Free Marked by the Dragon King by Caroline Hale

I’m pretty sure my dream self has a thinner waist and perkier boobs, too. I scamper over to my closet and throw open the door, revealing my mediocre wardrobe. Hmm. This sundress looked pretty good on me when I tried it on at the store, but I’ve never worn it out. It still has the tags. I wonder how well I can walk in these heels I got at Goodwill. I’ve only ever worn them in my room.
    What am I thinking? This isn’t a dream. I can’t wear second hand high heels and a flimsy dress. I’m probably going to be crawling around in a cave trying to find him, or running from some kind of monster. This is a boots, pants, and ponytail operation. I’m definitely bringing a flashlight. A weapon of some sort couldn’t hurt either, but I don’t really have anything. What else might I need? Rope, maybe? I should have stopped at a hardware store or something.
    I look in the mirror when I’m done assembling my makeshift rescue pack. Asher won’t even recognize me. I look like an adventurer alright, but definitely not the sexy Laura Croft kind, more like second rate Indiana Jones. Maybe it’s for the best. This is who I actually am. Frizzy hair, ill fitting hand-me-down clothes, and a practical backpack.
    I’m really going to see him. For whatever reason, I don’t even question if the fang will work, I just know . Everything will be different now. It will be real. And if he doesn’t want me, the real me, it will break my heart into a thousand pieces and there’s nothing I can do to prevent it.
    My heart slamming into my ribs, I settle back in on the couch, flipping open the cover and turning to the page with the drawing of the fang. I run my hand over the image and it glows, activating whatever enchantment is there. Curiously, the book starts to shake and the fang slides across the table. I let out a startled scream and back away.
    The glowing intensifies and smoke starts to curl out of the book. I'm sure it's is going to catch fire if I don't do something, so I grab the fang and set it on the page, in line with the drawing. The shaking stops and a pulsing light emanates from the fang as it locks into place, black script flowing across the page. I try to read it, but it's moving too fast. The lights in my apartment flicker and surge, a light bulb explodes in the lamp next to me.
    I can’t shake the image of Asher’s desperate eyes as he reaches out to me. Without thinking, my hand flies to the book, but I can't lift the fang off the page. My hand is stuck, I can't even unbend my fingers. Leaning forward again to see if anything has changed on the page, I find that the flowing script is now fixed in place. One word is glowing red and singes the top of my hand. A spell that I know I have to cast or I will cease to exist. If I'm not the one who was supposed to use this key I’ll be burned alive just like Jax said, but the brand on my thigh is throbbing and I’m certain it’s supposed to be me.
    The heat circling my hand grows and demands its release. Blisters begin to form on my palm, but it doesn’t really burn, it just tingles. With this much magic flowing through me, gathering my focus is effortless. I have never even seen a spell this powerful before, but I know I can do this. Releasing the energy, I scream, “Portal,” and all I can see is the inferno.

 
     
     
    Chapter Ten
     
     
    Flames swirl around my body, dancing beautifully on my clothes and hair, warming my skin delightfully. The fire coalesce into a circle, spiraling away from my body and pressing against the wall as a curious breeze fills the room. There’s a familiar white haze on the other side of the fiery ring that calls to me, urging me to step forward. I stick one leg over the threshold, trying to feel the stone floor through the fog, but there’s nothing to stand on. I’ve fallen into the chamber before and I’m not exactly looking forward to repeating the experience, but I’d rather break every bone in my body than spend another moment away