Braxton threw me his trademark grin, the one which gave me shivers down my spine for more than one reason. That look meant people were about to die. Then, in a blink of an eye, he had snatched me up and I knew I was about to be thrown back to one of the quads. Before I could protest, there was a horrifying roar that rocked the ground.

Braxton spun around with me still cradled in his arms. Gah! The red dragon was like a fucking inch away. My heart literally stopped beating. Then as I came face to face with it, the dragon’s roar began to taper off and this strange purring-hum noise started deep in the heavily scaled red chest. It vibrated up through to the masses of razor sharp teeth which were far too close to my face for comfort.

Just as I was about to insist Braxton get-me-the-heck-away, heat unfurled from inside of me. Tingles started on my back and I could feel that my dragon mark was reacting to this wild creature. Without stopping to think about it, I reached for him. Somehow I knew it was a male.

“Jess…” Braxton’s voice was low. I could tell that he was trying not to set off the beast, but I heard the warning.

And yet, I still couldn’t stop myself from placing both hands onto his scaled nose. A puff of smoke emerged, coating the air in the scent of sulfur. Then the dragon closed its eyes, the large black domes disappearing under scaled lids.

I don’t know how long we stayed like this, but eventually the dragon pulled its snout back, gave me an odd head bob, and strode off back into the desert land it called home. As it moved further away, I started to come back to myself. I don’t know where I’d gone during those moments of connection with the dragon, but it had been red deserts, ice lands, oceans of blue and green plains. Masses of dragons ruling the land and air.

I had to blink rapidly in an attempt to clear my head, regain composure.

“Did that just seriously happen?” Mischa’s voice had me focusing on her tiny person. At some point everyone had moved closer.

Jacob and Tyson didn’t look as calm and collected as usual. The wizard had yellow threading his eyes. He’d been pulling magic in case something went wrong. Maximus cut off my view as he stepped to Braxton’s side, lowering his face to meet mine. His eyes were black, fangs partially descended. Come to think of it, he was probably getting a bit blood hungry.

“What is wrong with you, Jess? Do you have a death wish?” Maximus snarled, his tone harsher than he generally used with me. “A child listens more than you.”