Page 64 of Red Dragon’s Flame

“What?” Michelangela stopped the electric needle.

“Get back!” Michelangela was wearing a fire protection amulet, as she always did within the castle, especially around Devon. But still…

Devon’s stomach cramped, and she felt sick. The fire churned inside her.

“Are you okay?” Michelangela asked. “Should I get someone?”

There was another cramp, a worse one, and Devon rolled off the padded bench she’d been lying on, landing hard on her hands and knees on the stone floor. Her back felt like it was ripping open.

“Shit,” Mikey said. “I’m calling Mikah.”

But before she could, Devon felt a white-hot burning down her spine. Still down on all fours, she looked up to see her reflection in the tall standing mirror on the other side of the room.

A shape rose out of her back—a bird’s head made of fire, with liquid black eyes and a beak that looked like shining brass. Wings of flame opened one by one, sending ripples of pain through her body.

“Holy fuck,” Michelangela whispered.

Chapter 29

Mikah flung open the door to his rooms and skidded to a stop. Devon was kneeling on the floor, naked from the waist up, leaning one arm on the padded bench where she’d obviously been lying to get her tattoo.

Michelangela stood next to her, transfixed.

Extending out of Devon’s phoenix tattoo was a bird made of flame—at least, the top half of one. Like with the boy in the atrium, half her tattoo looked normal, and the other half had come to life and seemed to be trying to get out.

Flames lined Devon’s body and surrounded Michelangela’s hand, outstretched toward the bird. She’d obviously remembered her anti-flame amulet—there was no smell of burning and she didn’t seem to be hurting.

The same couldn’t be said for Devon—she was sweating despite the flames, and her face was contorted with pain.

Mikah wanted to go to her, but he was afraid to move. If he startled the phoenix, she could rip right out of Devon’s body.

Michelangela was staring into the phoenix’s eyes. He could hear a low humming sound—almost like music—just beneath his threshold of hearing. Slowly, the bird reached out its head and rubbed it against Mikey’s hand, as if in affection.

Then it receded back inside Devon’s body, becoming just a glittering tattoo once more.

Devon collapsed just as Mikah got to her. He pulled her into his arms, and conjured a loose shirt for her.

“I got you,” he said. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, but she was gasping for breath. “That hurt.”

He rubbed her shoulder gingerly, and she leaned against him.

Emon and Tristan walked cautiously into the room. Zak and Maddie arrived next, with Brock behind them, panting. “What’s going on? Is Mikey okay?”

Michelangela rolled her eyes at him. “Sheesh, overprotective much? I was just talking to the phoenix.”

“Yeah? Then why did I get the feeling you were in deadly danger? Again?”

“Because it is a fucking phoenix,” Emon said. “You’re lucky you both didn’t go up in flames. Do I have to remind you the damn thing’s a fire elemental? I don’t know if our amulets would hold if it really got serious.”

Tristan whistled softly. “Its fire is hotter than a dragon’s?”

“Possibly,” Emon said. “I’m not really wanting to find out, are you?”

Michelangela said, “It didn’t mean to hurt Devon. It’s protecting her. But it’s… upset.”

“It said that?”