The sorceress’sexpression hardened. She launched the greenish-black flames intheir direction.
Nix twisted historso and shoved Katarina against a door, protecting her with hisown body.
The energy ballblasted past him, its force ruffling the pink garment. Amillisecond later, it exploded in the corridor not four feet awayfrom them, hurling chunks of plaster and splinters of wood aroundthem.
Toby growled,wriggling in her arms. Katarina dropped him.
With the wayback to the rooftop blocked, Phoenix tried the door behindKatarina. Luck was on his side for once—the door led to an enclosedstairway, a fire escape. With no time to be gentle, he shunted herinside. They’d have to make a run for it if they had any chance ofescaping.
The little dogbared his teeth at Selene and started to run towards her.
“Toby, no,”Katarina shouted.
“Go. Now,” hecommanded. “I’ll get him.”
To his relief,she did as she was told and headed for the stairs.
In a flash, Nixscooped Toby up.
“Phoenix, wait…please,” Selene said, her desperate plea oddly satisfying.
Another energyball pulsated in her palm.
He didn’t wait.Bolting through the door and down the stairs, he finally reachedKatarina.
Selene appearedat the top of the stairwell.
Loud commandsof, “Armed police. Put down your weapon!” sounded from the corridorbehind Selene.
With Toby underone arm, Nix fled with Katarina, down the rest of the stairs andout of the building.
The fire escapeled to an alleyway at the back of the apartment block, where anunarmed police officer stood on guard. He reached for his radiohandset.
With an upwardthrust, Phoenix delivered a blow to the policeman’s nose. The poorman collapsed on the ground, blood pouring from his face, but needsmust; Nix couldn’t afford to have the police asking questions hecouldn’t answer. He had to get Katarina to safety.
Katarinastopped, her mouth open as she glanced at the police officer. Sheswallowed, then looked at him. “What have you done?”
He held out hishand to her. “We have to go. It’s not safe here.”
She didn’tmove, her gaze flitting between his outstretched hand, the injuredpolice officer and the alleyway exit. “Will he be okay?”
His heartached, wanting everything to be as it was between them before thecurse, but her hesitation suggested she didn’t trust him yet. Andhe could hardly blame her. The last time she’d seen him, he’dalmost morphed into his dragon. Not to mention she was beingattacked by an evil sorceress. How the hell had Selene foundher? “He’ll be fine.” He inched his hand closer. “Please, wehave to get out of here.”
Without a word,she took his hand.
The ache in hisheart lessened. He squeezed her hand and headed out of thealleyway, keeping an eye out for the police.
Yelling soundedbehind them, and more crashing and destruction, urging them both torun.
It still wasn’tover.
Selene wouldnot stop until she found them.
Frantic,Phoenix searched for somewhere for them to hide.
Katarina tookthe lead, dragging him through back alleys, past stinking dustbinsand a rather bemused drunk propped against a pile of cardboardboxes. “Come on, I know where we can hide.”
Nix followedher to a rundown warehouse, its windows boarded up, and offensivegraffiti scrawled on the crumbling brick walls.
Katarina headedfor a metal door and yanked the rusty padlock. It snapped in herhand.
She seemedsurprised by her dragon strength.
Her dog barked,then wriggled under his arm to get down.
“Here, giveToby to me. Thanks for saving him.”
Nix handed overher dog, and they headed inside.
A framework ofindustrial steel girders supported a corrugated roof some thirtyfeet high, both rusty and eaten away through time. Huge metalshelves from floor to ceiling stretched before them in eerie,seemingly endless corridors, and dirty, slate-grey puddles laystagnant on the concrete floor.
She offered ahalf-smile that made his pulse rate accelerate. “And for saving me,too,” she added. Shafts of sunlight streamed through various sizedholes in the roof, catching the sparkle in her emerald eyes.
“I think youwere doing a pretty good job of escaping before I got there.” Hefollowed Katarina as she avoided the puddles and made her way downone corridor, its metal crated shelves like cages, mostly empty,bar a few cardboard boxes, slatted wooden cases, and discardedplastic wrappings.
She stopped soabruptly, Nix almost collided with her. “What were you doing at myflat?” Her hand trembled as she clasped it to her mouth, her eyeswide with fear again. “It’s not my flat, it’s Selene’s… she’s myfriend.”
Nix barelycontrolled his fury. “Your friend? How the hell can she beyour friend?”
Katarinafrowned. “I don’t understand. What happened to her?”
He ground hismolars. “You don’t know who she is, do you?”
“No, I don’t.Selene is my best friend—or was—until she turned psycho witch backthere.” Kat shook her head. “None of this makes sense. Selene foundme the day I came around on my last reincarnation, after my caraccident. She helped me, offered me a home, and a job. Then I foundout she was the one who ran me off the road. She said she wantedyou. Why does Selene want you? Do you know her?”
He knew her allright, but clearly, Katarina did not. The realisation hit him likea blow to the stomach. It made perfect sense to him. Selene hadbeen playing some kind of sick, manipulative game with Katarina,pretending to befriend her, when all she wanted to do was get tohim.
He blew out abreath. “Sit down, Katarina. Everything will be okay, Ipromise.”
She put Tobydown, found a dry patch on the dirty floor, then sat and leaned herback against a steel girder.
He sat besideher, yearning to take her in his arms and tell her everything, buthesitating even now. “Tell me how much you remember of your pastlives.”
Katarina rubbedher temples. “Not much, I’m afraid.”
His heart sank.“Tell me what you do know, and maybe I can help.”
She took a fewmoments to answer. “Okay, this might sound totally crazy, but…” Sheswallowed. “I’m pretty certain I’m a dragon.”
Seeing herstruggle with the truth tugged at his heartstrings, but his chestswelled with hope.
“With eachreincarnation, I searched for clues to my true identity, and now…?My skin turned into scales. Freaking scales! Am I crazy? Tell meI’m not crazy.”
Nix cupped herjaw, then tilted her head until she met his gaze. “You’re notcrazy. You’re incredible.”
“I am? Ifreaked out at first. I thought I was a monster.”
“And what aboutnow?”
“I’m gettingused to it, but—”
“I’m a dragontoo,” he blurted out before he could stop
