Page 53 of Red Dragon’s Heart

Zak said, “I’ll just stand here for a minute and see how it’s done.”

Maddie snorted. “Chicken.”

But she turned away and headed around the ice, picking up speed as her confidence increased. She turned and skated backwards, swooping in big curves, the smile growing on her face. Then she built up some more backwards speed, looking over her shoulder, turned, stepped forward and launched herself off one foot. She did a half-turn and landed on the other foot, gliding backwards. She raised her hands over her head in a victory pose, and Zak grinned at her.

She did it again, and again, and then did some jumps with full turns. She finished up by doing a fast spin, finishing with her legs crossed tight and her arms overhead.

She skated over to Zak and did a quick stop right in front of him, her blades showering him with snow.

She looked flushed and exhilarated, and absolutely gorgeous. “That was great,” he said. “I’m impressed.”

“Uh huh,” she said. “You promised to let me teach you to skate. Come on, werechicken.”

The last thing he wanted was to let the ice have its way with him, but he couldn’t bear to disappoint her. He stepped into the rink, and immediately slipped and had to scramble to get his balance, arms flailing.

Maddie’s adorable giggle was worth feeling like a fool, though. She took his hands and started skating backwards, getting him going around the ice and giving him pointers. She taught him how to glide, how to cross one foot over the other at the corners, and then how to do something called a snowplow stop, which seemed like something a little kid would do.

“I want to learn that one you did. What’s that called?”

“A hockey stop.” She showed him how she glided forwards and then quickly turned both blades sideways, so they skidded to a stop.

He tried it, and immediately fell on his butt. “This skating thing is harder than it looks,” he complained. “And ice is cold.”

She hauled him up and showed him how to go backwards, and then he sent her off to skate again. “I’ll practice. You have fun.”

As soon as she was immersed in her skating, he cast a spell on his skates to make him better. Just a little one. Maddie stopped to get her breath, and gestured for him to join her. He skated down the rink, faster and faster, and then did a hockey stop and sprayed her with snow.

She folded her arms and tried to look severe. “You magicked yourself, didn’t you.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He knew he wasn’t fooling her, but luckily for him, some dance music came on. Maddie gave a little excited jump. “Ooh, now that you’re magicked, you can dance with me.”

She took his hand and started skating around the perimeter of the ice, teaching him a simple footwork pattern. Thanks to the magic, he could actually do it. She had him put one arm around her waist and held his other hand in hers, and they skated in unison, around and around the ice.

When the music ended, she turned to him, her eyes shining like stars. “That was amazing!” She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.

He held her, loving that he’d made her so happy with such a small thing.

They skated until seven, and then they took their skates off and he bought her some hot chocolate to drink on the way home. After they got in his truck, she put her hand on his arm as he was about to start the engine.

She said softly, “I lost skating when I lost my parents. I never went back after that; I felt like it caused their deaths. I never let myself remember how happy it made me.” She looked up into his face. “Thank you for giving that back to me.”

That warm place in his chest that she always gave him expanded. Not having any words, he leaned down and kissed her gently, then started the truck and took her home.

They were laughing again by the time they pulled the truck into the lair and took the elevator downstairs. Zakerek was so busy watching Maddie’s face, enjoying her happiness, that intruder took him completely by surprise.

The elevator doors opened, and he saw the lights were on over the desk area, and someone was sitting in his chair.

Someone with a presence he recognized—and dreaded.

The chair swung around, and sitting in it was Emon Lael, the Darkwing Dragon, King of the Draken House of Al-Maddeiri.

And he was not in a happy mood.

Chapter 24

Zak stopped dead in the middle of the room, dragging Maddie to a halt. The man in the chair didn’t say anything—didn’t even get up. All the same, there was something terrifying about him.