Caught By the Dragon: Maiden to the Dragon, Book 1 by - (first e reader .txt) 📕

I reluctantly let her drive me back to the junk yard and I led her to the specific area where the portal disappeared. We stopped near one of the larger trash piles.

I turned to her and folded my arms. “It’s supposed to be here, but I don’t know if love is going to get that thing to open.”

Heather cupped her chin in one hand and furrowed her brow. “Do you remember how you got in the first time?”

I rolled my eyes. “No. I forgot to click on my internal video recorder before they knocked me out.”

She strolled around the area looking at the ground and up in the air. “Maybe there’s a button or something.”

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. “Or maybe we’re not going to get this thing open and we should just go home.”

Heather stomped up to me and grabbed my hands. She looked me in the eyes and frowned. “Don’t you dare give up on me and your heart this fast. We’re counting on you.”

I snorted. “When did my heart get a vote on this?”

“When I said it had one.”

“And does my heart have any ideas how to get this portal thing open?”

Heather paused. Her eyes widened and her wild grin stretched across her face. “Maybe that’s it!”

I leaned back and frowned. “Maybe what’s it?”

She dragged me to my butt-mark in the dirt and arranged us so we faced each other. “Maybe with your love and your mark thingy you can open the portal. They’re both from the other world, right?”

I blinked at her. “I have no idea how that would work.”

She shrugged. “Neither do I, but there’s got to be a way. Maybe you could slap your mark or kiss it or do something.”

My face fell. “Seriously?”

She released my hands and stepped to the side where she crossed her arms. “It’s all up to you now, Miriam. I got you here, now you’ve got to get that mark going.”

“All you did was drive me here!” I argued.

“Close enough, now focus on that mark!”

I sighed and glanced down at my shoulder. There was a dull pain from that spot that made my whole arm ache. I pulled up my sleeves and grasped my mark in my hand. The skin felt warm. It reminded me of his body against mine, and the warmth in his eyes. I thought of my vision, and the last memory I had of him.

I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together. My whispered words floated through the quiet air. “Damn it. . .why’d you have to go and be a hero?”

The pain in my shoulder increased ten-fold. My eyes flew open and I whipped my head to my shoulder. The lines of the mark glowed a bright green and my hand glowed a bright blue. The brilliant colors twined together like silk bands. They floated into the air and swept in front of me. The pair of bands parted and drew two halves of a circle in the air before me.

The border of the portal materialized. The two bands finished their work with a bang as the center darkness blew into existence. I stumbled back and stared blankly at the complete Portal.

Heather rushed to my side and steadied me. Her wide eyes stared at the reflective surface. “Wow.” She looked at me. “How’d you do that?”

I dropped my hand and shook my head. “I don’t know.”

She stepped forward and looked at me before she jerked her head toward the portal. “Well? What are you waiting for?” I smiled and gave her a tight hug. We parted and I could see a few tears in her eyes. “Go on. You shouldn’t keep a dragon waiting. He might eat you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks. That really helps.”

She grinned. “I’ll always be there to give you the good news, now get going.”

Heather stepped aside. I looked to the Portal and took a deep breath knowing I’d need it.

With a hope and a prayer I leapt into the void. The trip was exactly like the first one, but the exit was a little different. I stumbled out of the other side of the portal and onto the hard stone platform. The front of my foot betrayed me this time and I tripped on one of those rocks. I fell onto my hands and knees.

A green cloak came into my limited view. I tilted my head up and into the shocked face of the ancient sage. Behind him were his peers. Their faces had the same astonished expression.

I grinned up at them. “Um, hi. You don’t happen to-” My eyes noticed a large stain over the stones. The stain was a distinct red color. My heart quickened. I looked up at them. “Where’s Xander?”

Apuleius knelt down and offered me his hand. “We must get you to him immediately.”

That didn’t do a thing to stop my fast-beating heart. I took his hand and he helped me up. Apuleius turned to one of the gray-cloaked men. “I will escort My Lady to My Lord.”

The gray cloaked man whipped his head up so quickly his hood fell backward to reveal his astonished face. “But Father Apuleius-”

“If anyone is to see My Lord to health, it shall be his Lady,” Apuleius told him. He glanced at the others and bowed his head. “Please forgive me-” The one in the gold cloak raised his hand and shook his head.

“Do not concern yourself with apologies. We all would risk our