Sneak Peek – Bold Strokes, Deadly Dreams #5

Completely unedited, proofed, totally raw sneak peek from the final book in the Deadly Dreams Series (Formerly the INK: Series).

 

Enjoy.

 

One deep glowing red eye opens. I stumble backward. The other opens and I try to stand my ground. Slowly, the dragon picks up it’s large head, dust and debris fall from the dragon’s scales. A thousand years of slumber falling away. It’s so hard but I will myself to not show how terrified I am. There’s nothing around me that I could use as a weapon, no way to defend myself against it.

She stands stretching her enormous legs and expands her wings with a look of satisfaction on her face.

The dragon gives it’s entire body one hearty shake to finish removing the debris. It looks around surveying the surroundings. It’s eyes lock back on me and the glow intensifies. Her mighty head lowers to where I am. My body quivering I adjust my stance in a show of strength.

She studies me for a long time and an admiring smile rises to her lips, “It’s about time.” I hear a voice in my head that I know is the dragon’s.

“What are you?” I ask not allowing my voice to falter.

“I’m your heart.” Her grin intensifies, “I’m your strength and you have finally awoken me.”

“My heart?” I question.

“Yes, your heart.” She tilts her head, “I am everything you are meant to be, all you had to do was awaken me.”

“But I’ve always had my heart, it’s always been my weakness.” I lower my head knowing that most of the mistakes I’ve made are from following my heart.

“No, that was never your heart, that was your fear. You’ve been following your fear your whole life, letting me waste in a deep sleep.” Her eyebrows rise awaiting my understanding.

“But, how can you love with fear?” Comfort is blanketing me, knowing this beast means me no harm.

Satisfaction riddles her face as I come to the conclusion with her. “You can’t.”

I inhale a deep breath stunned at the revelation. For a moment I feel like I’ve been turned upside down on the inside. She kneels down closer to where I’m standing meeting me eye to eye. “Are you ready?”

My body fills with something inexplicable a combination of fire, electricity, power and something else. Something I’ve never felt before. With as much assurance as I can muster I nod.

“Then feel it. Be it. Do it.” She says while her head rises to it’s full height. She spreads her wings, flexing the powerful muscles throughout her body, “Now fly!” She screeches while her wings create a hot wind like the wings of Satan blow cold at the center of Purgatory.

I open my eyes and with one thought I power through the vines and branches that bind me. I brush myself off thinking of the dragon within me. “Now fly.” I repeat her words and start moving forward. It doesn’t matter that I don’t know where I’m going but I know I’m going to get there. For the first time in my life I know I’m going to get there.

The swishing sound of the dragon’s winds blow by me, in this nightmare land. I hear her voice, “Just because you’ve awakened me doesn’t mean that this is going to be easy or simple, it only means that now you’ve contacted the power that you will need to do what must be done.”

“I know.” I answer, feeling the truth in her words.