Page 50 of Ash

The Dragona was bitchy, but beautiful. They’d make a striking couple. But Razir... “You like her too?”

His brows shot up, and Dani shrugged and added, “I suggest you start wearing pants. Those scales don’t hide much.”

He snorted, but his eyes skittered away. “Yeah. Well, I think things might get very interesting.”

Dani narrowed her gaze at him. “Why do you say that?”

The purple gaze snapped back to her. “I’m not sure Tyrez is ready for her.”

Another confusing reply. These bloody Dragons liked to speak in riddles. “If you guys don’t screw humans, why was she so hot and bothered about me?”

His brows rose at the screw comment, but his lips twitched. “Dragonas are rather intense when on cycle. They don’t tolerate distractions of any kind. You could be a Doteran, and she’d be sharding pissed.”

Dani frowned. “What’s a Doteran?”

“A small, fur covered canid from the Martinak realm. Very cute.”

“You just equated me to a small, furry canid?”

Razir correctly interpreted the building ire in the comment, and pushed aside his plate before waggling his brows at her. “I’m going for a shower. If she returns, don’t mess with her. Just scream.”

Then he headed off down the hall, walking rather stiffly.

Dani rolled her eyes and selected a juicy thigh, grateful that she wasn’t sharing a bathroom with a horny Dragon.

14

The storm raged for hours, whipping the ocean into a frenzy. When the clouds finally parted and the sun shone down on Ash, he turned his face into its healing warmth.

He needed the sun like fish needed water. The small amount of crystal in his blood welcomed the rejuvenation.

Staked out against the cold stone, his entire body had gone numb with the icy wind. Rindek only fed him enough crystal dust to sustain his abilities. Between withholding the crystal as well as providing only sporadic meals, he kept Ash in a perpetual state of near starvation.

The Dragon shifter had become accustomed to it, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so weak. This sun wasn’t as strong as some, but it had been all he was permitted for most of his life. It was better than nothing. And he was going to need every bit of strength to survive what was to come.

He was granted precisely two hours before Rindek reappeared. A little less time than he’d predicted. But he was able to lift his head from the stone and meet the Archmage’s gaze.

Rindek wasn’t alone. With him was a stocky human with nervous eyes that never landed on anything for any longer than a few moments at a time.

“Hello John,” Ash said.

Rindek’s eyes narrowed. “So you knew.”

Ash let his head fall back against the rock. “He was in one of the timelines, yes.”

The Archmage’s mouth straightened. “Don’t suppose you’d care to tell me where it leads.”

Ash said nothing.

The narrow shoulders twitched in annoyance, a half shrug. “No matter. John doesn’t have your level of ability, but he is more than willing to use what he has to assist me. And as I have his family under my care, he will not betray me.”

Ash glanced at John, who refused to meet his eyes. Rindek had the one thing over the man that he couldn’t achieve with Ash.

Leverage.

Rindek’s crimson eyes flashed as he glared at Ash. “I created you. I raised you. Somehow, I expected more. But I should have known a Dragon would be stubborn and difficult to the very end.”

Ash’s gaze slid to the Archmage. There were two possibilities here. Rindek would kill him now, and harvest whatever power he could from his writhing body.

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