Dragon Awakened by Jaime Rush Page A

to me?” she screamed, trying to push away the images.
    â€œYou are mine, and so you must become Dragon like me. You’ll have time to embrace your magick, to see the wonder of what you now are.”
    She felt it inside her, the coiling energy of something foreign and dangerous. “You are evil! I will never be your wife, never!”
    She ran, but there was no escape. This castle, like herself, was a jewel set in the middle of treacherous thorns. So she went back to the only sanctuary she knew: her chambers. She hurried to the window, far above the ground, and let the sun warm her cheeks while the breeze chilled the tracks of her tears.
    A flutter made her eyes open. “Opal!”
    The dove landed on the sill, stepping onto Garnet’s finger as easily as before. It rubbed its cheek against her palm, the heartwarming gesture it had done from the first time it landed on her hand. “I must not be too much a monster if you still come to me.” She nuzzled the bird. “Or have you come to remind me of who I really am?”

Chapter 5
    C yntag opened the door, leaned out, and yelled, “Allander!”
    He held it open for several seconds, watching her for some reason—probably to make sure she didn’t dash out—and then closed it.
    â€œWhat does that mean?” Probably some Spanish word meaning Bring the knives; we have dinner.
    â€œThis would be much easier if you trusted me,” he said, moving up beside her.
    She leaned away, narrowing her eyes. “ What would be easier?”
    He released a resigned breath. “Exactly.” Then he pulled her against his hard body, one arm across her chest, the other on her forehead.
    She jerked, but his hold was as tight as a locked seat belt. A seat belt with muscles. “Let me go! You want me to trust you, then you grab…” The rest of her words disintegrated as she stared at…she had no idea what it was, only that it hadn’t been there a moment before: a creature only two and a half feet tall, skin burnished red with a pointy face and black hair as wild as a flame. It perched on the corner of the desk.
    Cyntag continued to grip her, though it wasn’t necessary. She’d stopped struggling.
    â€œWhat…is it?”
    â€œThat’s Allander. He’s a salamander.”
    â€œDoesn’t look like any newt I’ve ever seen.”
    â€œNot an amphibian-type salamander. He’s a fire spirit. An Elemental. Didn’t Moncrief include them in his stories?”
    â€œHe had fire, water, earth, and spirit faeries and elves.” Anything else she remembered fled her mind as she stared at Allander.
    The creature lifted his lip in a snarl, revealing cat-like teeth.
    â€œThey don’t like being stared at,” Cyntag murmured, guiding her to the mirror. Her gaze zeroed in on him first, his sharp features and then his dark eyes…except they weren’t dark. An ember like the flame atop a candle flickered in their depths, just what she thought she’d glimpsed.
    â€œYour eyes…” Hypnotizing, tugging at some deep part of herself…
    â€œLook at yourself, Ruby.”
    The sound of her name, blanketed in the richness of his voice, shuddered through her. She pulled her gaze to her reflection and gasped. “My…” A flame dancing in an unseen breeze, in her eyes.
    Movement at Cyntag’s shoulder caught her attention. The dragon—the friggin’ dragon tattoo—ran its tongue across its upper lip.
    Overwhelmed, she pushed away and turned to face him. No embers in his eyes, no moving tattoo, and no whatever-the-hell that thing was sitting on his desk. She searched her reflection. Just her hazel eyes, wide and unsettled. She didn’t even think about it, just reached out and ran her fingers over his tattoo. His skin was warm but otherwise felt normal.
    You’re touching him.
    Yes. Soft, smooth skin. Hard muscles.
    She blinked and jerked her