Page 9 of Red Dragon’s Flame

Because what were the chances that he’d hooked up with a human woman who was seriously in danger of disappearing, and needing a heroic rescue?

That was something his brother dragons would do—hell, Cazbek and Zakerek had done it. The odds of all three of them meeting human women who needed to be rescued from life-threatening situations was astronomical.

She was probably just getting shit from the husband and six kids for spending too much time online, and was afraid she’d have to give up gaming.

Or she was a precocious teenager who was about to get grounded and have her videogaming console taken away. Hell, for all he knew she wasn’t even a she. She could be some eighty-year-old dude about to expire from decades of soft living and too much bacon.

He really hoped she showed up, though. He wasn’t sure he could pull off a heroic rescue.

Chapter 5

Devon sat alone in the dim, abandoned office building she currently called home. Her computers and desk lamp made a bright island in the dark room.

Sort of a metaphor for her life. Although, the brightest spot in it was Starthrower.

She’d never had a friend before. Only Auntie May, the elderly witch who’d taken care of her after her parents died.

Auntie May had warned her not to get attached to people. Never to let her guard down. It was dangerous for Devon—people would turn on her if they knew what she was.

And it was dangerous for anyone she was around. Because of the uncontrolled fire inside her, and because of the Allohim.

The bogeymen who had haunted her life. Only hers, unlike most people’s, were real. And if they ever found her…

She looked again at the message screen. Starthrower had offered help—unthinking and generous. Of course he had—anyone who played that kind of warrior in the game deep-down wished they could be a hero.

He didn’t know he was already her hero. Starthrower had been her lifeline since Auntie May died.

Without him, she would have been totally alone.

She’d never told him he’d gotten her through some of the worst times in her life, with his humor, his courage, and of course his gaming badass.

He was always there for her. Too bad the real world wasn’t like that.

In the real world, he was probably a nerdy little guy with a dad bod and a big heart, who’d be terrified of who and what she was: a creature of fire and magic, whose very touch was lethal.

It gave her a warm feeling inside, that he cared. But he was a human—an accountant, as ordinary as it got.

The Allohim, when they came, would tear him limb from limb without a thought.

She hoped he couldn’t find her. He shouldn’t be able to—she was a top-level hacker who’d hidden herself with every skill she possessed, and he was just a gamer. But she should have never let herself get involved, even virtually.

It couldn’t end well.

She stared out into the darkness, as if she could see through the walls of her basement room to the outside world. As if she would be able to see the Allohim lurking out there, ready to pounce.

They were close. She could feel it. She didn’t know how, but she did. She was forever linked to them, ever since they’d nearly captured her when she was seven.

When she’d died and been resurrected, and yet still had her life taken away.

She probably only had a day or so left. She’d have to bail on Starthrower and NinjaWolf, and their quest. She felt a surge of regret.

Not for the game quest—nothing could have mattered less. But because she’d never talk to them again. It would be too risky.

And her one real friend would never know why she’d suddenly gone silent. She hoped his life was so full of friends and family, he’d barely notice her gone.

She tried to find a way to say goodbye, but in the end she was just left with the cursor, blinking.

Chapter 6