Broken Dragon (The Chronicles of Mara Lantern, Book 3) by D.W. Moneypenny Page A

doubt that face was snarling now. A wisp of smoke escaped a nostril.
    Mara could feel her own heartbeat at her temple. Her chest felt so tight she had trouble taking in air to speak, but she willed herself to continue. She sensed the dragon understood what she said. Whether it agreed to was another matter.
    “Obviously you are not willing or able to keep your side of the bargain. That means not only are you putting yourself in danger but Ping as well. And I’m not willing to stand by and watch him be put down, like some kind of wild animal.”
    The dragon shifted forward, now crouching more than sitting. The movement, though subtle, still shifted the air, creating a light draft that washed over Mara. An earthy smell enveloped her.
    Mara shook off the intimidation and fixed her gaze on the red eyes. “I’m not sure how, but I’m going to figure out a way to separate you, you and Ping. And once that’s done, I’m going to send you home.”
    Large eyelids slid down over the dragon’s eyes, an interminable blink, during which it seemed to comprehend what Mara said and then snapped them back open. The dragon’s head reared upward, striking the rafters. Its wings unfurled, rising upward and creating a vacuum that pulled Mara forward, off balance. She stumbled and fell to her knees, her face just three feet from the dragon’s massive foot. A hard gust of wind flattened her to the cold concrete, sending a shocking chill through her cheek. She pushed up in time to see a talon dig into the floor, effortlessly turning it to gravel, and then disappearing from view.
    Rolling over, she saw the dragon leap into the air and pump its wings. Another gust sent her sliding into the wall headfirst. Dazed and staring upward, she saw a burst of fire erupt and flow across the ceiling, followed by plumes of black smoke that nearly blotted out the lights. A metallic crash shook the air, and everything went dark. Clattering and clanging filled the warehouse, as debris fell from the ceiling. The ear-splitting sound of rending metal was the last thing Mara remembered, before she lost consciousness.
    * * *
    Fifteen minutes later, blinking rapidly, Mara came to, curled up in a fetal position on the concrete floor. Though numbness ran up her side, her eyes burned, and she dug at them with a knuckle, wiping away heavy bits of grit. She rolled onto her back and coughed. Her lungs burned as well. Fire .
    Her eyes snapped open, and she saw stars. Almost a quarter of the metal roofing over the warehouse was gone. And so was the dragon, with Ping.

CHAPTER 9
     
     
    The square glass shade frosted with lilies came into focus as Mara stared at the light fixture in the ceiling above her bed. The edges were still somewhat blurry, when it occurred to her that a high-pitched beeping had awakened her. I feel awfully tired for someone who constantly finds herself regaining consciousness . She rolled over and grabbed the demanding cell phone on her nightstand. Should have turned it off . Holding it in front of her face, she saw SAM on the screen with the Video Chat icon flashing below it. She slid her thumb over the camera at the top of the screen and tapped the icon.
    “Dude, you never do a video chat with a girl before she gets out of bed. That’s just common—”
    The image of a handsome thirty-something man with light auburn-reddish hair appeared on the screen. Wide-eyed and frightened, he loomed over his trembling phone. “Mara, are you there?”
    “Who is this? What are you doing with my brother’s phone?” Mara sat up straight in bed.
    “Mara, it’s me, Sam.”
    “I’m hanging up. Whoever you are, you might as well get rid of the phone. As soon as I get online, I’m going to activate the kill switch on it.” She threw off her covers, ran to her door and yelled down the stairs. “Mom! Where is Sam? Someone’s got his phone.”
    Diana came out of the living room and stood at the foot of the stairs. “He took Hannah to the park for an hour or