imbued them with.

Luella wavered, and Vale took a step forward, unbidden.

He clenched his jaw, holding a hand up to ward off Bastian and Graves, who started toward her. An infinitesimal shake of his head held themback.

Not safe.

The dragon was restless.

No, no.

No.

Crimson trickled from her nostrils as rain finally broke through the thick, black clouds.

And three things happened at once.

The sparks of power clinging to Luella vanished, the lingering embers of Tharen’s flames extinguished completely, and she crumpled to the ground.

Vale’s dragon roared violently, causing him to stumble.

Go to her!

He found himself by her side, lifting her limp body with violent urgency as his dragon seethed commands. Rain pelted his skin, but he did not feel it.

"Fuck," Vale snarled as he held her. "I need you… I need you to wake up." He resisted the urge to shake her, and from his dragon’s insistence, his hands tightened in a bruising grip. Small and trembling, she was unresponsive. "Prima, what happened?" Vale demanded.

Tharen’s unflinching gaze found his, icy eyes filled with knowledge. "Her body is rebelling against her."

Bastian shrugged off Graves’s hand, which rested on his shoulder. Stalking toward the mage with fury, he flashed his fangs. "Explain," the vampire said.

Azgorath stormed forward, muscles rippling as tiny cracks spiderwebbed in the chains on his wrists. His breath was labored, making whooshing noises with every rough exhale. The chains clinked as he reached for her, and Vale hissed as the demon’s hands brushed against her rain-soaked hair. Blood trickled from her nose, and Vale wiped it away roughly with the back of his hand.

"Prima, you will tell me"—Vale did not look away from her—"or I will let my dragon feast upon your flesh. Fuck the curse."

Tharen’s jaw ticked. "She is being punished for refusing us."

Vale stilled. She was small and unresponsive in his arms. Her blouse stuck to her skin, her waist curving inward invitingly from thetight fit of her corset. The three circles of her Binding mark were barely visible from the translucent sheen of the blouse.

The mark on her skin was still not enough for him. He neededmore.

"What do you mean?" Vale’s voice was strained.

The Prima couldn’t possibly mean…

"If she does not consummate our Vincire bond, she will eventually die."

They rode hard back to the castle.

Vale never let Luella go, his rage a choking thing.

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