Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,10

assumed would’ve been his shoulder blades. His wings stretched out on either side of me and warmth seeped from his scales through my clothes. It was like sitting on a hot rock baking in the desert sun.

Once I settled in, the tension in my body released and my hips sank into him.

You ready?

“I guess.”

Hold onto the crux of my wing joint. They’re like built in handles.

“Got it.” I clenched my fingers around the scaly appendages.

Here we go.

My thighs tightened around his torso as he jolted forward. He took a few unwieldy steps toward the edge of the peak, and my gut twisted. The crag dipped below to a deep valley hundreds of feet down. I clenched my teeth, muttering curses as the promontory disappeared from beneath us.

With a mighty flap of his wings, we lurched forward. My stomach dropped, and I couldn’t muffle the scream from tearing out. His wings beat the frigid air and we leveled out, soaring over the surrounding peaks.

You okay?

I drew in a breath, filling my empty lungs. “Yup,” I finally choked out. “Just peachy.”

This time I was certain he chuckled. His husky laugh echoed through my mind, bouncing off my skull. Stupid jackdragon.

Relax and enjoy the sights. We’ll be there in about ten minutes.

“Sure, easy-peasy.” I glanced down at the jagged, snow-covered mountaintops and immediately regretted it. Sure, it was pretty, but damn, it was a long way down. Instead, I focused on the sparkling scales sprawled beneath me.

Now that we were flying, Dragon-Talon’s movements weren’t so jostling. I loosened my death grip and ran one finger over the sleek plates of his skin. They were surprisingly soft and silky. My insides hummed at the contact. Emboldened, I caressed his wing joint, moving slowly over the bone.

Dragon-Talon rumbled beneath me, his massive torso making a rumbly purr.

I jerked my hand off, and the sound stopped. Did dragons purr like cats? I definitely needed to find out more about this beast I was bound to. I ran my hand over his scales again, and the throaty rumble started up once more.

Heat seeped from the dragon’s flesh through my jeans, and I shifted uncomfortably. The unexpected warmth sparked lusty embers in my core. My legs tightened around his torso, and a soft groan resounded in my head.

There was no way I’d survive another five minutes of this. “So, tell me about the SIA director,” I blurted. Anything to change the subject.

The dragon tensed, and the radiator between my thighs cooled. Maxim’s a good guy, a tiger shifter. A little intense, but he’s been with the agency for almost three decades. Just be honest with him, and you’ll be fine.

I gulped, and I hoped he couldn’t feel my anxiety spilling through the bond. I couldn’t be completely honest, not without divulging my family’s secrets. “What’s he going to ask me about today exactly?”

I’m not sure. Typical interview, I suppose. If he likes you, there may be a follow up meeting—a short physical assessment.

“Like of my powers?”

Most likely.

Craptastic. The SIA couldn’t find out about my burgeoning warlock abilities. What if they made me take some sort of lie detector test?

My nervous thoughts accompanied me the remainder of the trip, eliminating any chance for small talk with my dragon blood buddy. I’d practiced the incantation GG gave me for hours last night, but I was still anxious. What if someone discovered the truth?

My stomach began to drop, yanking my attention from my inner thoughts. I glanced up to see a sprawling cement compound nestled deep within a snowy valley.

That’s it. SIA headquarters.

A boulder the size of one of the surrounding massive mountaintops sank to the bottom of my gut. Here goes nothing.

Chapter Five

The bleak gray corridors of the Supernatural Intelligence Agency’s headquarters were only a small step up from Darkblood Prison. Sure, there weren’t any murderous convicts, but the vibe wasn’t any less tense.

“Relax, Azara, everything’s going to be fine.” Talon leaned closer and whispered in my ear. “Maxim is a shifter, remember? He can smell fear.”

“Right.” I fisted my hands at my sides as I followed Talon down the nondescript hall. From the corner of my eye, I hazarded a quick peek at my escort. He looked like a different man in a crisp white button-down shirt, dark jeans and the silver SIA badge hanging from his neck.

Talon stopped in front of a thick metal door, a golden plaque across the top with the word Director stamped across. He knocked, and a sharp buzz echoed through the quiet corridor