“Outside. To deal with the—” I caught myself before trying to say sprite. Who knew what would happen this time? Would my tongue loll out all the way across the floor like in a cartoon?
“To deal with the what?” Diego followed me but stopped around ten feet back. The sun was still out, which meant if he was in range after I opened the door, I’d have corpse cleanup on aisle one.
“I can’t say it.” I growled. “But I sure as hell will deal with it.”
As soon as I stepped outside, I searched for him. “Come out, you little turd.” I pushed aside some hosta and daylilies as well as other bushes where he might try to hide. Nowhere. I was taking to the skies. If I found him out there, I’d fry his miniscule ass.
I removed my clothes once more. Jeez, I was robing and disrobing more often than I did as an exotic dancer. My inability to speak had to have been connected to him.
When I initiated the shift to dragon form this time, it worked. Ha! My magic cloaked me from any potential human observers as my body lengthened and expanded. I spread my wings to each side and ran forward before I soared over the back yard. Where was that little shit?
When I spotted the sprite flying toward a tree, likely to hid under the cover of foliage, I darted after him. Ten feet. Then five. Just a few feet away, and I’d capture him in my claws.
The sprite turned and threw something into my face. I blinked as it obstructed my vision and coughed on the particles invading my mouth. I barely discerned the unyielding bark of the tree right before me and averted a painful collision.
Once I turned away, my wings felt heavy. It was like dragging them through molasses. My flying slowed. Too slow. As I saw the ground approach at rapid speed, my heart pounded. I’d just evaded one near crash and faced another.
I adjusted my position to land. My feet hit the ground, and I stumbled. I barely regained my balance as I brought my wings in. Then I couldn’t move them. They’d hardened.
So had the rest of my body.
Every scale turned gray as my muscles locked into place. I tried to call out, but my lips wouldn’t move. No part of me did.
The bleakness of the situation descended. I turned into a statue in my garden.
CHAPTER12
ZOE
While in my office at the Network the next day, I struggled to focus on my current workload, but I couldn’t help replaying what happened with Lucas. I hadn’t heard back from him yet. Was he still mad about last night? I’d tried calling and texting, but no response.
I missed his texts. He’d send something steamy or funny, sometimes a cringey meme that made me laugh. For him not to communicate at all was unusual. He must have been really pissed at me.
Did he have a right to be? Maybe. I could have trusted him. At least asked him rather than let my suspicions get the best of me.
That evening, Diego called. That was strange. I don’t think he’d ever called me before. I answered the call.
“Zoe, come quick.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Something’s wrong with Lucas.”
My heart pounded. I stood. “Is he okay? Where is he?”
“He’s… he’s here in our back yard… but…”
Diego sounded frantic and hesitant.
“But what, Diego?”
“He’s in dragon form.”
“Oh.” That might be odd for him to hang out in the garden, but it wasn’t necessarily something to panic about.
“A stone dragon.”
I pursed my lips. “Diego, what are you talking about?”
