pay it.”
Goron’s gaze shifted to Kirin. “I want Dragon powers for a day. Your power.”
Kirin shot to his feet. “Like fiery hell you’re getting my Dragon.” His tattoo stirred, the Dragon’s claws gleaming.
“Then like fiery hell will I help you.”
Kirin’s struggle to control his temper was clear on his face. “Why would you want to be a Dragon?”
“To feel what it is like. I am curious and bored. What gem color are you? No, let me guess by your reaction: Carnelian.” He smiled. “Ah, fire, passion, things I have not experienced in a long time.” Pleasure and anticipation wrapped around his words. “I could have fun with that.”
“What are you, a cross-dresser?”
Goron laughed, which was better than, say, incinerating Kirin. “That’s the deal. It’s the only thing you have that I want.”
Kirin looked at her. His muscles tensed in the deity’s light. Then he directed his gaze back at Goron. “You can’t harm anyone with my power.”
“I will not harm anyone.” Goron’s smile was positively gleaming. “So, is it a deal? For the next twenty-four hours, I have your Dragon?”
Kirin said, “Twelve.”
“This isn’t a negotiation,” Goron said.
“Yeah, it is. I could die without my essence.”
“Eighteen,” Goron said.
“This is starting to sound like an episode of Pawn Stars ,” Kirin muttered under his breath. “It’s a deal. How does it work?”
“We make the agreements, you grant me your essence, and then tomorrow afternoon it returns.”
Kirin’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. Could they trust the deity? Did they have a choice?
“All right.”
She met Kirin’s gaze. Her brave Dragon. She blinked at the thought. Well, not hers .
Goron even rubbed his hands together in glee. “Very well then.” He recited the words, and Kirin repeated them, each one torn from his throat. It was different for Dragons. The beast was part of their identity, whereas Deuces viewed their magick as a tool or a weapon.
As soon as Kirin spoke the last word, Goron reached out, pulling a stream of red light from Kirin’s chest. His Dragon tattoo writhed like a fish caught on a line. Kirin arched, his face contorted in pain.
“Stop!” she said. “You’re hurting him!”
She reached for Kirin, but through gritted teeth, he said, “Don’t touch me. He’ll take your power, too.”
His thigh muscles bulged, straining against some unseen force. His shoulders bunched up. This was a mistake. She pushed Kirin out of the flow, and he fell to his knees. The last of the red essence shot into Goron.
She knelt next to Kirin. “Are you all right?”
He breathed heavily but nodded. A sheen of sweat covered his skin. He lifted his face to Goron. “You have my Dragon. Tell us how we defeat the tulpa.”
“Only the creator can dissolve a tulpa.”
She would have jumped to her feet but Kirin was gripping her wrist. “That’s what he gave you his Dragon for? To learn we cannot defeat it?”
“Patience, Crescent! You will not speak to me that way or I shall depart.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her mouth in a tight line. “Fine. Go on.”
“There is what you call a loophole, should the creator die before dissolving his creation. But you must vow to never tell others.”
“We won’t tell a soul.” Kirin got to his feet, although she felt tremors going through him. “Tell us.”
“Flank the tulpa. One in front of it, one behind it. You, Deuce Crescent, use the orange orb, if you can manage it.”
Orange. The highest power orb, to only be used in extreme situations because the effort they took to create burned the Deuce’s hands. “I will.”
“And you, Dragon. I have heard of this thing called the deepest breath. You know of it?”
Kirin nodded. “I already tried it. Along with Elle’s orb, it sent the tulpa away but didn’t kill it.”
“You have part of the key to destroying it, in that you must send your weapons at it in the same moment.
Goron’s gaze shifted to Kirin. “I want Dragon powers for a day. Your power.”
Kirin shot to his feet. “Like fiery hell you’re getting my Dragon.” His tattoo stirred, the Dragon’s claws gleaming.
“Then like fiery hell will I help you.”
Kirin’s struggle to control his temper was clear on his face. “Why would you want to be a Dragon?”
“To feel what it is like. I am curious and bored. What gem color are you? No, let me guess by your reaction: Carnelian.” He smiled. “Ah, fire, passion, things I have not experienced in a long time.” Pleasure and anticipation wrapped around his words. “I could have fun with that.”
“What are you, a cross-dresser?”
Goron laughed, which was better than, say, incinerating Kirin. “That’s the deal. It’s the only thing you have that I want.”
Kirin looked at her. His muscles tensed in the deity’s light. Then he directed his gaze back at Goron. “You can’t harm anyone with my power.”
“I will not harm anyone.” Goron’s smile was positively gleaming. “So, is it a deal? For the next twenty-four hours, I have your Dragon?”
Kirin said, “Twelve.”
“This isn’t a negotiation,” Goron said.
“Yeah, it is. I could die without my essence.”
“Eighteen,” Goron said.
“This is starting to sound like an episode of Pawn Stars ,” Kirin muttered under his breath. “It’s a deal. How does it work?”
“We make the agreements, you grant me your essence, and then tomorrow afternoon it returns.”
Kirin’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. Could they trust the deity? Did they have a choice?
“All right.”
She met Kirin’s gaze. Her brave Dragon. She blinked at the thought. Well, not hers .
Goron even rubbed his hands together in glee. “Very well then.” He recited the words, and Kirin repeated them, each one torn from his throat. It was different for Dragons. The beast was part of their identity, whereas Deuces viewed their magick as a tool or a weapon.
As soon as Kirin spoke the last word, Goron reached out, pulling a stream of red light from Kirin’s chest. His Dragon tattoo writhed like a fish caught on a line. Kirin arched, his face contorted in pain.
“Stop!” she said. “You’re hurting him!”
She reached for Kirin, but through gritted teeth, he said, “Don’t touch me. He’ll take your power, too.”
His thigh muscles bulged, straining against some unseen force. His shoulders bunched up. This was a mistake. She pushed Kirin out of the flow, and he fell to his knees. The last of the red essence shot into Goron.
She knelt next to Kirin. “Are you all right?”
He breathed heavily but nodded. A sheen of sweat covered his skin. He lifted his face to Goron. “You have my Dragon. Tell us how we defeat the tulpa.”
“Only the creator can dissolve a tulpa.”
She would have jumped to her feet but Kirin was gripping her wrist. “That’s what he gave you his Dragon for? To learn we cannot defeat it?”
“Patience, Crescent! You will not speak to me that way or I shall depart.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her mouth in a tight line. “Fine. Go on.”
“There is what you call a loophole, should the creator die before dissolving his creation. But you must vow to never tell others.”
“We won’t tell a soul.” Kirin got to his feet, although she felt tremors going through him. “Tell us.”
“Flank the tulpa. One in front of it, one behind it. You, Deuce Crescent, use the orange orb, if you can manage it.”
Orange. The highest power orb, to only be used in extreme situations because the effort they took to create burned the Deuce’s hands. “I will.”
“And you, Dragon. I have heard of this thing called the deepest breath. You know of it?”
Kirin nodded. “I already tried it. Along with Elle’s orb, it sent the tulpa away but didn’t kill it.”
“You have part of the key to destroying it, in that you must send your weapons at it in the same moment.
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