Page 13 of The Black Dragon
The finality in his tone warned the conversation was over. She sighed. Perhaps Father was right. Her future did look mighty bleak right now. No prospects. Few would hire her because she couldn’t remain on her feet all day. And she had no qualifications for the desk jobs Magesadvertised.
Working in the Skin world was out of the question. She had grown too accustomed to testing her powers in the past year. Restricting her magick, weak as it was, would beimpossible.
Absorbed in his own thoughts,her father would not come into the house for a while. It wassafe.
Ariel went into her bedroom. Ignoring the photo of herself and Parker, she openedher wood jewelrybox.
The amber crystal glowed inside. Ariel put it around her neck and went downstairs to the kitchen. Power hummed through her. Dragon power. Leo had infused it with Justin’smagick.
Pining for a dragon she could never have seemed pointless. But last month after dreaming of Justin taking her flying, she dared to invoke the stone’s power. Nothing significant. Justsimple tasks. She used the crystal to divine where the best parking spot was so she didn’t have far to walk downtown to the restaurant. Last night she’d used its power to hire the maid at a reduced rate after a local Mage left town. The maid had wanted to pick up extrawork.
Ariel touched the crystal, drawing its energy into her body. If Leo knew she could do this, he would worry. Maybeeven forbid it. Because ever since Justin escaped from the basement, Leo fretted about her exhibiting any signs of realpower.
To keep harmony in the house, she never let him know about her secret sessions with thecrystal.
She poured dish detergent, made a bubble and blew atit.
The blue bubble floated upward. Ariel flicked out herfingers.
Dancing on the air, thebubble enlarged and then glittered with the weak current of magick she aimed atit.
Ariel concentrated, using the meditation techniques she’d learned not long after the car crash. She centered herself and envisioned a life with Parker. Marriage to him.Show me the future with Parker and how it would be. Will there be passion and fire forme?
She didn’t dare yearn for love. Love wasfor starry-eyed girls who could wrap males around their fingers. Nother.
Images appeared in the soap bubble like a movie playing. Parker, the horned-rimmed glasses gone. His eyes were larger without them and his face pleasing. In a black silk tuxedo, he looked almost handsome. In a white lacy gown, Ariel stood with him before an altar strewn with roses, while a tall, solemn man read froman ancientscroll.
Her weddingday.
The scene faded and a new vision appeared on the soap bubble. Parker, his thin body nude as he approached the bed where she lay. His erection was large and straining, his expressioneager.
Her weddingnight.
He crawled over her and pumped vigorously into her body as she flinched and winced. Panting, straining above her, her new husbandseemed oblivious of her discomfort. Ariel swallowed hard, the space between her legstensing.
So, it wouldn’t be fantastic. But they always said the first time was painful, so that was expected. Maybe it would get better with time, and practice. Parker seemed like a nice enough Mage. Perhaps she could eventually experience pleasure,too.
But nothing like the desire she’d shared withJustin.
Show me Justin and what life would be like withhim.
Thankfully, the vision of Parker vanished, replaced with a black dragon the size of a Cadillac. Ariel saw herself standing before the dragon, trembling and throwing out her hands as if to defend herself.No please, Justin, don’t!The black dragon reared his head back, his throat growing red and glowing like coals. And thenhe roared, flames spewing out of his mouth. A horrific scream of agonyfollowed.
No!
The bubble popped, spraying the sink withsoap.
Bracing her hands on the sink, Ariel gulped down a breath and tried to control her racing heart. “Fire and passion,” she whispered, her voice slightly hysterical. “That’s what you wanted. Be careful of what you wishfor.”
Parker wouldpropose. They would marry in Seattle, honeymoon there and she would proceed to fulfill her duty of conceiving little Covingtons to carry on the family name. It wasn’t a terrible fate, and at least Father could move to Seattle, where he could hide and be safe. It was only a matter of time before Leo’s life wasforfeited.
Because if he remained in Sedona, she knew sooner or later Justin wouldreturn to killhim.
