Sin's Dark Caress Read Free Page B

and crimson tipped wings spread awkwardly from its back as it tried to keep balance on four tiny legs that ended in black-tipped talons. The minuscule beast greeted Vincent by rubbing its head against his cheek. The cat answered with a happy purr, then lifted his paw and let the mouse go.
    It scurried away, but Vincent pounced on it again before it could get too far. He flipped it in the air and caught it under his front paw before meowing at the miniature dragon. The creature scampered on unsteady legs as Vincent lifted his paw again, releasing the mouse’s tail. The hapless mouse ran, but the baby dragon fell upon it this time, instinct taking over as teeth and talons shredded the rodent. The creature ripped the mouse’s body apart and threw back its glistening blue reptilian head, jaws working to position meat so it could swallow it, the same way a lizard or alligator might. Yet, it was definitely neither.
    The tiny mythological creature devoured a dead mouse on her living room floor while her cat looked on like a proud parent. She sank onto the floor, crawling slowly and cautiously closer, afraid she might be hallucinating. The creature eyed her warily as she drew nearer but seemed more worried that she was after its meal than afraid of her.
    Bianca reached out a shaking hand.
    The second her fingers made contact with the little creature, a jolt ripped up her arm and through her body, the force throwing her backward into the sofa and snapping her head back.
    T he blackness receded. Vincent licked the side of her face and purred in her ear, but there was another strange sound, an excited jitter.
    Bianca opened her eyes and blinked, turning her head to stare into a vertically slit, molten gold eye looking at her intently. It almost seemed to smile at her. She sat up so fast her head spun, then leaned forward on the sofa.
    The dragon tilted its head and looked at her through intelligent, liquid-gold eyes. And yet, every molecule in her body buzzed with a peculiar energy, unlike anything she’d felt before.
    â€œWhat happened?” she asked, her voice sounding strange and shaky.
    â€œWe bonded.”
    â€œBonded?” She rubbed the back of her smarting head, then froze. “You can speak?”
    The little creature crawled up into her lap, and she tentatively ran her finger over his tiny, jeweled body. He was warm, almost hot, yet soft like kid leather. “That’s part of the gift,” he said in a childlike voice.
    Bianca wasn’t as freaked as she knew she should be. She’d often dreamed of dragons and flying, especially when she was younger, but this was just weird. “I feel I know you.”
    â€œYou do. I’m Kedrax.”
    The name surprised her. She used to have an invisible friend she called Kedrax. “You can’t be the same one.” As soon as she said it, she knew he was.
    It all started to make sense. The reason she couldn’t bond with another familiar was that she’d already mentally bonded with Kedrax as a child. She’d just learned to suppress it. Now that his physical form existed, the bond was complete.
    The question was, why now? And more importantly, did it have anything to do with the Dark Brethren?

4
    Smoke and Mirrors
    M cManus pushed himself away from the wall as a bald man in a dark maroon T-shirt crossed the lobby to meet him.
    The man held out his hand. “Detective McManus, Antonio Geraldi. Oberon sent me to meet you.”
    â€œDidn’t you work for VCU with DuPrie, Antonio?” McManus asked.
    â€œYou have a good memory.” His handshake was firm. “And please, call me Tones.”
    McManus followed Tones to the elevators, and the doors opened immediately when he hit the down button. “Do you know why DuPrie ask me to come here?”
    â€œSorry. You’ll have to ask the captain that yourself.”
    McManus glanced at him out of the corner of his eye as they entered. The T-shirt showed a pair of lush