Gone was the beach and also the
room she’d made up in her mind for her sexual encounter with Dean. Rubbing her
eyes, she looked around.
The room remained empty except where she lay on the floor. As
far as she could remember, she’d never been in this room without her dragon. Or,
she amended, not awake in it. Princess would be out for the night doing
whatever she did.
In the beginning, Princess had shared her memories of her
nightly jaunts. Perhaps Amanda had not been interested enough in them or
impressed in the way Princess wanted. The stories had stopped.
She stood up, wobbly on her own feet. Her brain had
forgotten how it felt to be left to its own devices. She moved like a toddler
learning to walk. Her feet tingled.
Still, she managed to get to the window. The sky, fully
dark, told her it would be a while until Princess returned. Plenty of time to
help Dean in any way she could. If only she knew what he was currently doing or
where he was.
Well, there seemed no choice. She’d have to find out. Her
feet stayed under her a little more steadily as she made it to the door.
The dream she’d had of Dean haunted her movements. She’d
wanted to picture him naked, to stroke herself to climax so she could awaken. In
no fashion had she anticipated just how detailed a scenario her warped brain
would create.
“Shit,” she muttered to herself. Could she have made up
anything worse? Wife? Babies? What the fuck? Why couldn’t she get off like a
normal person and just want hot, sweaty sex with the finest man she’d ever
known?
The dragon guard down the hall snored. She hadn’t even known
they posted one. It didn’t surprise her that he napped on duty. Why should he
worry? Humans couldn’t move when their captors were out, except for the
servants, who were tagged. They wouldn’t get far even if they could scale the
walls. Most of them remained in such a state of pain from their daily work that
they couldn’t have scaled the walls, with or without the equipment.
She walked right by him. He never stirred. Amanda couldn’t
remember his name. Princess knew them all but outside the joined dragons she
wasn’t concerned with them. They barely registered on Princess’ radar. Her
joined dragon would sacrifice them in a heartbeat if need be. With all the hell
in her life, Amanda couldn’t waste time remembering the names of lizards that
would be gone as soon as she learned them.
Amanda moved quickly. She’d check the barn first. If Dean
had been there, he’d have taken the equipment. The dragons kept it there in
case they needed to send a joined human out without them. They were controlled,
sent right back home when they’d finished their task.
Princess had never sent her on that kind of run. But Amanda
had watched Princess send others to handle external tasks. Most never returned.
She crossed the courtyard and headed to the barn, running hard,
stopping only when she got inside. Pitch-blackness assaulted her senses. When
was the last time she’d used her eyes at night? She blinked rapidly, trying to
see something inside the hangar.
“Who’s there? I have a knife and I’ll slice your throat
right open.”
She swallowed. The same voice she’d fantasized about minutes
earlier. “Dean.”
“Amanda.” A light illuminated the room. “Hell. I could have
killed you.”
The matchstick he held showed her that he hadn’t lied. He
did have a knife in his hand. If he’d wanted to, Dean Andrews could have slit
her throat. Probably would have too.
“How did you get the light?”
“One of the servants. They’re happy to help us.” He walked
toward her. “We’re all getting out of here.”
“I told you. I want you to get yourself out. The kids need
you. I’m lost.”
He touched the side of her face, stroking downward until he
caressed her neck. “How are you free? None of the other joined humans are
walking around.”
Her face heated up and she was grateful for the dimness of
the room. The shadows would
Amanda Quick
Aimee Alexander
RaeAnne Thayne
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Nancy Werlin
Sara Wheeler
Selena Illyria
Mia Marlowe
George R. R. Martin