Page 33 of The Black Dragon

She regarded him with those amazing green eyes. “Did you feelanything?”

“Yeah. This rock is hard and my asshurts.”

Her mouth twitched and then she burst into laughter.“Justin, you have to concentrate. Give it achance.”

To hear her enchanting laugh again, hewould.

He closed hiseyes.

“Breathe in andout.”

“Sweetheart, if I breathe in and out I spewflames.”

She giggled again. “Stop it! Nowfocus.”

Ok, I’mtrying.

“Breathe in and out slowly. Ignore everything except the sound of my voice,” she toldhim.

As she kept talking, Justin shut out the sounds of Skins hiking nearby, the prayer flags flapping in the breeze. The smell of juniper and sage swirled around him, and Ariel’s fragrance of wildflowers and honey. He licked his lips, tastingdryness.

Think of nothing but her.Ariel.

Slowly, his shoulders lost their tension. He felt himself moving deeper insidehim.

Visions spikedin his mind. Not peaceful skies or fluffy clouds, but sharp red. Blood, flowing in a sluggish stream. Ariel, screaming. Crying out, begging him tostop.

His eyes flew open. Justin gasped, panic overtakinghim.

He yelled, slamming his fists upon therock.

A soft hand set upon his trembling arm, the smell of wildflowers and sage overriding the panic. Ariel’s eyes widened asshe murmured to him. He could not understand what she said, but it calmed him. Justin gulped down abreath.

“Easy,” she soothed. “Justbreathe.”

After a moment, he regained his lost composure. Justin shook off her hand and wiped sweat off his brow with the back of one hand. He glancedaround.

The Skins meditating nearby stared at him, mouths agape. Damn. Drawing attentionto himself was the last thing heneeded.

He already felt like a damnfreak.

“Time to leave.” Justin took a long swig from the water bottle she offered him from her pack. He glanced down at the rock, flinched at the longcrack.

Such power in hisfists.

“You probably had bad memories surface. It happens a lot with Others when they first get deep in touch with themselves.”Ariel offered a reassuringsmile.

She took his hand as they walked off. But deep inside Justin knew it wasn’t a badmemory.

But the darkness inside him, clamoring to getout.

And hurtAriel….