I turn around to go back to the chamber and smack into Mavros. He pulls me against him. “Finally—” he sucks in a relieved breath “—you finally came to me. I’ve been calling you for days.”
“Why?” I try to step away from him, but he clutches me tighter.
He wraps one arm around my waist and brushes his other hand over my hair. “I think I’ve finally figured it out.” His voice is filled with excitement.
“What?” I can’t stop the smile that tugs at my lips.
He leans down and closes his eyes. “I think I know how to get you out of here.”
My body feels like a rubber band about to be shot at an unsuspecting passerby. Suddenly, I’m flung through the night sky. The air whips my hair around my face. My stomach drops, and I pinch my eyes shut.
When I opened them, I stood next to Mavros outside the cave. I’d been dreaming, but this was real.
He gazed into my eyes, and I felt my inhibitions disappear. He wrapped his arms around me, clutching me against him. I looked at his soft, supple lips and desire flared in my body. I snuggled against him, not remembering why it was wrong or why I should be scared.
Wings sprouted from his back, and he shot into the sky. “I’m sorry about this, Dacia.” His voice was low and agonized.
“Why?” I couldn’t imagine any reason he would have for apologizing to me. “I love flying with you … being near you.”
“I’m trying to break his commands, but I can’t find a loophole this time.” The light in his eyes dimmed.
Nuzzling my face into his neck, I snuggled closer to him and kissed just below his earlobe. “You’re not making any sense.”
He growled, and a chill tiptoed along my spine. My mind cleared long enough for me to realize I needed to get away from him. The thought fluttered away too quickly for me to cling to it, and once again, I was no better than a starstruck fan meeting her favorite actor. Mavros was the only thing I could focus on, my entire world.
His arms tightened, and a muscle in his jaw ticked. Images flashed through my mind. Blond hair. Blue eyes. My breath hitched. The love I saw in those sapphire depths tugged me out of Mavros’ sway.
Focusing on the snow-covered mountains, I willed my body to turn to ice. Frost coated my fingertips, climbing up my arms. Mavros jerked his arms away, and I plummeted.
My body was a solid block of ice, dropping through the air without feeling anything. I sped toward the ground, unsure of whether or not I should teleport or fly off. I didn’t know if Mavros could trail me, but I couldn’t risk leading him to the cave.
Before crashing into the ground, I teleported to a mountain in the distance. Standing on its rocky slope, under the cover of pine trees, I watched Mavros circle just below the clouds.
Leave, he spoke into my mind. Leave before I take you. I won’t be able to show you Cody again. He’ll stop me next time.
The flashes of Cody had come from him? Mavros had freed me again. The wrath of his controller would be unbearable.
Thank you. Making myself invisible, I teleported to the clearing where I’d died. When Mavros didn’t show up or speak into my mind, I went to the cavern.
Cody paced through the chamber. Malcolm and Cash faced off in the corner. They were both a strange combination of dragon and human. Malcolm lifted his head and sniffed the air. Then he turned and looked directly at me. “She’s back.” His words were a low, ominous growl.
I stepped forward, turning visible as I did. “He—”
“Where’ve you been?” Cody spun around. Anger, fear, and relief mixed together on his face. “You can’t just wander off.”
“I was right there.” I pointed at the cushions I’d been using for a bed. “And, he snatched me. Right out of my dream.” Turning toward the dragons, I pulled my hand through my hair. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. “How could he do that?”
“He?” Cash stepped toward me. His purple scales shimmered as they slowly morphed into skin. “Mavros?”
Unsure if I’d be able to talk over the lump in my throat, I nodded.
All three of them surrounded me, looking me over, making sure I was safe, uninjured. Cody’s hands framed my face, but he didn’t touch me. “Wha’d he do?”
“He pulled me out of my dream and told me he couldn’t find a loophole to free me.” I tugged my hands through my hair, gripping it at the back of my head. “Whoever’s pulling the strings made him control me, but then he sent me images of Cody.” I looked up into his eyes, and he ran his thumbs along my cheeks, wiping my tears away. “Seeing your face made me come to my senses. I froze myself and got away.”
Cody opened his arms to me, and I stepped into them. He brushed his hand down my back. “How’s she stop it?”
Malcolm’s answering growl was so low that I couldn’t hear it, but I felt it rumble through my body. “I don’t know.” His fangs seemed to be longer than normal still.
“She should try to sleep during the day.” Cash ran his hand down his face, and I realized the scent my emotions were tossing into the air must be driving them nuts. “That might throw them off for a couple days anyway.”
Malcolm decided that as long as I was going to be awake, we might as well train. I sat down on the cushions and created a cyan ball of fire. It hovered above my palm. For the next few hours, Malcolm tried to gain control of the flames.
My eyes became leaden, and my command over the fire slipped. Flames licked at my skin, climbing my arm, spreading along my body. My breath hitched, then sped
