Page 4 of To Spark a Dragon's Love
This wasn’t something to celebrate. Fate was as cruel as nature. They didn’t discriminate against who they’d destroy.
Willow’s high cheekbones were dusted with a rosy pink as she glanced at me from the corner of her emerald green eyes. “So… Um… How is this supposed to work?”
Her voice was delicate and wispy like her namesake. The sound of it soothed the never-ending internal rage of my dragon. Willow’s steps were dainty and measured despite the rapid pulse of her heart. She carried herself without taking up too much space.
That made her breakable. Fragile. Too soft for this world. Likely to be carried off by the wind.
I would crush her.
A roar built in my chest as my dragon raised his barbed tail to strike against my human mind.
“Are you all right?” Willow stopped walking and placed her delicately boned hand on my arm.
She should run.My dragon settled down, panting out puffs of black smoke which trailed through my human nostrils.
I shook my head to clear the shadows gathering around us and continued walking. “There are no rules for how this works.”
No rules. No runes. Well, there was a new one now. But there was no precedence. No prophecy. No direction to follow.All my life, I’d had guidance. The code of honor a guardian lived by.
And all of it was slipping through my claws.
“I’m assuming that means we’ll figure it out as we go.” Willow nodded once as if that settled it and picked up the pace like she wasn’t putting herself in the path of a dangerous dragon.
Like she’d be able to figure it all out.
Like Earth wouldn’t burn her with the rest of the humans and every other supernatural on this planet because of me.
“Seems that way.” I coughed to clear the harshness from my voice.
No use in frightening the poor woman.
She should be afraid.
I worked my jaw to ease the tightness in it and unclenched my fists.
The ground trembled beneath us anyway.
Willow stumbled and I reached out, catching her before she tripped over her own feet.
The minute we touched again, the bond flared between us, filling my chest and stroking my beast.
Tell her to leave,he whispered.
It was only a slight quake, but Earth’s message was clear. I knew it as Willow looked up at me with wide, jewel-like eyes.
“If we do this, will it help save the world?” The innocence of her question caught me off-guard.
Oh, how I wished I could lie.
Duty and honor were tearing me apart.
I set Willow upright and removed her hands from my chest, stalling for time as I searched for the right words.
“I’m not sure,” I finally said. “But I know that when Earth calls, I answer. I’ll do whatever is expected of me.”
The ground still trembled from aftershocks.
Earth seemed pleased, but I couldn’t be too sure that I understood Her motives anymore.
