Page 50 of Dragon Touched
You’reabastard,Fin.
His inner voice kept repeating this phrase over and over, and he debated running back to ensure Sacha was safe, that she was getting away from the evil inside. But pride forced his legs to keep moving.
She believed he was interested in her for what she could do for him, and in the beginning, her assumption had been correct. But something changed. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, but he could feel the shift in his mind and heart.
When he’d burst in and saw Lorenzo hurting her, he’d wanted to turn the entire building into a mound of rubble. The physical pain she’d endured had transferred to him, and the desire to rush forward and save her like some idiotic, shining knight spurred him onward.
He wasn’t a savior, though. His destiny had always been in magic, in the arcane, in the obscure. Rescuing damsels in distress was not his goal, and he hadn’t planned on starting now. Yet, that’s exactly what had happened.
Sighing, his long legs stalked through the fields on the way to the tower. Now that the ring was charged, hecouldteleport home, but he wasn’t about to waste precious magic on such a short distance. He was bone weary, and just wanted to escape to his study and lick the wounds inflicted by Sacha’s harsh words.
The dew from the high, green grass soaked into the bottom hem of his robe, but tall leather boots kept his feet dry.
Warmth settled onto his shoulder, and Cyan nipped an earlobe.
Fin swatted him away. Lifting a finger to his ear, he wiped away a bead of blood. “Damn it, what wasthatfor?”
Several sharp trills and an undulating shriek blasted his face while Cyan flapped in front of Fin, the little body flying backwards as the man stalked forward.
“Why amIan idiot? She’s the one who called me a coward and said I couldn’t function.”
A rivulet of hot steam blew from Cyan’s nostrils, the scent like rotten eggs and a backyard barbeque—not pleasant. He lifted his head toward the sky and two high screams echoed through the fields and copse of trees nearby.
“Go away. You’re just a baby—you wouldn’t understand affairs of the heart.”
Tiny body curling for a somersault, Cyan launched into Fin’s chest, causing the tall mage to stumble to a halt to catch the shimmering, hot ball of scales and piercing teeth.
“What the devil are—”
The small, barbed tail snaked around his neck and smacked Fin on the back of the head. A high-pitched combination of screams and squawks blasted his eardrums.
“She said she didn’t mean it?” Some of the anger slipped from Fin’s face while he listened to Cyan’s words. “But maybe she’s right—we couldn’t be more opposite and far apart if we tried.”
With one more chastising scream, Cyan shot from Fin’s embrace into the sky, toward home.
Somehow, I’ve been scolded by an animal who’s supposed to have the emotional IQ of a chicken, yet in truth, rivals that of a grown man. He’ll be magnificent when fully grown—full of cunning and power.
A shudder ran the length of Fin’s body.
Without his pet to distract him, he lifted his stare to the cloudy sky and let out a frustrated groan.
What am I doing, leaving her alone like this?She thinks I can’t function and I’m crippled by my past.Maybe she’s right.
A group of elm trees grew along the fence line, between the road and fields, and he stepped in their shadow, knowing they’d shield him from view of the house. He was too spent to maintain an invisibility enchantment, or any other spell that didn’t require more than a trickle of power.
The garage door opened, and the white of Sacha’s wedding dress shone against the dark building. She peeked out, as if looking for something—or someone, he thought with a pang of regret. Even at this distance, Fin’s sharp gaze, more enhanced than a normal person’s, could see the fear and pain on her face.
He backed farther into the group of trees, using their trunks and shadows to hide him from view.
After a few seconds, she shook her head. In silence, she hopped into a black SUV. The taillights flashed, she backed out, then headed onto the road in his direction.
In a sudden grip of insanity, an urge to jump from his hiding spot and flag her attention sprang to mind, but her words replayed.
The only thing you care about is your precious test and ring. I was some sort of a sick game, a means to an end. Get out of my life, Fin. You’re no better than the thugs in here.
He bit his lip until blood welled. When he could no longer see the vehicle, his trek to the tower resumed. His fingers twisted the ring and rubbed the pea’s surface. An intense desire to leave this cold, scientific world pulled within, because it was obvious, he—and his magic—weren’t wanted or needed.
One thing was holding him back, though. Royal blood. To open the portal not only required the charged ring, but it also demanded her physical presence to hold the passage open.
