said, she couldn’t imagine him abandoning his pet.
“He’s not my pet,” Alistair said. “And I still haven’t decided what I’ll do with him.”
“I’m never going to get used to that,” Bridget said. “You being able to read thoughts.”
“Ah, yeah. Sorry about that,” he said, leaning on his hand with his head against the window. He perked up slightly. “What disguise do you think I should use in the next town?” He shook his head, and he changed. “Blond?” he asked. He looked in the mirror. “No, too femme.” He shook again. “Ebony?” He blinked. “Blue eyes go well with black hair.”
“I like your original look,” she said absentmindedly, trying to calculate the hours it would take to get there. “But in the meantime, you might as well stick with brown.”
He was quiet. “You like the original? You don’t think it’s weird?”
“No,” she said. “Not anymore.”
“But you’re human.”
“And you’re a dragon,” she retorted. “Yet here we are together, working as friends.”
He folded his arms. “Friends. Hm.”
She ignored his comment as they continued to drive.
“So this Lana person…” he said. “You two keep in touch after college?”
“Not as much as I would have liked,” she admitted. “I went into graphic design, and she went into fashion. Both are design but very different worlds. I kept in touch with her online, but I haven’t seen her in some time.”
“I bet she would be touched by what you’re doing for her.”
“I don’t know,” Bridget said. “It doesn’t matter to me as long as she’s safe.”
“We’re going to get her back,” he said firmly. “I promise you, Brig.”
Rain was still falling, and he broodingly stroked the cat, but the seriousness in his voice made her pause. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“Yes,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve never had anyone mean that much to me, but if I did, I can’t imagine how excruciating it would be to not know where they were.”
“I guess your friends don’t know where you are,” she said, feeling that pang of guilt again.
He sighed. “I don’t think they miss me. We weren’t really friends. Just similar creatures, I guess. While being very different. All of us led separate lives.”
“What was your life like?” she asked. “Back then I mean.”
He shrugged. “I’ve already told you the gist of it. Rich. Powerful. Only the best people around me. I didn’t really have to spend much time as a dragon. I did, occasionally, with Dom—that’s the amethyst dragon. Mainly because he was also interacting with humans at times. We would sometimes talk about dragon powers.” He was quiet for a moment. “Other dragons didn’t really see the point of interacting with humans. If they’ve been awakened, I wonder how that has gone for them.”
“So you were the only one taken?” she asked.
“I assume so,” he replied. “I guess for my powers.”
“Why yours?”
He gave her a grin. “Because I’m strong. Nearly invincible and very dangerous. In fact, it’s probably good for the world that I’ve always been distracted by shallow pursuits, because I could have wreaked havoc if I’d wanted to. But I prefer the finer things, and violence isn’t one of them.”
“You were violent at the castle,” she said.
“That’s because they imprisoned me for months and gave me nothing to think about but violence,” he explained. “It’s not my natural way.”
“Are you really going to kill them when we go back for my friend?”
He nodded. “I would think so. No one should be allowed to do what they did. They imprisoned me. Took my blood. Chained me. Could have killed me.” Darkness filled his eyes. “I’d be doing the world a favor by ending them.”
“But then you would be a killer,” she said.
He shrugged. “I told you. I’m not some hero like you’re making me out to be.” His eyes roamed over her. “Unless thinking of me like a
“He’s not my pet,” Alistair said. “And I still haven’t decided what I’ll do with him.”
“I’m never going to get used to that,” Bridget said. “You being able to read thoughts.”
“Ah, yeah. Sorry about that,” he said, leaning on his hand with his head against the window. He perked up slightly. “What disguise do you think I should use in the next town?” He shook his head, and he changed. “Blond?” he asked. He looked in the mirror. “No, too femme.” He shook again. “Ebony?” He blinked. “Blue eyes go well with black hair.”
“I like your original look,” she said absentmindedly, trying to calculate the hours it would take to get there. “But in the meantime, you might as well stick with brown.”
He was quiet. “You like the original? You don’t think it’s weird?”
“No,” she said. “Not anymore.”
“But you’re human.”
“And you’re a dragon,” she retorted. “Yet here we are together, working as friends.”
He folded his arms. “Friends. Hm.”
She ignored his comment as they continued to drive.
“So this Lana person…” he said. “You two keep in touch after college?”
“Not as much as I would have liked,” she admitted. “I went into graphic design, and she went into fashion. Both are design but very different worlds. I kept in touch with her online, but I haven’t seen her in some time.”
“I bet she would be touched by what you’re doing for her.”
“I don’t know,” Bridget said. “It doesn’t matter to me as long as she’s safe.”
“We’re going to get her back,” he said firmly. “I promise you, Brig.”
Rain was still falling, and he broodingly stroked the cat, but the seriousness in his voice made her pause. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“Yes,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve never had anyone mean that much to me, but if I did, I can’t imagine how excruciating it would be to not know where they were.”
“I guess your friends don’t know where you are,” she said, feeling that pang of guilt again.
He sighed. “I don’t think they miss me. We weren’t really friends. Just similar creatures, I guess. While being very different. All of us led separate lives.”
“What was your life like?” she asked. “Back then I mean.”
He shrugged. “I’ve already told you the gist of it. Rich. Powerful. Only the best people around me. I didn’t really have to spend much time as a dragon. I did, occasionally, with Dom—that’s the amethyst dragon. Mainly because he was also interacting with humans at times. We would sometimes talk about dragon powers.” He was quiet for a moment. “Other dragons didn’t really see the point of interacting with humans. If they’ve been awakened, I wonder how that has gone for them.”
“So you were the only one taken?” she asked.
“I assume so,” he replied. “I guess for my powers.”
“Why yours?”
He gave her a grin. “Because I’m strong. Nearly invincible and very dangerous. In fact, it’s probably good for the world that I’ve always been distracted by shallow pursuits, because I could have wreaked havoc if I’d wanted to. But I prefer the finer things, and violence isn’t one of them.”
“You were violent at the castle,” she said.
“That’s because they imprisoned me for months and gave me nothing to think about but violence,” he explained. “It’s not my natural way.”
“Are you really going to kill them when we go back for my friend?”
He nodded. “I would think so. No one should be allowed to do what they did. They imprisoned me. Took my blood. Chained me. Could have killed me.” Darkness filled his eyes. “I’d be doing the world a favor by ending them.”
“But then you would be a killer,” she said.
He shrugged. “I told you. I’m not some hero like you’re making me out to be.” His eyes roamed over her. “Unless thinking of me like a
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