Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“You’re getting your scent all adobao and juicy for our trail.”
“Great,” she murmurs, and she doesn’t sound enthused. I wouldn’t be either if I had to wear head-to-toe garbage bags with only a small piece cut out for my face. It’s an utterly ridiculous get-up, but the dragons agreed that when Amy’s smothered in plastic like this, her scent is negligible. Which is good, since we don’t want her scent trailing back to Claudia’s tower.
This is all part of the plan.
Something white unfurls in the distance, at the top of a nearby building. In the same moment, Zohr sends to me, The banner is ready. Kael says we can begin.
I squint at the banner and bring my binoculars to my face. “I think we’re good to go, Ames.”
“It’s up?” she says nervously.
“Yup.” I read the banner aloud. “Help, my sister Felicia has gone missing. She is very young. If you find her, please bring her to this building. Reward!!!” I put the binoculars back into their case and unbuckle my seatbelts, then hop off Zohr’s side. “Heh. Your fake name is Felicia. That’s cute.”
“Great.” She sounds nervous, clumsily sliding down to the ground next to me. “So I should just…uh…do this?”
“Yup. Feel free to get naked.”
“Get naked?” Her voice is a squeak. “I thought we were just going to take my clothes off and drag them around the city?”
“We could do that, too. I’m just teasing.” I give her a cheery smile. “Don’t worry. Zohr’s interested in no one’s tits but mine.”
My dragon rumbles amusement. Your tits are most magnificent. I am very much not interested in another female’s body.
“Right.” Amy doesn’t sound reassured. She strips off her garbage bag coverings and then sighs with relief, wiping her forehead. Her hair is plastered to her head with sweat, and her cheeks are flushed bright pink with exertion. “I wore extra layers of clothing. Do I…do I have to take all of them off?”
Poor thing looks really uncomfortable. “How about you give us the sweaty underlayer first, and when those dry out, we’ll switch ’em out for fresh stuff? So you don’t have to be naked.”
The look she gives me is shyly grateful. She maneuvers her body under the clothing, sliding off a T-shirt and then a skirt, both of them damp from perspiration. She hands them to me and then mops her forehead again with her hand.
“Use your shirt to wipe the sweat,” I tell her. “We want all the smell we can.” I take the clothes and bring them to Zohr. “How do these smell, babe?”
The dragon leans his big head down and his nostrils flare lightly. He rears back slightly, nose twitching. It is thick with her scent. We can use it.
“Okay, good. I’m going to tie them to your tail. Let me know if the knots are too tight, all right?” I send him a loving thought and jog down to his hindquarters. His big tail lifts off the ground slightly so I can slide Amy’s clothing onto it, and then I fiddle with the fabric, knotting it until it’s tight against his scales. “Good?”
Good, my dragon agrees. Climb back on and we will go.
I move to Amy’s side. “All right. Back up we go.” I help her get back into the saddle and then buckle myself in. We’re off a moment later, and I glance behind us, watching as Zohr drags his tail along the dusty, broken road.
Perfect. The plan’s moving along as it should. The banner’s a trick, of course. There’s no Felicia, no one’s missing, and no one’s going to be dumped at that building. It’s all to flush out the bastard. He can’t read English…but his men can. They’re going to want a young girl, and Amy’s scent is going to confirm things if Azar’s senses are anything like the other drakoni.
We’re going to draw them to the building, and then we’re going to take them down. I feel a surge of elation as we move through the streets.
We’re doing this. We’re going to win. Azar doesn’t stand a chance.
“Is it working?” Amy whispers, clinging to my back as Zohr lumbers through the city. Above, Dakh and Kael dart through the clouds, their mates on their backs. They’re running interference in case another dragon decides to come and check out the scent trail we’re leaving.
“Oh yeah,” I say, and practically chortle with glee.
Come and get some, you son of a bitch.
AMY
It’s hot and sticky outside. The sun is baking me alive after months of hiding, and I’m pretty sure my scalp is burning from the rays that pound down relentlessly from above. It’s hot, and there’s a smell of char in the air, and there are ruined cars all along the road that we ride down. I cling to Emma, and the saddle pinches my butt uncomfortably, and my bad leg aches as if I’ve been standing on it for hours.