“Figured that’s what you would say, St. George,” he’d growled, and waved a hand. “Your funeral, of course. I certainly can’t stop you if you want to come along, but you’re going to have to keep up. That won’t be a problem, will it?”
I’d risen smoothly and felt my back twinge, but it had been forgettable. I’d endured far worse, though I knew I shouldn’t be this recovered. I’d seen soldiers shot in battle many, many times. I knew that one did not get up and walk around a little more than a week after the injury I had sustained. But I was not going to stay behind, not when Ember was rushing straight into danger, again.
“No,” I’d told the rogue, who’d nodded briskly as if he’d expected it. “No problem at all.”
*
Ember’s mouth fell open. She stared at me in shock, her eyes huge as they scanned my face. She blinked once, as if making sure I wasn’t an illusion, and then reached for me. I shivered as her fingers curled lightly around my arm.
“Garret.” Her voice was breathless but worried. “How...?” She shook her head. “You shouldn’t be up,” she whispered. “You were shot just over a week ago. And not just in the leg or the arm—you nearly died.”
“So everybody keeps telling me,” I murmured back, and smiled. “I know. I know I shouldn’t be here—I shouldn’t even be standing for a few days at least. But...” I gave a helpless shrug. “I’m fine. Wes checked me out, both last night and this morning. The wounds are mostly healed. He said that my healing is nearly on par with a dragon’s regenerative abilities, that he’s never seen anything like it before in a human. I guess having dragon’s blood is a blessing in disguise.” Her brows lifted in amazement, and I grinned. “So you don’t get to leave me behind, dragon girl. Even if I do grow wings and a tail, I’m not leaving your side. You’ll just have to get used to me being—”
Ember interrupted me by lacing her fingers behind my neck, pulling me down and pressing her lips to mine. I groaned and wrapped my arms around her waist, drawing her close, feeling her heart beat against me. Heat spread through my insides, roaring in my veins, as the tension in my stomach melted away. When I was with her, everything that had happened to me—being shot, nearly dying, being infused with something I wasn’t sure wouldn’t eventually kill me—seemed insignificant. I would die for this girl, I realized. I would happily take a bullet for her if it meant that, today, I could hold her one last time.
When we drew back, Ember’s eyes were bright, almost seeming to glow. I was wrapped in a cocoon of heat and warmth, feeling it pulse between us with every heartbeat. I wanted nothing more than to pull Ember into her empty room, lock the door and see how long it would take before the flames consumed us.
Gazing down, I stroked her cheek and offered a wry smile. “Riley is waiting for us,” I murmured, and she nodded with a sigh. “He wanted me to tell you to grab your things—we head out as soon as you’re ready.”
Rising on her toes, she kissed me once more, long and lingering, before pulling back and stepping away. I took a furtive breath to calm the inferno within and waited outside the door while she gathered her meager belongings. Her black Viper suit was the last item to be stuffed unceremoniously into a bag before she zipped up the duffel and joined me at the door. I took the bag, shouldered the strap and together we walked down the hall to the command room.
Riley, Wes and Jade were all there, the two dragons standing around the table discussing something in quiet undertones while Wes sat at the computer, furiously typing away. As we came into the room, Jade inclined her head to me with a faint smile. I nodded back.
“There you are,” Riley announced, looking at Ember. “Sure you got everything, Firebrand? It’s a long way to the Ozarks, and we’re not turning around this time.” One corner of his mouth curled into a smirk. “We don’t want to be halfway through Colorado before you realize you left your Viper suit in the bathroom.”
“That was one time, Riley.” Ember rolled her eyes. “And we lost fifteen minutes, tops. Let it go.”
“All right,” Wes interrupted, rising from the chair. “That’s done. I sent the final message through the network. Everyone is on high alert, with instructions to stay put unless absolutely necessary. We’re ready to move out.” Since I didn’t need watching anymore, Wes was coming, too.
The rogue shook his head. “Right,” he said, sounding not at all thrilled with the whole idea. “Let’s get this over with. Eighteen hours is a hell of a drive, so we’re going to have to do it in shifts. St. George, since you’re feeling so magically rested...” He tossed me a pair of keys. “You’re driving first.”
DANTE
Three years ago
Finals week was always hell.
“Watch it,” I snapped as Ember closed the refrigerator door and nearly ran into me with the milk. “Don’t you ever look before you bash into people headfirst?”
She snorted. “Jeez, grumpy much?” She sidestepped me and headed to the table. “Did something crawl up your butt in the shower?”
I yanked open the fridge door. “Sorry,” I muttered, pulling out the juice. “Just tired. I was up till two last night studying.”
She wrinkled her nose as I joined her at the table. “Again? You did that yesterday. And the day before. And all afternoon.”
“Yes, because I want to pass,” I snapped again. “Because, unlike you, I can’t half-ass my way through life. Because, unlike you, everyone expects me to do better. So yes, I have to study and not spend my evenings watching TV in my room.”
“Hey, jackass, I’ve been studying, too,” Ember snarled back. “Every night, I’ll have you know. So don’t pull that ‘I’m more persecuted than you’ crap with me. If you choose to stay up all night, don’t bitch at me if you’re tired. It’s not my fault.”
I started to snarl back at her but stopped myself. She was right. We were both cranky and exhausted. The past week had been nothing but exams, studying and more exams. Not just in math, science, biology and all our academic studies; we also had daily tests measuring how “human” we could be. These were to see if we could remain under control in extreme, stressful situations, or if we’d lose it and Shift to dragon form. Yesterday, one of our “exams” had involved sitting in the middle of a circle, trying to answer calmly while everyone around us had screamed in our face or asked demanding questions. I’d kept my cool and passed easily enough, but Ember had come out of the room bristling and ready to snap at anything that touched her.
“Sorry,” I offered again, and managed a half smile.
She relaxed and smiled back, mollified for now. “At least it’s the last day,” she said in a relieved voice. “After this, things will go back to normal.”