“I know it’s you.”
Standing and dusting her butt off, Maddie took a deep breath. Sliding one foot forward, she reached out her hand, hesitation pulling her back. Glancing around, she questioned her sanity. What if she’d just made Kal up and now this, a dragon? Was her mind so desperate to feel something, it could make any of this up?
Heat swirled around her, a trickle of sweat tickling her temple.
Not now.
Maddie could live her entire life without any more damn hot flashes. This needed to wait until she could understand him, Kal. The dragon shifted and made an impatient huff.
“Oh, just shut it. Excuse me for being a little skeptical. Have you seen your teeth?”
The stupid shit spread his lips and gave her a better view.
“I’m not a dentist. I don’t need to see them.” Rolling her eyes, she walked up to him. At least Maddie was sure it was Kal now.
Breathing past the burning starting behind her eyes, she pushed forward. What would he feel like?
This was real.
This was all insane. Then again, was it? Witches, vampires, shifters, ghosts, Fae, shit she hadn’t ever heard of, all existed. Why was a dragon so hard to wrap her head around?
“Maddie sweetheart, just pet the man.”
She jumped and looked up. “Great timing, Mom.”
Even Kal’s dragon stretched his neck and shrunk back in confusion.
“This is my mother, Kal. Mom, this is uh, Kal.”
Her mother floated closer, inspecting the dragon. “I see. Interesting. I mean, I saw him. But, this. Well, he’s just wonderful, isn’t he? Sort of like an extra large scaly dog.”
The dragon growled.
“I don’t think Kal appreciates that.” Maddie stepped closer, and the burning increased. She shook her hands, praying the fire raging through her veins would stop. It needed to stop long enough for her to talk to her mother. Maddie tried to magic up some ice. Holy hell. This fire thing needed to stop.
“Oh, hush sweet-pea. Kal here knows as well as I do that he’s as harmless as a housepet around you.”
Maddie reached her hand out instinctually, laying it against him, her mother's words stopping her train of thought.
“I think that’s rude to a shifter. Whatever. You weren’t normal when you were alive, like you’re going to change now that you're a ghost.”
Her mother laughed, the sound pulling at old memories, the memories where she realized just how much she missed her mom, and how running wouldn’t have changed that.
“All right, Mom. Why did you call me back here?”
Maddie wanted the answer - but as she said it, her vision blurred. Fanning herself, she licked her lips, and fought the need to lie down.
Breathing in cool air did nothing to cool her. The world seemed to shift for a moment. Her legs grew weak with each passing second. Swallowing against the exhaustion washing over her, she blinked and leaned on Kal for support.
“Isn’t it obvious? They finally arrived, my dear. Maddie, all this time I wanted you to realize your fate simply wasn’t here, yet.”
Maddie blinked away the blurriness in her eyes.
“You're kidding me. You called me back here because of him?”
Her mother floated closer and made a half-hearted attempt at brushing Maddie’s hair back.
“I called you back because I’m worried about you. You don’t come to visit much. You’re unhappy.”
Screaming sounded good right now. Maddie wanted to shake her mother, if you could shake something without a body.
“Mother! I’m unhappy because you died, and you didn’t even try to stop it. I’m unhappy because all my life you’ve told me what my destiny wasn’t and then you didn’t even try to save yourself.”
Maddie leaned into Kal, instinct driving her to find him, a solid force, a force that wouldn’t leave her.
She glanced back. Was that the truth? Was that how she actually felt? Or was she just trying to find a reason for her need?
Maddie focused on standing as a wave of heat raged through her.
“I understand, sweetheart. I do. But something you’ve never understood is that you can’t always change the future. You always thought I hadn’t tried to see all options, and in the end, this was the easiest for you. My soul survived, I’m still here for you.”
Maddie fought the pressure behind her eyes. Son of a bitch, she would not cry. It had been two years. She wouldn’t cry.
“I don’t need a ghost. I need you. A ghost can leave me again. I can’t lose you again, and again. The one thing I know is ghosts.”
Kal circled his head around, encasing Maddie in the crook. Strength. A flash of heat had her head swimming again.
No. Not now.
“Love, he’s the reason I’ve hung around. He’s my unfinished business. I couldn’t leave until my baby had finally found the right one. But, you’re right. Someday I’d like to rest. But not until you’re safe.”
Resting her free hand on her chest, Maddie focused on the beating of her heart and not the heat coursing through her like a wildfire at the height of a drought. She focused on the rock of a- well hell, the dragon holding her safely near him.
“Kal, dear. Please shift back. You found her, now put the dragon away for a while. You can’t get through this town looking like that, anyway.”
Maddie stepped away as his body shifted and moved away. The surrounding air boiled. Even in his absence, she couldn’t cool. Maddie pulled at the neck of her shirt. She had the thought that his retreat left her a few degrees hotter.
Her powers were useless against this magic. Focusing on Kal, the dragon, she could feel them, they were there. Close. Focus on that.
No. Too hot. Maddie called the cool breezes again, praying that this time the spell would be enough.
Just as quickly as the dragon had moved away, a strong body pressed against her.
Slowly she turned, battling the pain spiking within her body.
If moving had been a mistake, seeing Kal in all his glory had been the best decision she’d ever make for the rest of her life. Maddie’s eyes widened. Yeah, okay. He
