Hold onto this. He lowered his wing, and I grabbed onto the smooth membrane. With a quick jerk, he hauled me onto his back. I gasped and clung on for dear life.
My legs wrapped around his body, sitting between what I assumed would’ve been his shoulder blades. His wings stretched out on either side of me and warmth seeped from his scales through my clothes. It was like sitting on a hot rock baking in the desert sun.
Once I settled in, the tension in my body released and my hips sank into him.
You ready?
“I guess.”
Hold onto the crux of my wing joint. They’re like built in handles.
“Got it.” I clenched my fingers around the scaly appendages.
Here we go.
My thighs tightened around his torso as he jolted forward. He took a few unwieldy steps toward the edge of the peak, and my gut twisted. The crag dipped below to a deep valley hundreds of feet down. I clenched my teeth, muttering curses as the promontory disappeared from beneath us.
With a mighty flap of his wings, we lurched forward. My stomach dropped, and I couldn’t muffle the scream from tearing out. His wings beat the frigid air and we leveled out, soaring over the surrounding peaks.
You okay?
I drew in a breath, filling my empty lungs. “Yup,” I finally choked out. “Just peachy.”
This time I was certain he chuckled. His husky laugh echoed through my mind, bouncing off my skull. Stupid jackdragon.
Relax and enjoy the sights. We’ll be there in about ten minutes.
“Sure, easy-peasy.” I glanced down at the jagged, snow-covered mountaintops and immediately regretted it. Sure, it was pretty, but damn, it was a long way down. Instead, I focused on the sparkling scales sprawled beneath me.
Now that we were flying, Dragon-Talon’s movements weren’t so jostling. I loosened my death grip and ran one finger over the sleek plates of his skin. They were surprisingly soft and silky. My insides hummed at the contact. Emboldened, I caressed his wing joint, moving slowly over the bone.
Dragon-Talon rumbled beneath me, his massive torso making a rumbly purr.
I jerked my hand off, and the sound stopped. Did dragons purr like cats? I definitely needed to find out more about this beast I was bound to. I ran my hand over his scales again, and the throaty rumble started up once more.
Heat seeped from the dragon’s flesh through my jeans, and I shifted uncomfortably. The unexpected warmth sparked lusty embers in my core. My legs tightened around his torso, and a soft groan resounded in my head.
There was no way I’d survive another five minutes of this. “So, tell me about the SIA director,” I blurted. Anything to change the subject.
The dragon tensed, and the radiator between my thighs cooled. Maxim’s a good guy, a tiger shifter. A little intense, but he’s been with the agency for almost three decades. Just be honest with him, and you’ll be fine.
I gulped, and I hoped he couldn’t feel my anxiety spilling through the bond. I couldn’t be completely honest, not without divulging my family’s secrets. “What’s he going to ask me about today exactly?”
I’m not sure. Typical interview, I suppose. If he likes you, there may be a follow up meeting—a short physical assessment.
“Like of my powers?”
Most likely.
Craptastic. The SIA couldn’t find out about my burgeoning warlock abilities. What if they made me take some sort of lie detector test?
My nervous thoughts accompanied me the remainder of the trip, eliminating any chance for small talk with my dragon blood buddy. I’d practiced the incantation GG gave me for hours last night, but I was still anxious. What if someone discovered the truth?
My stomach began to drop, yanking my attention from my inner thoughts. I glanced up to see a sprawling cement compound nestled deep within a snowy valley.
That’s it. SIA headquarters.
A boulder the size of one of the surrounding massive mountaintops sank to the bottom of my gut. Here goes nothing.
Chapter Five
The bleak gray corridors of the Supernatural Intelligence Agency’s headquarters were only a small step up from Darkblood Prison. Sure, there weren’t any murderous convicts, but the vibe wasn’t any less tense.
“Relax, Azara, everything’s going to be fine.” Talon leaned closer and whispered in my ear. “Maxim is a shifter, remember? He can smell fear.”
“Right.” I fisted my hands at my sides as I followed Talon down the nondescript hall. From the corner of my eye, I hazarded a quick peek at my escort. He looked like a different man in a crisp white button-down shirt, dark jeans and the silver SIA badge hanging from his neck.
Talon stopped in front of a thick metal door, a golden plaque across the top with the word Director stamped across. He knocked, and a sharp buzz echoed through the quiet corridor followed by the click of a lock. Opening the door, he motioned for me to enter first.
I held my breath as I crossed the threshold into a small reception area with generic beige walls and a few framed landscapes. A woman stood up from the mahogany desk in the corner and approached us with a tight smile, her severe bun angling her cat eyes.
“Agent one thirty-eight, nice to see you again.”
I nearly choked on my spit. I’d forgotten Talon’s secret agent number was the same as the numerals assigned to me at Darkblood. Coincidence or fate?
“You too, Ymelia.”
The middle-aged assistant’s eyes gave me a quick once over before her lips pressed into a thin line like she’d smelled something foul. “Director Maxim is waiting for you; you can go on in.” She motioned to the door adjacent to her desk, and Talon strode forward.
I trailed a few steps behind him, not overly eager to meet this Maxim guy.
Talon held the door open as I trudged into the director’s office. A blast of chilly air shot over my body as I entered, and I thanked my lucky stars I’d kept the long-sleeve shirt on.
Brilliant citrine eyes glanced up, fixing on mine the second we approached. A low growl cut through the silence, and the director slammed closed the book splayed across his expansive desk. Beads of sweat snaked down my back as those penetrating irises drilled into me.
I had to suppress the urge to squirm.
“Thanks for meeting with us today, Maxim.” Talon nodded at the hulking tiger shifter behind the desk.
“Only for you, Talon.” He gave me a once over again, his nostrils flaring, and then his lips twisted into a scowl. “I don’t sense any magic on her.”
My dragon bodyguard cleared his throat. “As I mentioned during our conversation, we’re working on accessing it as we speak. The little that I’ve seen is beyond impressive. She’d give Ella a run for her money.”
Ella? My ears perked up.
Maxim’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Interesting.” The director drummed his big fingers on the desk, his scrutinizing gaze still following my every move. I’d barely been able to breathe since we’d walked in. And I’d thought Talon was intimidating. This guy would make Delacroix weak in the knees. “What you’re asking is highly unorthodox. We haven’t resorted to recruiting prisoners in years, not since”—his eyes flicked to Talon then dropped to his desk before refocusing back on me—“it’s been a while.”