Page 13 of Must Love Dragons
Then, with a final burst of light, the dark magic spell shattered, the piece of the warlock’s dark magic disintegrating into nothing.
The air went still.
The candles’ flames calmed.
Zay let out a deep sigh, going limp against the couch.
Kinsley exhaled shakily, her hands trembling.
Nysa hopped up onto his chest and curled up with a purr, her fur glowing with residual magic.
“It’s gone?”Kinsley asked, peering over her fluffy cat to see that the wound on his side was healed.
Mother Gibson gently brushed the silver powder from his skin and nodded.“It’s out of him and gone, yes.But that doesn’t mean whoever cast the spell won’t try again.”
“I’m just going to say that was freaking amazing,” Brody said from the doorway.
“Powerful stuff,” Venice said next to him.
Kinsley smiled and brushed the damp strands of hair from her forehead.“When will he wake up?”
“He’s been through a lot, and he needs time to heal.I don’t know how long, though.Did anyone look in his bag?”Mother Gibson asked.
“I’ll check it out,” Brody said.He picked it up from the floor where they’d set it before the spell casting and unzipped it.“Phone but it’s passcoded so we can’t get into it.And a change of clothes.No ID.”
“Damn,” Kinsley said.“So we know his first name but that’s it.”
“He’ll tell us when he wakes up,” Delaney said.“In the meantime, let’s reinforce the protections around the yard and rescue in case whoever cast that nasty spell comes looking for him.”
Kinsley nodded.“Let’s do it.”
After fortifying the protection wards around the yard and rescue, they said goodbye to Mother Gibson, thanking her for her help.
“I have to get going,” Brody said, checking the time.“Some tourists decided to have a bonfire on the walking trail and nearly caught the whole damn place on fire last night, so I’m going to post extra caution signs and set up some trail cams to catch people before something stupid like that ruins the park.”
“I’ll stay here until he wakes up,” Venice said, folding his arms and leaning against the side of the building.
“Thanks, Venice,” Kinsley said.
She patted his shoulder and walked into the rescue, taking a seat next to Zay with a book about dragons on her lap that Mother Gibson had brought.He looked better, less knocking-on-death’s-door.She should have been relieved, but there was an ache in her chest.
Fate had given her a mate who hated what she was.
She couldn’t change being a witch any more than he could change being a dragon.And maybe when he woke up, he’d leave.
And maybe she should be okay with that since he hated her and all.
But she wasn’t.
Not even a little.
Zay woke with a start, his body tensed for battle, his brain full of fog.
The first thing he registered was the scent of salt and herbs, and something sweet but foreign.He stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Hadn’t he been outside?
His dragon rumbled in contentment, completely at ease, which was at odds with how Zay felt.
