Page 36 of Dragon’s Rebel

Thorne was lying on the flat section the dragons used as a landing pad, his huge snout resting on the waist-high stone parapet that ran around the outer edge.

It was still dark, though there was a faint lightening of the sky directly to the east.

“Hi,” Rebel said. “How’s the brooding going?”

I’m not brooding. I’m thinking. Why don’t people get that?

“My bad. Because they look so different, you know? What are you thinking?”

I’m currently wondering if you plan to stand there in the rain all night.

“It’s that or go back to bed. And there’s no one to keep me company in bed.”

Thorne sighed, heat coming out of his nostrils and turning the rain to steam. I suppose you can sit with me for a while.

“It’s wet.” Thorne let out another sigh and rolled his eyes. Arching his neck and aiming his snout downwards, he breathed a gout of flame onto the wet stone in front of him.

Heat and steam billowed up. He propped his head on the parapet again. There. It’s dry now.

Rebel walked over. The stone below Thorne’s massive head was bone-dry, and heated from his breath. She sat down, scooting sideways under Thorne’s chin so his head sheltered her from the rain. She leaned back against his warm chest. It was like having her own personal dragon fort, complete with radiator.

“It’s pretty sweet, actually. Some cushions would make it perfect.”

You can ask a zefir to bring some.

She’d had enough of zefirs for one night. “Nah,” she said. “I’ll make do.”

I applaud your courage and resilience.

There was the snarky Thorne she knew and lov—um, liked. “So,” she said, resting her elbow on his huge foreleg. “I know you’ve decided to take the serum. And if you think you’re doing it alone, you’ve got another think coming.”

Thorne snorted, letting out a puff of smoke. Trust Rebel to cut right to the chase, with no polite dancing around the subject.

He didn’t want to shame himself by admitting to her what he was really thinking, though. That he knew what he had to do, but he was putting it off because he was afraid.

And that he’d been wishing that she were here with him.

I don’t think you should be here, he made himself say. It might be dangerous for you. There’s probably nothing you can do to help, anyway.

“Really?” she asked. “How were you planning on opening that tiny vial and getting the serum to your mouth? You don’t have any fingers.”

I can get a zefir to do it.

“No way,” she said. “I’ll get it for you. Are we doing it in your lair?”

I don’t think that’s a good idea, he said. My treasure calls out to my dragon. I’m afraid if I take the serum there, it will be too hard for him to go back inside. I was thinking here would be the best place.

“In the rain? That seems kind of depressing.”

The rain doesn’t bother me.

“Okay then. Sit tight. I’ll be right back.” She crawled out from underneath him, scrambling to her feet.

Thorne screwed up his courage. He’d planned to do this alone, but maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe that’s what his dragon had been trying to tell him, making the bracelet for Rebel.

If the worst happened, maybe his mate could pull him back from the edge.

One more thing, he said. She turned back to face him. If I lose my dragon, I may need someone to be my anchor. In case…