Dragonfire: Freedom in Flames (Secrets of the Makai Book 3) by Toni Kerr

I can communicate at all—
    Who’s Samara?
    Did he detect a note of jealousy? She’s the spirit of the cavern they’re keeping me in. She runs their training facility. Heck, she IS the training facility.
    But you’re not there now, so why not just leave?
    Because, Dorian. What if, as a dragon, I like to eat people?
    Oh. That would be bad.
    Yes, it would. They remained silent for several moments. The plants outside don’t seem to trust the Makai. Or maybe they just don’t trust people, I’m not really sure. But they were trying to provoke me into shifting, just so I could escape.
    Well, Oliver doesn’t trust Donovan, that’s for sure.
    Do you know why?
    Something about Donovan trying to recruit him into a Special Forces unit when Oliver was in the military. Oliver refused, then lost his whole squad and thinks Donovan was responsible. I don’t know the whole story.
    Tristan nodded. All I can say is, I’m not in a good position to call the shots around here and for now, being locked up is the safest thing for everyone. I really do believe they want me to be well. I just have to prove I’m not a danger to the public. And I’m not entirely sure if I can do that.
    Okay. I’ll see what I can find out and if I don’t hear from you within a week, I’ll send a report to Landon or Victor. Or maybe I’ll send a potted plant to fill you in, if it’s something they shouldn’t know.
    Really?
    Sure. And Tristan?
    Yes?
    Thanks for talking to me. It’s been nice.
    Same here. Tristan looked at all the plants she’d left behind, their leaves a sickly-yellow with crisp edges. They really did need rain. Everything was wilted and desolate, and heat waves radiated from the sawed off trunks and dusty mountainside. The smoke was getting thicker.
    Obviously he couldn’t turn on a sprinkler, but why not put a little moisture in the air? And if he was going to go that far, how hard could it be to make it rain?
    Tristan let himself drift upward and searched for the nearest clouds, finding none. He found the nearest lake for a greater evaporation supply, changed the airflow, experimented with air temperature, and smiled as a fluffy cloud took shape.
    With luck, constricting the air currents to this mountain range, the entire area would be thoroughly quenched with rain in no time.
     

7

    HIGHEST PRIORITIES
    HEAVY FOOTSTEPS CLATTERED down the circular stairway above Tristan. He sat slumped against the wall, waiting for enough energy to get going again.
    “You should have called for help,” Landon said. “It wouldn’t have been a problem.”
    Tristan tried to reply with a “I didn’t need any,” but his lips wouldn’t move. Neither would his freezing feet. How long had he been sitting here?
    “I knew this was a bad idea.” Landon stepped to the side as Victor passed. He descended the corner and came back a few moments later with the staff.
    Before Tristan could reach for it, someone was lifting him off the uneven surface. He shut his eyes and held back the queasy rolls of nausea.
    The bottom of the staircase was farther than he’d imagined. He cursed himself for not making it even half way. How many steps were there in all?
    The door whooshed open and Samara’s artificial daylight burned his eyes, even through his eyelids.
    “Dusk,” ordered Donovan. The room immediately complied.
    “I can walk.”
    “We’ll discuss it in the morning.”
    Tristan gazed through golden leaves to the sky, a faded shade of purple. Tall white birch trees with delicate, intertwining branches surrounded them. Victor and Landon walked side by side toward the log cabin. Their footsteps crunched through the autumn leaves, creating a rhythmic cadence that almost lulled him into sleep.
    “Victor?”
    Victor stopped, followed by Landon. “Yeah, bro?”
    “Can you make me some coffee?”
    Victor smiled, then shook his head. “I don’t think so. Maybe in the morning?”
    “Can’t wait that long. I have so much to do.”
    “Like what? You