The dragon’s lips stretched into a smile so damn predatory it made my skin crawl. “Why?”
“There are children in the den. Innocents.”
“And what of the Mondeine children? Of their innocents?”
I tried not to think about them at all and didn’t appreciate him bringing them up. I followed orders like the soldier I’d been trained to be. Just doing my goddamn job. None of this should fall on my shoulders, yet this dragon kept tormenting me and now….
“Please. You’re going to kill them.”
“Is it not your goal to eliminate all possible opposition? Why should I behave any differently?”
“This is cruel and inhumane.”
With a lift of one eyebrow, he called into question everything I’d ever believed. “Oh? And your plans are not?”
“You don’t understand.”
He chuffed. “There is nothing wrong with my comprehension.”
The world shifted, and suddenly we were in the common area, hovering above the rapidly rising water. Heads bobbed, arms flailed, screams of panic echoed all around us, and there was nothing I could do. The dragon kept me suspended and immobile as he lowered himself to the water level and dipped a finger in. Ice formed at his touch before rapidly spreading across the water toward my packmates. Their screams fell silent with a finality that made me drop to my knees mid-air.
“Stop! Please! Don’t do this.”
The dragon’s scowl only darkened. “Tell me where you are.”
“I can’t.” I shook my head, even as my gaze landed on a mop of brown, unruly curls. Marco was only seven and deserved to grow up, but he was now fully encased in ice.
“Then this will be the fate of your people. They will never die, Ziara. I will not allow them that mercy. I will keep them here, locked in my magic for all eternity, alive yet unable to truly live. Unless you tell me where you are right now.”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Your lies will not save them.”
The ice continued to spread, freezing everyone I cared aboutas regret pulsed through my veins. I did know where we were because I’d peeked. And now I had a decision to make.
“This is just a dream.”
“For now, yes. However, if you fail to tell me your location, it will become a reality. I know where your den is, and exactly how to destroy you.”
I didn’t want to tell him anything, but I had no choice.
“Al Mukalla.” The truth fell from my mouth of its own accord. “Now leave them alone, you heartless bastard.”
“Zee, wake up!”
The desperation in Mack’s voice registered as hands gripped my shoulders, shaking hard enough to rattle my teeth. I gasped and jerked upright, heart hammering against my ribs. We weren’t in the den, our people weren’t underwater, and the dragon was nowhere in sight. Rubbing at my bleary eyes, I scanned the area, still trying to separate reality from the new level of dream hell I’d just witnessed.
We were on a rooftop by the sea. Foreign scents mingled with ocean salt that smelled different from the Pacific I’d grown up next to. My gaze followed the surf to where waves played in moonlight as far as I could see. Our immediate area was dark, but on the shore, rows of white buildings speckled with lights stretched up the foot of a mountain. I could make out the faintly shimmering boundary and streetlights from the Mondeine side of the fracture.
My wolf stirred uneasily despite her bindings.
Mack released me and began rolling up his bedroll like his ass was on fire.
“What’s going on?” I asked. My last memory—before the dragon had crashed my dream—was from this morning when I stepped onto the portal platform in Seattle. “Is this Al Mukalla?” There was no telling how far we’d traveled while I’d slept.
“Later.” Finished with the bedroll, Mack thrust out a handand helped me to my feet before bending to collect mine. He had to be as exhausted as I was, but he appeared to be running on adrenaline. “We need to move. Now.”
“Why?”
