Page 14 of Hexual Healing

A sound cut through the air.Low, rumbling, like thunder that came from the ground instead of the sky.We all froze.

“What was that?”I whispered.

Baz moved to the window, scanning the tree line.His shoulders tensed.“She's definitely not coming tomorrow.”

“What?”

He turned back to us, and for the first time since I'd met him, he looked genuinely worried.

“She's already here.”

* * *

“Definehere,” I said, proud that my voice only shook a little.

Baz's jaw tightened.His muscles jumped beneath his skin, and his entire body went still in a way that reminded me of animals during the hunt.The ones where the predator freezes right before it strikes.

“Half a mile out.Maybe less.She's circling.”His nostrils flared slightly.

“You can smell her from half a mile away?”

He didn't answer, but his expression shifted, his eyes darkened, and for just a second, I could have sworn they flashed a rich molten gold.Not brown.Not human.

“Get away from the window,” he ordered.Despite all the crazy, my hooha went a little tingly when his voice dropped an octave and he got all demandy.

No.No.Noooo.Gotta hold it together, girl.This is not the time!

Apparently, I didn't move fast enough.He crossed the room in two strides, grabbed my wrist, and jerked.I twirled like we were ballroom dancing as he pulled me against him and pressed me between his rock-hard body and the wall.The full-body contact had sparks showering off my skin like I was a veritable human firework, which was a thousand times worse than the last time, but he didn't let go.

“When I tell you to move,” he said quietly, dangerously, “you move.”

The rational part of my brain wanted to argue.The rest of me was too busy processing the fact that he was pressed against me, all solid muscle and barely contained…something.Energy?Anticipation?His chest rose and fell with deep, controlled breaths, but I could feel his heart hammering against his ribs.

“Baz?”

“She doesn't know about me,” he said, still watching the window.“That's our only advantage.Her ignorance might make her overconfident.”

“She's a dragon.Overconfidence is their default factory setting.”

His lips twitched.Almost a smile.“True.But you said her dragon side comes out when she's emotional.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So, emotional dragons make mistakes.”He finally looked down at me, and something in his expression made my stomach flip.“We're going to make her very, very emotional.”

Gary cleared his throat from the counter.“If you two are done with whatever this is, perhaps we should discuss the fact that there's a homicidal dragon in the front yard?Pretty sure she’s not here with a friendly smile and a basket of blueberry scones.”

Another rumble shook the house.Closer this time.The windows rattled in their frames.

“She's testing the wards,” Baz said.He still hadn't moved away from me.If anything, he'd somehow pressed in closer, like his body was a shield between me and the outside world.“Looking for weak points.”

“Will they hold?”

“For now.”His hand was still on my wrist, thumb pressed against my pulse point.Could he feel how fast my heart was racing?“But we need to set the trap before she breaks through.”

“What trap?”

He finally stepped back, and I immediately missed his warmth.Which was stupid.And dangerous.And exactly what the curse wanted.