“Good job.Keep at it until you hit it.”
The power that rushed through her very soul was intoxicating.She blew out again, hitting the wall but nowhere near the target.
Power.
Finally.But hungry.
The thought surprised her because it wasn’t hers.The idea of an independent entity inside her startled her, even though Cyn had warned her.
This time her Dragon blew out the spikes and hit the target.
“Ruby, your Dragon is taking over.Remember, use your will.”
She heard Cyn’s voice from what seemed like far away, even though she saw him from the corner of her eye.
“Ruby, come back to human.Now.The Dragon can be seductive when you’re not used to it.Come back.”
She shook her head, only it wasn’t her doing the shaking.She’d lost control.Seductive, yes, and scary and exhilarating, all at once.Her Dragon did not want to obey Cyn, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to listen to her.It ran, dragging her along with it.
“Damn it,” Cyn muttered somewhere behind her.“Back,” he ordered.“Now!”
Her Dragon dodged him like a playful puppy.Panic prickled at the edges of her soul.What if she couldn’t regain control?
Cyn slammed her to the floor, pressing his weight down on her.Her Dragon body struggled, whapping him with her tail, hard enough to knock him off balance.She leapt to her feet and ran, turning in time to see him unleash a cloud of black mist that shot right at her.She felt her body fly to the side, hitting the wall.And then nothing.
10
Cyn watched Ruby morph from Dragon back to woman, her body sprawled on the floor.She’d landed on her side, hair spread wildly all around her.He knelt down next to her and checked her pulse.Racing, no surprise.
His fingers remained at her neck, because for some reason he couldn’t pull them away.She was out cold.He tapped her cheek.“Ruby.Wake up.No time for slacking.”
She murmured but didn’t begin to revive.He allowed his gaze to drift over her shoulder, her waist, where he saw the outer edge of her new brand.He continued to the curve of her hip and toned legs.She wasn’t a child, much as he’d like to see her that way.Should see her that way.He had no right to look at her and feel a stirring anywhere.
There wasn’t much that aroused him anymore, though he did enjoy the sensual pleasures of life.Right now his body had decided that the sight of her was one of those pleasures.He stood, cursing softly, and dressed.
Ruby flexed her fingers, then opened her eyes the very moment he pulled on his pants.Her gaze went right to him, and she came back to herself in that moment.Flames danced in her eyes now, even as they widened with embarrassment.She sat up and pulled her bent knees close to her, tucking in her feet for as much modesty as she was going to get.
He turned away, picking up her pile of clothing and handing it to her behind his back.“Look at your stomach.”
He heard her soft intake of air.“The rash, it’s…”
“Your Dragon.”
“You looked,” she said, the accusation clear.
“I couldn’t see it.Wrong angle.”
The silence told him she was wondering what hehadseen.He heard the shuffle of clothing being pulled on.“I wasn’t able to get control over it.”Anxiety permeated her words.“It took over, like you said it might.”
“You’ll get the hang of it.”
“No, I’m not doing it again.You can turn around now.”She brushed her hair from her face, and he could see fear in the tight lines around her mouth.
He stepped closer, resisting the urge to brush the stray lock of her bangs back in place.“You have to Catalyze again and practice gaining control.”
She shored up her shoulders.“That’s one thing you can’t make me do.”
“I know it scared you?—”
