Ash wouldn’t look at her. “Please,” he said. “I just want to be alone.”
The words were an eerie echo of her dead friend, and Dani set her jaw. She reached out with a hand and folded it over his fingers.
Energy surged between them, and Ash’s astonished gaze shot to Dani. She half expected him to jerk away, but he didn’t. Instead, he shuddered, rotated his hand, and took hold of hers.
“Do you feel that?” he whispered, his voice hoarse.
Dani nodded, unable to speak. The hole deep inside her—it seemed a little less raw. Like the energy healed the edges. How was that possible?
“Are you a healer?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. But I’m wondering if you are.”
She grimaced. “Nope. Just a wolf girl with a penchant for throwing boulders.”
One corner of his lips turned up. “You aren’t hucking anything now.”
“No.” The warmth of his hand felt amazing. “You are the first person I’ve touched—in longer than I can remember.”
It was as though the silver eyes read her soul. “Remy?” he whispered.
Dani fought the loathing that flooded her. “He touched me. Never the other way around.”
Ash’s fingers tightened. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop that.” His voice reflected his anger.
She shrugged. “It gave me the power I have now. I guess I should be grateful.”
Ash growled. “Rindek must die.” The hatred and conviction beneath the words warmed a part of her that seemed permanently frozen.
“He will,” she affirmed. “But until then, you have to hold on. Don’t let him win.”
Ash sighed. Still holding her hand, he rose and pulled her up with him.
“Let’s fly.”
Fly? Suddenly, Dani wasn’t so sure. The last flight had been a little too good. If she was going to resist Tyrez, the last thing she needed was to be dreaming of being a Dragon.
“No,” she said, gently pulling her hand free and backing away. “You go without me. I think I’m better off on the ground.”
His wings had emerged from his shoulders, the golden finger bones expanding above him. But his body was already fading as it shifted, as though her rejection had negated his very existence. Ash was becoming part of the fog. But he offered a sad smile.
“Despite what you think you want,” he said, “Fate has other ideas, and they involve wings.”
Then he was gone, and she was alone in the fog.
Dani blinked herself awake. She was lying in the enormous poster bed, curled up in the covers.
Why had she dreamed of Ash? Did she feel guilty that she had escaped Rindek, and he did not?
Yes, she realized. She did. About that, and other things. If only she had hugged her friend that evening, she might have saved her life.
Impossible to know, of course. How could she not push past her own issues to help her friend?
Dani rolled over, restless and unable to get back to sleep just yet. She heard nothing from the living room—was Tyrez asleep?
She rose and went to the bookshelf. Reading should relax her. The books were mostly urban fantasies and space operas. Dani selected one about werewolves and carried it back to the bed.
Looked like a good kickass heroine. She could use the inspiration.
