Sinister Magic: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #1) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,74

save. Sorry, but that’s more important to me than your to-do list.” I waved to the open balcony door. “You can see yourself out.”

He strode toward me, not away, his eyes darkening with his anger. Sindari growled and crouched. I reached for Chopper.

I was fast enough that I managed to get the sword halfway out of its scabbard before his power locked on to me again, but that only made me feel like an idiot with my arm stuck over my head. Sindari growled again, but he appeared as frozen as I was as Zav stepped in close.

Again, he reached for my head. This time, he laid his hand on the side of it and stared into my eyes in some parody of a lover’s gaze. But there was no love in his expression. He didn’t hurt me or dig his fingers into my scalp, but his eyes were as haughty as always as he stared into mine, and the power that crackled around him skittered over my skin and made my nerves tingle with something closer to pain than pleasure.

“It is an honor to serve a dragon, to be selected as a personal minion,” he said softly, “and you will serve me. Bring me the dark elves, and bring me the artifact, and do not question me further.”

A new type of power gripped me, something more subversive than his raw strength. It altered my thoughts, and I envisioned myself doing as he wished, dragging his enemies out of some tunnel to lay before him, then dropping at his feet and lifting the egg-relic up over my head to him, so eager to do his bidding, eager to please, hoping for a pat on the head like a dog…

I couldn’t voice the words “Fuck you,” but I was pleased that I managed to think them. Unfortunately, that didn’t drive the eagerness to please him out of my mind. And he only smirked as he stepped back, releasing me again. Weirdly, my body missed that power crackling all around me and through me.

Without another word, he walked toward the balcony door, the curtains swirling on a gust of air again. He looked back over his shoulder as he strode out, but I couldn’t read his expression. Then he was gone, springing off the balcony railing and shifting in the air back to his dragon form.

I released my grip on Chopper, the sword sliding back into its scabbard, and sank to my knees. A new level of exhaustion came over me, and I dropped my hands to the floor, needing the support. As I stared at the rug, two things sank in. First, I’d made a mistake in not negotiating until I’d found a reward that he would give me—a dragon could make a charm or something even more useful that would help me. Second… even though he’d left, and his aura was fading as he flew farther away, he’d imparted an urge in me that I couldn’t deny.

I did want to bring his enemies out to lay at his feet. I longed to please him, to have him touch my head again and tell me what a good girl I was.

Snarling, I balled my hands into fists and thumped them against the floor. I was going to deny that urge. His dark elves could stay in their lair, having orgies all over his precious artifact. I’d die before I helped the smug bastard.

18

When the waiter at Bitterroot BBQ brought my tray of brisket, ribs, beans, and collard greens, I dug in with enthusiasm, wishing I could eat Dimitri’s share too. He sat across from me, looking cheerful and perky as he grabbed his cornbread. I couldn’t believe he’d slept through the entire dragon encounter, snoring in oblivion while I was getting my mind diddled.

I also couldn’t believe that, once I’d finally fallen asleep, I’d spent the night dreaming of riding a black dragon over the city, over the mountains, and across the Sound—and loving it. Laughing as we dipped and soared, looking down at a passenger ferry from high above and startling sea lions sunning themselves on a beach. Either my mind was messing with me or Zav had left the notion in there, along with the one of me eagerly doing his bidding. Maybe that was the reward he thought I would want, though I had a hard time imagining him deigning to let a mongrel ride on his back. More likely, my sleep-deprived brain had come up with the