Free The Dragon King and I by Adrianne Brooks

Fairies.”
    “Good idea.” I may have imagined the genuine relief I heard in his voice, but considering his personality, and the length of time I’d gone without a bath, I couldn’t be completely sure.
    * * * *
    It didn’t take long to finish my shower. After I’d climbed out from beneath the showerhead, skin tingling pleasantly still from the effects of the hot water, I wandered over to sink and stood staring at the steam shrouded mirror above it for a long time. I’d avoided the sight of my own face for so long that when I finally got up the nerve to wipe the glass clean, I found myself looking into the eyes of a stranger.
    Large eyes, long lashes, and a small, round sort of mouth. An oval face framed by curly brown hair, cut longer on one side than on the other in an asymmetrical style I’d thought dashing at the time. Don’t get me wrong, it still looked pretty damn cute, I just wasn’t as into my looks as I was a few months ago when the curse was still a secret shame of mine that while scary at times, was till manageable for the most part.
    It had made dating in high school and college tricky at best and I’d had my fair share of close calls growing up. In fact, my last date had been right around the time things were starting to take a turn for the worst. When Kendrick had started to kiss me and didn’t look as if he wanted to stop I’d found myself crying and pushing at his shoulders while I whimpered,
    “Please don’t make me. I don’t want to. Please, please, don’t.”
    I hadn’t screamed or tried to fight him off. I’d been too scared that those who attempted to help me might be of the same frame of mind. Besides, I’d felt like his loss of control had been my fault. Like things never would have gotten so out of hand if my magic hadn’t…
    I watched, face expressionless, as my gray eyes darkened. Taking a deep, shaky, breath I wiped my hands over my face and tried to find calm. Rachel thought I’d stopped going to work around the time that man had gotten hit but that wasn’t entirely true. I’d stopped working long before that, surviving instead off of the allowance my mother sent me each month. I hadn’t been proud of my weakness, which was why I tried to force myself to at least keep attending classes every day. But when I really think about it, I suppose that my choice to become a shut-in hadn’t exactly been a choice.
    My mother used to tell me, “You can’t trust anyone, ever.”
    I guess she was right after all.
    I smiled at my reflection, just to prove that I could, before turning away in disgust. I’d been thinking about putting on some make-up, but Sam was here on an official basis. He wasn’t some blind date Rachel had set up for me. Besides, he looked like the kind of guy who fell for the more glamorous types.
    Like Seraphim maybe.
    Seraphim the sex goddess with a temper, and Sam the occasionally bashful warrior; the mental pairing brought me up short.
    Then I burst out laughing.
    Who would kill whom first was anyone’s guess.
    Still chuckling, I wandered into my bedroom and noticed the blinking light on my cell phone. When I checked it, I saw that I had four missed calls. Three were from Rachel. The last was from my mother. She’d left a voicemail.
    “Darling, you’re being silly. I don’t like you cooped up in that stuffy old apartment all the time.”
    My apartment was brand spanking new and quite well ventilated, thank you Mother. And when was not wanting to be responsible for another death the definition of ‘being silly’?
    “Now I’ve spoken with your little friend.” Rachel. “And I have to admit that I’m not at all pleased with her.” her voice lowered and I heard the deep rumble of male voices in the background. “I thought you knew better than to befriend an oath breaker?” the voices in the background grew louder and Isabelle Greyson grew brisk. “I have to go now dear, but I expect you to call me back as soon as you get this. We have a lot to