Free The Sapphire Dragon by Tianna Xander

leave his body once more. He had to figure out where he was and warn the others. If he could find a way to expose these men, his death wouldn’t be in vain. He had always hoped to die honorably. This was his chance. Perhaps, if they were lucky, they could stop this lunatic before he killed a dragon with an agreeable mate.
    For one moment, Jarrod pictured Daisy standing before him, her beautiful yellow-blonde hair framing her delicate features. If only he had been able to kiss her, just once. If he had, he could have died happy. Instead, he would die knowing that the woman he loved couldn’t stand the sight of him.
    Once again, Jarrod closed his eyes and reached for the ether.
     

Chapter Seventeen
     
     
    For the first time since her parent’s death, Daisy closed her eyes and prayed. She needed to find Jarrod. As much as she didn’t want to be his mate, she didn’t want him dead either.
    It was time that she admitted to herself that she couldn’t help falling in love with the man. She’d seen him almost daily for the last few weeks. Each time, he had looked at her, but never said a word, and never once approached her.
    He’d been giving her what she wanted. A life without him. Now, she wasn’t so sure that she wanted a life without him in it.
    What had she done by refusing him? She never once thought that anything would happen to him, though, she supposed it made sense. Why wouldn’t he take chances? He knew that if she had her way, he wouldn’t have a mate. At least not for a long time. Mates were rare for dragon kin. She knew that and still she’d refused him. What a bitch she’d become in her quest to shun magic.
    Opening her eyes, she glanced at her dresser. As much as she hated the thought, she would have to use her magic. She didn’t want to hurt anyone with it, but she didn’t want Jarrod dying because of some childish fear of hers either.
    As impossible as it seemed, she’d fallen in love with Jarrod in her quest to keep herself from feeling anything for the man. She’d even avoided him. How could she fall in love with him by just seeing him every day? Did it have something to do with their mate bond? Did their bond insure that they would fall in love with one another? Is that why it always seemed to happen so quickly with dragons and their mates?
    Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. If only she had allowed him to kiss her. She would at least be partially bound to the man and have some semblance of control over her power.
    Instead, she’d refused him and now she’d be using her magic without the control that having a mate would have given her.
    Standing, she strode to her dresser and stared at the top drawer. Nervous, she wiped the palms of her hands on her legs before she reached out and pulled the drawer open. Reaching in behind her underwear, she pulled out the long, ebony case and stared at the polished wood.
    “Here goes nothing,” she whispered to herself as she opened the thin box. Terrified of what was to come, she pulled the wand from its case and shoved it up her sleeve.
    Whatever she did, she had to find a place to do it outside. She didn’t want to be responsible for destroying Drakes beautiful home.
    Normally, she would never touch her wand unless her sisters browbeat her into it, but this time she knew she had to use it. This time, her mate’s life could very well depend on it.
    All of the men were in some sort of meeting. They were most likely trying to figure out a way to save Jarrod. It wasn’t difficult to make her way through the house unseen. It was even easy to get outside without a guard. The dragons were too busy trying to figure out a way to save one of their own to worry about an unmated female sneaking out.
    Moving to a smooth patch of grass several yards from the house, Daisy pulled the wand from her sleeve, closed her eyes and lifted her hands to the sky. Keeping the tip of the wand pointed toward the night sky, she began her chant to draw down the power of