Mated to the Fire Dragon (Elemental Mates 4)

Instead, he seemed to have a body of swirling darkness. His eyes were the darkest black she'd ever seen, the color of black holes, of an abyss where no light had ever reached.

He looked nothing like Steele, who'd been shadow-flecked fire when she'd last seen him. This was a dragon of shadows and darkness—but still, something about him felt remarkably familiar.

Her heart pounding with terror, she felt her feet refuse to obey her.

She couldn't run. She couldn't escape.

But she couldn't die here, not with Braeden fighting for her so desperately.

She could feel Braeden now, distantly but clearly. He was still fighting, using all of his power just to stay alive.

One moment of distraction, and he'd be gone.

I won't be used, she thought. I won't be the weapon that kills him!

The shadow dragon was coming at her, its body more solid than ever before. In its open jaws she could see swirling darkness. If it closed around her, she'd be lost forever, torn apart by shadows.

She was more terrified than ever before in her life. How did you fight something that wasn't even real?

Wait. If it's not real, then neither am I. If we're inside Braeden's mind somehow, then I can be who the hell I want to be!

Braeden thought she was strong. He'd told her again and again how he'd admired her for not only surviving weeks as a fire dragon captive, but for escaping them all on her own.

I'm not a dragon or a knight—but I'm stronger than a cowardly piece of shadow!

She gritted her teeth and then reached inside herself for the strength that had carried her through a life of hard work to her dream job, surviving office politics, an asshole boss, and younger co-workers eager for her job. She reached for the desperate strength she never knew she had, which had allowed her to make it through the awful weeks when she'd been fed strange potions, fighting the fire that threatened to consume her.

She stretched out her hand. She stared the attacking shadow straight in the eye, refusing to flinch although she was only a split second from death now.

And then, as the darkness touched her skin, it finally broke free.

Light streamed out of her, an incredible power rushing through her that grew and grew until she felt as if she'd turned into fire. Her hair was flames; her blood was lava; her eyes shone with the light of the sun.

And in her hand, there was a sword of light, burning with the heat of an exploding star.

All of a sudden, she knew what to do.

Alyx took a step forward. She grasped the sword with both hands, meeting the dragon’s inhuman gaze as she thrust it towards him with all her strength.

The shadow dragon shrieked in rage as it realized what was happening—but it was too close. It couldn't retreat.

She slid her sword straight into the beast’s chest.

For a heartbeat, it seemed as if time itself had stopped as she stared fearlessly into the void in its eyes.

Then, with an inhuman screech, it vanished, like mist in the light of the morning sun.

All around her, the darkness was retreating. Shadows unraveled, receding so rapidly that by the time she'd finished turning around, she looked at a mountain valley filled by light and green grass.

The trees were no longer burned down, the rocks no longer scorched. The air smelled fresh and clean, and distantly, she could hear the sound of birds singing.

But there was one thing still lacking.

Braeden?

Chapter Twenty: Braeden

Trapped against a rocky outcrop by a wall of shadowy fire, Braeden desperately shook his head to get rid of the darkness covering the inside of his head like sticky cobwebs.