Page 78 of Red Fury

A sharp pinch on my upper arm, like a bee sting.

My arm goes warm, and my vision immediately starts to blur. The parking garage tilts sideways, and I have to grab onto my car to keep from falling.

“Oh, my! Are you alright, dear?” the woman asks, but her voice sounds strange now, distorted and far away.

My dragon snarls inside me, recognizing danger. She tries to surge forward, tries to shift, but whatever was in that needle is working too fast. My limbs feel heavy, uncoordinated. The world is spinning.

“I don’t…” I try to speak, but my tongue feels thick and useless.

The last thing I see before everything goes black is how the woman stands straighter. Her shoulders are no longer bent like they were. Maybe it’s… I… Then my knees give out, and I collapse to the concrete floor of the parking garage.

Fury

“All I can say is that you are my hero,” Thompson says, slapping me on the back as we make our way through the terminal. “Thatredhead was insanely beautiful, and you got to spend the night with her. I’m jealous as hell.”

“I second that,” Webb says.

I nod and smile, still not saying anything.

“At least tell us if she was as flexible as she looked?” Thompson asks.

I shake my head. “Nope, not telling you anything.” They can joke and laugh all they want, but they’re not getting anything from me.

Something in my tone must penetrate their thick skulls because the conversation shifts to weekend plans and who’s covering what shifts. We reach the main exit, and the afternoon heat is oppressive. I need to get out of this suit.

“Alright, gentlemen,” Webb says, checking his watch. “Good work this week. Enjoy your time off, and I’ll see you all in a couple of days.”

There’s a round of handshakes and backslapping, the usual male bonding rituals that I’ve learned to mimic during my time here. Thompson mentions something about hitting a sports bar tonight, but I decline. All I want is to get home and shower off the last twenty-four hours. But first, I need to report back to Steel and formulate some sort of plan for the way forward. I need to come clean with him about Shadow and pray he understands.

The parking garage is a few levels down, so I take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. My dragon is restless. I will have to find time for a shift during my days off. Being around Shadow last night settled him in some ways but agitated him in others.

I reach level three and start walking toward my SUV. The garage is surprisingly quiet for this hour.

My eyes automatically drift toward the section where I remember Shadow parking when we arrived. It feels like a lifetime ago. I expect to see an empty space – she was in arush. She needs to get back to Draig to get her vaccination. She’s right; she’s late already. There’s going to be hell to pay with the Mainland Officials in charge.

But her silver sedan is still there.

What?

Why?

I frown, my steps slowing. Her trunk is open, and from this angle, I can’t see her anywhere near the vehicle. Maybe she’s having car trouble?

Something prickles at the back of my neck, and my dragon stirs.

I change direction, walking toward her car with growing concern. As I get closer, my enhanced senses pick up something that makes my blood run cold.

Her scent is here, fresh, but it’s mixed with something else. Something that doesn’t belong.

Lavender?

The scent is strong. That’s when I see her purse.

It’s lying on the concrete beside the driver’s side door, its contents partially spilled across the garage floor. Her wallet, her lipstick, her work ID badge – all scattered like someone dropped them in a hurry. Likeshedropped them in a hurry.

“Shadow?” I call out, my voice echoing off the concrete walls.

No response.