Skyborn (Dragons & Druids #1)(52)

“Ready,” she crooned. “I just need a little drop of your blood.”

My eyes widened and a small whimper escaped my throat.

Jeanine rolled her eyes. “Yes, it’s tragic. Come on…” She waved my hand forward in frustration.

Logan said never to give a sorcerer my blood. Eva had agreed that I should never give a sorcerer my blood—other than her of course. Yet here I was, giving a sorcerer my blood.

Listening and following rules were not my best character traits.

Without really thinking it through, I extended my finger, and the gleam in her eyes reminded me of Gollum as he caressed the one ring and called it “my precious.” I was a diehard Lord of the Rings fan who was strongly considering getting a tattoo in Elvish. So, seeing this clear sign of evil on her face should have deterred me, but I just turned my head to the side as she pricked my finger quickly and squeezed it into the jar.

She released my hand and I pulled it back swiftly, bringing my finger up to my mouth to suck it clean. Jeanine’s nostrils were flaring; her eyes had rolled back into her head.

“Umm, are you oka—” I began, but her throat humming cut me off.

She was in a full-on trance and I was officially freaked the hell out. The hairs on my arms were sticking up; the curtains on the windows had started moving to an invisible wind.

Oh shit. What had I done? I was just figuring out whether I should cut my losses and run when the match inside of the cup burst into flame of its own accord, causing me to jump backward with a startled shriek.

Jeanine’s eyes focused again; she stopped her humming chant as the curtains went dead still. She approached me, the flame burning in the cup illuminating her eyes in a ghastly glow. “Blow it out and breathe in the smoke,” she ordered.

“What?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“Do it!” she roared, and I could see the match was going to blow out soon if I didn’t. It was all or nothing. I was all in on this running away thing. I took in one deep breath, and in that moment I was reminded of when my dragon was in heat and Logan had put me in the deep sleep. The way his breath felt on my neck, the way he smelled…

I pushed the past down and blew; a puff of bright yellow smoke wafted up to my face. Against every instinct I had, against my dragon’s cries from within me, I inhaled the smoke. The second it hit my lungs, I broke into a fit of coughing as it burned my throat with its acrid scent. With a grin, Jeanine pulled her cup back and I felt a tingling working down my arms.

Jeanine walked over to the phone on her desk and picked it up. “I’m ready for my next client.” Her eyes stayed on me the entire time she spoke.

I finally got my coughing under control and asked her in a raspy voice if it was done.

She nodded and scooped up the five hundred bucks. “Yes. You may go now.”

She didn’t have to tell me twice. I wanted to get in my car and get the hell out of here. I nodded to her and grabbed my purse, walking briskly to the door. As I was reaching out, with my hand on the knob, her voice came from behind me.

“Oh, Stacey?” she called out. I froze, not bothering to look back, everything within me telling me to run.

“Hmm?” I replied.

Her response made terror flush through my system faster than a bullet train. “I know what you are,” she crooned.

My legs went weak with adrenaline and I spun the knob, ready to run my out-of-shape ass out of there. But the second I threw the door wide, I came face to face with Steven, the powerful druid who had chucked Keegan across the room. Gone were his minions; it was just him and his greedy gaze staring down at me.

I shrieked as he reached for me. I threw my right arm out, pushing with everything I had, pushing my magic, my dragon, my sense of self preservation. I just pushed. It felt like electricity had ignited along my spine, and then a blinding purple fire shot out of my palm and threw Steven back into the wall. The druid crashed halfway through the drywall, getting stuck inside. Holy shit. I heard Jeanine gasp behind me and then I ran. Instinct pushed me to run left, away from the club entrance and the guards.

“Get her!” the druid roared to Jeanine from his place in the wall.

Oh hell no. I ran a few more feet and was then relieved when I looked up and saw an emergency exit sign hanging over a dark metal door. I risked a glance behind me and saw Jeanine running rather slowly after me, yellow magic crackling in her hands.

Bitch, I want my money back.

I reached the door in record time and with one kick it burst open. I jumped through and took a quick scan of my surroundings. I was in a side alley; there was a heavy metal dumpster to my right. With all the adrenaline running through me, and the fact that I was in fact part dragon, and part druid for that matter, I decided to try and move the trash can over the door, trapping these assholes inside.

“Ahhhhh!” I screamed as I used every ounce of strength I had. The moment it slid over the door, I heard a loud thwack as Jeanine flew against it.

“Quick thinking,” the Irish druid’s voice came from behind me.

I paled and probably peed myself a little as I turned around and faced Steven.

“How did you…?” I was in shock, and he was blocking the damn street opening, so I was against a brick wall. Trapped. My dragon was smashing against my restraints and I let my guard down. Screw it. Let her come. Maybe I could fight him and fly my way out of here.

I felt the familiar tingle and saw a few scales push up on my skin, but then they went flat. What the...?