Page 11 of Tears of Gold

I drag myself upright. “You're crazy!”

He grins at me, revealing dozens of razor sharp teeth. “Ready to go again?”

I wipe my mouth on my forearm, every muscle trembling. “Are you out of your mind? You almost killed me!”

“Emphasis on the almost,” he says, maddeningly calm as his reptilian eye holds my gaze.

I turn and stalk away, but I don't get far. When have I ever created that much qi before? I spread my hands, calling a flicker of pink light into my fingers. The sensation of my whole body pulsing with power is new. Is that what Skye feels all the time? I groan, pressing the backs of my hands to my forehead. Will I be able to protect Ava better if I train more like this? If so, maybe I could take her back to Earth on my own.

“Okay, I'm at least curious.” I turn back. “You think it's a matter of life or death situations?”

He slithers onto the bank, dripping water on the cut stone edge. “I'm probably not a good teacher, but if you can learn to sense your own qi, you've got a chance at figuring out the rest.”

My hands cross over my chest. I can't believe I'm not running far and fast. “Well, I do want to learn.” I glance at the dark water that still ripples as if it’s alive. “But I don't think I can willingly get back in there.”

“I understand. No problem if you can’t.” Skye stretches slowly like a cat. Then he leaps for me, and I hit the water with a yelp.

∞∞∞

I ache and tremble all over by the time Skye finally releases me an hour later. I've dumped so much adrenaline through a dozen partial drownings I'm surprised I haven't had a heart attack.

“You're a real live nightmare, you know that?” I hiss at him from where I lie collapsed on the bank.

“Does that translate to ‘thank you’ in human? Because I know you got a grasp of your qi that time.”

“No. I’m still pissed at you!”

He snorts. “You’re welcome. Consider it a New Year’s gift.”

He splashes as he gets out of the water, and I watch as he hauls his long silver form onto the dry ground, mane limp and dripping. I want to look away as his body folds in on itself to become human, but something compels me to watch. It makes more sense why he’s so heavy, seeing this transformation as he slowly shrinks, packing twenty feet of muscle and scale into a five foot five body. I also can’t help but remember his incredible stamina when we hunted for Ava.

Once back in human form, he stretches out his back, standing stark naked poolside without a care in the world. Shit, the damn exhibitionist has gotta be over ten inches—not that I’m looking, but I hope he’s kept that monster away from Ava.

Holding in a groan, I heave myself off the ground and squeeze the excess water from my thick curls.

Skye approaches, leveling me with his dark-brown eyes. “So, you’re mad, huh? Do you know how dragons solve their differences, rogue?” Something in his focused expression hooks into me in a way that’s entirely too predatory. The hairs on the back of my neck bristle as I shake my head.

He drapes his wiry arm around my bare shoulder. “We fight and then,” he brushes his face close to my ear, “we fuck.”

I can’t help twitching, knowing his naked body is so close to me.

He snickers wickedly. “At the end of the day, we all go home happy and knowing each other a little better.” He moves past me, trailing his hand leisurely across my shoulders. “Think about it.”

A shiver runs down my spine. Did I just get propositioned by a guy? A dragon guy? What the actual hell? I turn to grab my things and get a shock. My spine’s not the only affected part of me. I grimace. Why the fuck would my cock respond to another guy? It must be a warrior testosterone thing—after all, I’ve spent the morning hovering on death’s door. Yeah, that’s bound to get the blood pumping; I just didn’t notice before.

Doesn’t change the fact he’s an ass. “Is that before or after you eat wild python for breakfast?” I yell at his retreating back. I won’t let him mess with me or have the last word.

“Both.” His maddening chuckle floats over his shoulder.

Chapter Five

Ava

An unfamiliar voice calls my name, and I turn to find a woman approaching. The bright sun illuminates her from behind, leaving her face an obscured silhouette.

“I’ve been looking for you.” Despite the melodious voice, her words grate on my nerves. I want to ask why she’s been searching for me, but I can’t seem to make my tongue work. “You’ve given me quite the chase.”

As she walks forward, her body goes fuzzy, reappearing as the redheaded Davina woman who broke my mind. I step back as fear crawls up my throat and sets hard. Long fingernail claws latch around my neck.