Page 79 of Dragon’s Rogue

“You are!”

He grabbed her by the shoulders, his mouth coming down on hers in a punishing kiss. She pushed him away with her hands and her magic. He stumbled back two steps, and they stared at each other, shocked.

She’d bitten his lip; Zane could taste blood in his mouth.

Hurt fury rose up inside him. He would force her to do his bidding. He growled, and wisps of gray, foul-tasting smoke came from his mouth.

Zane reached for her, but she cast a spell at him, the stasis spell she’d used on Thorne. He shoved it away, advancing on her once more.

She tried to cast another spell, eyes glittering with anger. A deep voice emanated from her mouth. “You dare to defy me, Draken?”

She swayed on her feet, and her knees buckled. Zane lunged forward and caught her before her head hit the edge of the table.

What the hell was he doing? He’d threatened Blaze. But the urge to lock her in his lair still raged in him.

She was limp in his hands now, but her skin was hot, as if she were burning up with fever. Gray fog drifted out of her nose and mouth.

Shock washed over Zane like a bucket of icy water, clearing his head.

The idol. Somehow, the idol had gotten a grip on Blaze.

And on him. He could still feel the irrational anger eating him away inside, the sense of injustice and entitlement.

Thorne! He cried out in his mind, hoping his brother had come back to the lair and was thinking clearly again. Thorne! Tyr! I need your help. Now!

Chapter 34

Zane waited for his brothers, pacing back and forth near the door, running Blaze’s necklace through his hands over and over.

He’d put her on the bed, but he didn’t trust himself to get near her. He could still feel the idol’s evil influence trying to take him over; he could feel his dragon’s darkest instincts fighting to be set free.

She was still unconscious, but moaning softly as if she were in pain.

Every cell in Zane’s body wanted to go over there, but he couldn’t trust himself.

It seemed like an eternity before he heard his brothers’ hurried footsteps in the hallway, felt their presence.

Don’t let them near our mate! his dragon warned.

Ruthlessly, he beat back the idol’s influence. She’s sick. They have to heal her.

He’d described the situation to Thorne as best he could. Healing wasn’t one of his major talents; Tyr had made a study of it, though, and Thorne had more of the Drakens’ natural healing abilities than either Tyr or Zane.

Between them, he prayed they could cleanse the darkness out of Blaze before it got a good hold.

He remembered the shadows that had sprung from them as they fought the idol last night, connecting them with it. It seemed that brief contact had given it a foothold inside them.

Zane wanted to vomit, as if that would get the darkness out of him.

Thorne and Tyr burst into the room, Tyr carrying a box of magical supplies.

He immediately began setting up a spell circle, lighting white candles and incense made of cleansing herbs.

“Check on Blaze,” Zane said. “She’s—she’s hurting.”

The thought of her in pain made him physically sick. That and the knowledge that he’d practically attacked her. He could still feel his lip throbbing, taste the trickle of blood where she’d bitten him.

Thorne sat on the bed next to Blaze, putting one hand on her forehead, the other on her chest. Zane clenched his teeth, a strangled growl coming from his throat at the sight of another dragon with his hands on Zane’s mate.