The Dragon's Fate - Roxie Ray Page 0,19

out of my mouth and even as I said them, I wished I’d kept quiet. “Your stance was off a little. With some adjusting, you’ll do even better.”

Fuck. Why had I said that? The joy melted off of her face in an instant when she glanced over her Dad’s shoulder at me.

My chest hurt worse than it had to date. I pressed my hand against the wall and tried not to pass out. I didn’t know what it was, but in that moment, I regretted every decision I’d ever made regarding Bri. I’d been doing everything wrong. Every rude word and attempt to push her away piled in on me.

Flashes of Bri and me happily sitting in front of a fire sipping wine ran through my mind, followed by Christmas celebrations with Hayden and a faceless child. Crowding in behind that was hiking with Bri, eating with Bri, everything, for the rest of my life, with Briana and Hayden.

I felt nothing but complete joy and love, and a feeling of being whole.

Then it faded and another future flashed through my mind. Countless women. Lonely nights, lonely flights, lonely holidays. Emptiness and cold.

When I blinked again, I’d gone down on one knee. I was devastated by the second possible future. How could I survive that? It was so barren.

Gasping, I tried to stagger back to my feet. Wayne’s voice rang hollow in my ears. “Jace? Jace!” His footsteps pounded around me like an earthquake.

“What’s going on?” Bri asked. Her voice was shrill and tinny, not at all like she usually sounded.

Wayne got in my face. “Do you need Sammy or Doc?”

I knew what this was. This was Sammy. She was showing me what she’d seen.

It was breaking my heart and tearing the bond.

The biggest problem was that now that I’d seen what the future could be, how wonderful it could be, I didn’t want to lose it.

Judging by the pain wracking my body, I was too late. I’d lost her forever.

7

Bri

“What the hell? Jace?” I stepped forward, worried about how sick he looked.

Dad rushed over and helped Jace’s friend get him to his feet. I must’ve been having some sort of empath moment because my chest ached and pounded as I watched Jace’s face contort in pain.

I never liked seeing anyone hurt, but Jace was acting like his chest was about to explode. Just watching was torture. Fear coursed through me. Was he going to die right here in front of us?

They got him off the floor. His breathing was labored and shallow. “Does he have asthma?” I asked the guy with him.

He shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

I got up in Jace’s face as they helped him outside. “Jace, do you have asthma? Do you have your inhaler?”

He glanced at me and shook his head once.

I let them go around me and tried to think of what else it could’ve been. “What about heart problems? Do you know if his parents had heart attacks young?”

His buddy glanced at me. “No, they didn’t.”

“Could it be some trapped gas? Try banging on his chest.”

Through his labored breathing, Jace chuckled.

“Are you laughing?” I asked. “I’m sorry if I’m in mom mode, but you seem to be dying as we walk down this hallway.” He kept laughing. “Jace, if you keep on, it’ll make the breathing worse.”

“It’s getting better,” he whispered.

“I don’t believe you for a second.” We got outside and his friend pointed to a truck. “That’s his. Help me get him in.”

I opened the passenger door and Dad and Jace’s friend got Jace inside.

“I’ll go pack up his stuff,” Dad said. “Back in a jiffy.”

His friend ran around the truck and got in the front. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll make sure he gets the help he needs.”

“I’ll follow you to the hospital,” I offered. They might’ve needed help, and I wasn’t due anywhere.

Jace shook his head, leaned back on the back window of his truck, and his friend gave me a closed-off look. “It’s okay, we can handle it.”

Something was wrong here. I’d seen him look close to death twice and seen him gripping at his chest several other times. “I’m just as concerned as I would be with any person,” I said.

Jace’s friend leaned over Jace. “I’m Wayne. I know what’s wrong, I’m going to take Jace to his family doctor. He knows how to treat him.”

I wanted to argue, but Dad was jogging out with Jace’s backpack, and me talking to them would only hold them