Page 66 of The Black Dragon
The Mage polished his nails against his silk shirt. “I told Leo it was Chase and deliberate, so he would join with me and experiment on dragons. I needed his brilliance in the lab, and hisexperience.”
He lifted hispalm and blew powder into Justin’s face. As he coughed, reeling backward from the magick potion, Vern raced pasthim.
When his vision cleared, he saw Vern next to Ariel, the blade at herthroat.
The Mage snorted. “Silly Ariel, weak as your father. You shouldn’t have comehere.”
Justin tried to regain his equilibrium. Had to throw him off, distract him. The knife hovered nearthe soft skin of her neck, the area he’d loved to kiss. “You’re the one who convinced Leo to flay the scales from my body. He paid you in crystals, but it wasn’t enough. I heard you when you thought I slept in my cage. You always wantedmore.”
Dell snorted. “Leo should have destroyed you. He was too soft-hearted. He didn’t pay me enough for all my ideas, and my work. He refused to harnessthe power of the crystals and access this cave. He feared the consequences if he took the crystals. Well, I’m notafraid.”
The Mage drew the knife closer to Ariel’s throat. “I coated it with poison. One cut and shedies.”
His chest tightened at the terror on Ariel’s face. “What do youwant?
He’d do anything to saveher.
“There are red diamonds in that cavern worth millions.Just one of them is enough to buy me the eternal youth potion I need. Go in there and return with them and I’ll let Ariel live. I can’t set foot in it without waking that creature. But you can. You’redragon.”
“Don’t do it. He’s crazy, Justin. Don’t give him the power.” Ariel’s gaze turned pleading. “My life isn’t worthit.”
“You’re wrong. It is,” he told her, fishing the key outof herbackpack.
Justin unlocked the cave. He found the red diamonds, glittering on the cave floor. After pocketing them, an idea struck. Justin walked outside, leaving the door open. Wails sounded inside, like the pitch of fireengines.
With any luck, the Drogmire would awaken because of the cries. He had no desire to entangle with that thing, but it was hardwired to protect thedragons, and that was his foremostconcern.
The baby dragons andAriel.
He glanced over at Leo, saw blood, flowing in a sluggish stream from the man’s head wound. Suddenly Justin remembered the vision that came to him whilemeditating.
He only had one shot at this. If he failed, Ariel would die. But he had faith in her abilities and remembered what had happened when she drewher hand into the dragonfire.
“Ariel, trust me,” Justin shouted. “Know I would never harmyou.”
He whirled and shifted at the same time. Maybe Dell had wanted to make him into a super dragon, his to control. But Justin was no man’spet.
He was, however, wickedfast.
Ariel saw him and screamed, throwing her hands in front of her. “No, Justin! Please don’t dothis!”
Too late. He opened his mouth and breathed pure white fire, sprayingDell.
And the love of hislife.
