Free Descended from Dragons: an Urban Fantasy (Moonlight Dragon Book 1) by Tricia Owens

demon eats you."
    I felt bad as soon as I said it. No matter what he'd said to hurt me he didn't deserve the fate he faced if I turned my back on him.
    Moody, I'm sorry.
    "I'm fine."
    You're not."
    I sighed.
    "Moody, I need you to not hate me.
    "Hate you?" My brows rose in surprise. "I couldn't hate you."
    Growing up, I'd always detested bullies, probably because I'd been a frequent target of them. Using my magickal heritage against me as Vale had done was no different than someone pulling their eyes sideways and calling me a Slant Eye. But he'd had his reason, just as those kids had had theirs. Hopefully his was one I could understand.
    "I don't know how you know about my parents, but you know nothing about what kinds of people they were," I told him. "You know nothing about me either. So maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge."
    Moody, I'm sorry. I'm under stress, but that's no excuse. I shouldn't have said those things to you.
    "No," I breathed as I stared sightlessly into the darkness of the shop, hoping he would give me what I wanted from him, "you shouldn't have."
    Lucky hovered, a faint streak of gold in the corner of my vision. I sent him away, not because I was ashamed of him, or of me, but because this was a battle I didn't need him for.
    Finally:
    I don't know how much longer I can keep the demon at bay. Please help me. I'm…worried that I'm not strong enough to do it on my own.
    There it was. I understood fear even if what I'd felt wasn't the same tenor that Vale was experiencing now. I knew the fear caused by abandonment, the fear that arose from being different. Another downside to being picked on by bullies was that you became empathetic and you yearned to help those who couldn't help themselves. You hated seeing someone be afraid.
    Vale knew exactly how to tear down my defenses, yet I didn't resent him for it. I liked him more for being honest, especially with him being an ancient gargoyle that probably rarely had to ask for help with anything.
    I looked down at the gargoyle. It blinked up at me. Its lizard-like tail swept the floor and formed a little curl. Again, not cute at all. Not much.
    "Do you know how this happened to you? Or who did it?" I asked.
    I wasn't conscious at the time. I wish I could tell you more.
    "Are you…in pain?"
    I'm not. Thank you for asking, Moody.
    I shrugged it off. "I don't know what you're going through. I'm trying to figure it out, though, so I can help you."
    If anyone can help me, I believe it is you.
    That caught my interest. "Why me?"
    Dragon sorcerers are powerful. Whatever happened to me won't be easy to reverse. Believe me, Moody, when I say that I'm grateful to be in your care.
    "Now you're just blowing sunshine," I muttered, but I was pleased. Hell, I felt special, even if Vale was feeding me nothing but lines. On that note, just in case—
    "Give me your word that you aren't evil."
    It was a ridiculous demand. Vale would say whatever I wanted him to. But when he said, I promise you, Moody , I believed him.
    "I've got a plan," I told him. "No guarantees that it'll work, but I think it's worth a shot."
    I trust you.
    I grabbed a large pet carrier from off the shelves and dropped it on the floor. "It'll be a little cramped, but it's the best I can offer."
    The gargoyle crawled in tentatively and allowed me to shut and lock the door.
    "Holy moly, you weigh a ton," I grunted as I lifted the thing. "I liked you better when you were stone."
    But I regretted saying it even though Vale remained silent. I pictured him crouched within the gargoyle: trapped in stone, trapped with a demon. A memory of horror shivered through me. I crossed my fingers and hoped that I could be the sorceress he needed me to be.
     
    ~~~~~
     
    "Orlaton is like the Mozart of occultists," Melanie said as she parked her car in the lot of a strip mall on Industrial Road. "He's a child genius who's probably going to be eaten by a demon. But you know what? I think he's got a crush on you. Can you