Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series
Her Elemental Dragons: Stroke the Flame: Chapter 5

Everyone knew the Black Dragon and the other Dragons were immortal. They’d ruled for the last thousand years, and would rule for another thousand to come. Each one was the divine representative of the five elemental Gods, hand-picked to serve them and reign over the rest of us. This man couldn’t be one of them—and neither could I.

“No,” I said, my head spinning. “Impossible.”

“I’ll prove it to you,” the soldier—Jasin—said. He raised his hand and conjured a ball of flame, which danced across his fingertips.

Even with the heat from the fire, all I felt was cold terror. I turned on my heel and ran out of the inn as fast as I could while flashbacks of my parents’ deaths filled my mind, their screams ringing in my ears even seven years later. There was no denying it anymore. Jasin truly was the Crimson Dragon—and a soldier for the Onyx Army—which meant I had to get as far away from him as possible.

I dashed into the forest, down the hidden paths I knew like the back of my hand, crashing through the brush with my bow clutched tight in my fingers. I ran with only instinct and fear guiding me, without a firm plan in my mind other than to escape. Not just to save myself, but to save Tash and her mother too. I couldn’t let him burn them alive, like the other Crimson Dragon had done to my family.

Jasin called out, “Wait!” He chased me into the forest, and with his long legs managed to catch up to me within minutes.

When I glanced back, he was almost upon me. I stumbled and tripped over a fallen tree and he crashed into me from behind, tumbling to the ground with me. We landed together with him on top, pinning me down with his hard, muscular body.

His face was close to mine and we were both breathing heavily, our chests pressed together. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “It’s my duty to serve and protect you.”

I stared into his eyes without backing down. “Why?”

“Because you’re the Black Dragon.”

I let out a sharp laugh. “Hardly.”

“You are. Or you will be, once you’ve bonded with me and the other three Dragons. Then you’ll be the strongest of us all.”

The Black Dragon was the representative of the Spirit Goddess and could control all the elements. She always had four male Dragons as her mates, each one representing the different elements of fire, water, earth, and air. If Jasin was correct—which he obviously wasn’t—then he would be one of the men bonded to me for life as my lover, my husband, and my guardian.

The idea of sleeping with the four men in my dreams sent a rush of desire between my legs, as did the feel of Jasin on top of me. With our eyes locked together, my lips parted and raging hot lust coursed through me. Sparks of passion seemed to flare between us, and for a second I gripped his shirt and nearly pulled his mouth down to mine.

Gods, what was wrong with me?

“Get off me,” I said, shoving him aside before I did something stupid. I stood up and brushed the dirt and leaves off myself. “If you’re right, then where are the other three?”

“I’m sure they’ll be here soon. We were given your name and told we would bond with you in the order in which we arrived. Even if the others tried to ignore it, the need to replace you became almost overwhelming as more days passed.” He slowly stood as his dark eyes ran up and down my body like a caress. “I’m glad I was the first though.”

I tried to ignore the way his suggestive smile made me as warm as the flame he’d conjured. “If you are the Crimson Dragon, then prove it. Shift into your other form.”

“I can’t. I’ve been chosen to be the next Crimson Dragon, but I won’t become one truly until I bond with you in the Fire Temple. After that, you’ll be able to control fire too and I’ll be able to change into a dragon at will.” He shrugged. “Or at least, that’s what the Fire God told me.”

“How convenient.” I crossed my arms, skeptical of everything he was telling me. Although he had summoned fire from thin air, so he wasn’t completely full of lies. “You’re a soldier in the Onyx Army. Why should I believe anything you say?”

All traces of amusement left his eyes and he looked away with a frown. “I was before, yes. Not anymore. I had to leave my post to replace you and I can’t ever return. They won’t look kindly on a deserter.”

No, they wouldn’t. If the Onyx Army found him, they’d assume he was a traitor working with the Resistance and make an example of him. If he was telling the truth, of course. He was still wearing their uniform, after all, though his scaled armor was nowhere in sight.

I sighed as I debated what to do. I was still wary, but something told me to listen to him. Maybe because I already felt like I knew him after seeing him in my dreams for so many nights. Years of being on my own had made it hard for me to trust anyone, but Jasin felt familiar somehow. If nothing else, I should hear more of what he had to say.

“Let’s head back to the inn and talk about this over some food,” I finally said.

“There’s nothing I would enjoy more.” He gestured toward the inn. “Lead the way.”

He kept pace with me easily, and as we walked we kept sneaking glances at each other. It was hard to believe he was real, and I wondered if he felt the same way. Not to mention, he was definitely easy on the eyes. All those muscles and that cocky smile…yeah, he must be popular with the ladies.

As we emerged from the forest, I spotted the stable boy bringing in a fine white horse with a saddle decorated with what looked like real gold. Other people who frequented the tavern were gawking at it, no doubt speculating about the nobleman it must belong to.

“Nice horse,” Jasin said with suspicion, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword. “Wonder who the rider is.”

I remembered my dream of the man in fine clothing reaching for a book. If what Jasin said was true, the nobleman I’d seen was likely the next Golden Dragon. Assuming any of this was real and not some kind of trick or con. I certainly didn’t feel like the Black Dragon, and I had no magic of my own. All I had were strange dreams that had started when I’d been hit by lightning.

I stepped inside the inn with Jasin at my heels. Inside, the beautiful golden-haired man from my dream was chatting with Tash, who hung on his every word. He immediately turned toward me, as did everyone else in the tavern, but when our eyes met it was like we were the only people in the room. His face was perfectly sculpted with sharp cheekbones and intelligent eyes, and he possessed an elegance that set him apart from every other man I’d seen before in my life. My breath hitched and desire rushed through me like a hurricane, threatening to blow me away.

“You,” he said, his voice full of awe.