Dragon Deception by Mell Eight Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mell Eight
gasped.
There was magic in the paint and he hadn't noticed. Mercury called himself an idiot as he yanked on his hand. He wasn't quite touching the paint, but his fingers were stuck. His own magic flared from his fingers in ineffectual sparks as every spell he tried failed to free him.
"What did you do?" Valerie snarled, glaring at him again.
"The magic caught me," Mercury replied through gritted teeth as yet another spell failed to free him.
The paint flared again and a second spell formed around his hand. Mercury groaned as it set into place and his body tried to shift form without his permission. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he fought the magic internally.
"What's it doing?" Valerie snapped. "Talk to me!"
"Trying to force me to change shape," Mercury gasped out.
"And that's bad?" she asked, sounding skeptical.
"I'll destroy the entire crime scene and squish you, O'Simmons, and most of the adjacent building if the spell wins," he growled, sending more magic through his fingers to fight the spell.
Valerie spun on O'Simmons, who was backing away from Mercury with a dawning look of horror on his face. Maybe he just hadn't known that Mercury was a dragon when they shook hands and that was why he hadn't acted prejudiced.
"You have a witch on staff or on call?" Valerie asked him sharply.
"There aren't any witches in this town," O'Simmons replied with a touch too much pride in his voice, as if that was a good thing. Idiot.
"Just like you don't have any dog-fighting operations?" Valerie scoffed. "You're terrible at your job, I hope you know." She turned back to Mercury. "It'll be at least forty-five minutes for the FBSI witch to get here. Can you hold on that long?"
Mercury growled. He could feel the spell working through his body, picking at his muscles and bones, tugging on tendons and ligaments, and scratching down his scales. It hurt so very bad and Mercury just wanted to give in and change shape, but he knew he couldn't. There was a reason the spell had been triggered by his fingers, why someone had set a spell for a dragon in the paint, and he wasn't going to allow them to win, but he could only hold out maybe another five minutes and there was no guarantee the SupFeds witch could even help.
"I have a better idea," Mercury gasped out. His free hand dove into his pants pocket and he pulled out his phone. It took a few seconds to key in Dane's cell phone number and hit send. Mercury could only hope Dane was in a part of the forest where there was service. Dane picked up on the second ring.
"Hello!" Dane said, sounding cheerfully stressed as if he were trying to make the best of a difficult situation. Mercury didn't have time to worry about Dane at the moment as the spell intensified suddenly as if sensing he was about to get help.
"I'm a little stuck right now. Some sort of magic caught me and I can't break free. I was wondering if you or Lumie might be able to get me out." He rattled off the address, then had to pause when yet another pulse of magic flared though him. His body shuddered, but he held his human form. This time. He might not be able to next time.
"I'll be right there," Dane finished, ending their call abruptly. Mercury tucked his phone back into his pocket and tried a different spell to get his hand free. He failed.
"Who was that?" Valerie asked. "You can't just call in an outsider like that! If you don't follow the protocol you'll get us both fired."
Mercury didn't bother to answer. A second later, the air shimmered next to him and Dane appeared. Lumie was clutching at his leg. They were inside the perimeter supposed to be maintained by the warded police tape.
Valerie jumped and swore. O'Simmons went a little white in the face. Dane ignored them all, immediately rushing forward and putting his hands on Mercury's shoulders. Mercury felt a block fall into place as Dane erected a magical wall between Mercury's body and the spell trying to force him to change shape.
"This is a nasty bit of
There was magic in the paint and he hadn't noticed. Mercury called himself an idiot as he yanked on his hand. He wasn't quite touching the paint, but his fingers were stuck. His own magic flared from his fingers in ineffectual sparks as every spell he tried failed to free him.
"What did you do?" Valerie snarled, glaring at him again.
"The magic caught me," Mercury replied through gritted teeth as yet another spell failed to free him.
The paint flared again and a second spell formed around his hand. Mercury groaned as it set into place and his body tried to shift form without his permission. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he fought the magic internally.
"What's it doing?" Valerie snapped. "Talk to me!"
"Trying to force me to change shape," Mercury gasped out.
"And that's bad?" she asked, sounding skeptical.
"I'll destroy the entire crime scene and squish you, O'Simmons, and most of the adjacent building if the spell wins," he growled, sending more magic through his fingers to fight the spell.
Valerie spun on O'Simmons, who was backing away from Mercury with a dawning look of horror on his face. Maybe he just hadn't known that Mercury was a dragon when they shook hands and that was why he hadn't acted prejudiced.
"You have a witch on staff or on call?" Valerie asked him sharply.
"There aren't any witches in this town," O'Simmons replied with a touch too much pride in his voice, as if that was a good thing. Idiot.
"Just like you don't have any dog-fighting operations?" Valerie scoffed. "You're terrible at your job, I hope you know." She turned back to Mercury. "It'll be at least forty-five minutes for the FBSI witch to get here. Can you hold on that long?"
Mercury growled. He could feel the spell working through his body, picking at his muscles and bones, tugging on tendons and ligaments, and scratching down his scales. It hurt so very bad and Mercury just wanted to give in and change shape, but he knew he couldn't. There was a reason the spell had been triggered by his fingers, why someone had set a spell for a dragon in the paint, and he wasn't going to allow them to win, but he could only hold out maybe another five minutes and there was no guarantee the SupFeds witch could even help.
"I have a better idea," Mercury gasped out. His free hand dove into his pants pocket and he pulled out his phone. It took a few seconds to key in Dane's cell phone number and hit send. Mercury could only hope Dane was in a part of the forest where there was service. Dane picked up on the second ring.
"Hello!" Dane said, sounding cheerfully stressed as if he were trying to make the best of a difficult situation. Mercury didn't have time to worry about Dane at the moment as the spell intensified suddenly as if sensing he was about to get help.
"I'm a little stuck right now. Some sort of magic caught me and I can't break free. I was wondering if you or Lumie might be able to get me out." He rattled off the address, then had to pause when yet another pulse of magic flared though him. His body shuddered, but he held his human form. This time. He might not be able to next time.
"I'll be right there," Dane finished, ending their call abruptly. Mercury tucked his phone back into his pocket and tried a different spell to get his hand free. He failed.
"Who was that?" Valerie asked. "You can't just call in an outsider like that! If you don't follow the protocol you'll get us both fired."
Mercury didn't bother to answer. A second later, the air shimmered next to him and Dane appeared. Lumie was clutching at his leg. They were inside the perimeter supposed to be maintained by the warded police tape.
Valerie jumped and swore. O'Simmons went a little white in the face. Dane ignored them all, immediately rushing forward and putting his hands on Mercury's shoulders. Mercury felt a block fall into place as Dane erected a magical wall between Mercury's body and the spell trying to force him to change shape.
"This is a nasty bit of
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