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cottage?”
    Dylan crossed the distance to her side. “I can try. That sound is rather rattling isn’t it?”
    She nodded. “Does it sound like a death knell to you?”
    His eyes snapped at her. If she didn’t know better she thought she’d just hit a very raw nerve of his. “No.” A muscle danced in his cheek … his jaw was set in a firm and determined line. “Well, that’s shitty luck. I can’t seem to get the portal to open.”
    “Shitty luck? That’s the worst luck. They must have figured out a way to jam such transportation devices. We’ll have to fight.”
    “Fight?”
    “Okay, I’ll do most of the fighting.” Then, beneath her breath she muttered,
    “That’s my bloody job anyway.” She raised her voice so that everyone could hear her.
    “Just keep your heads down. That way, I won’t have to worry about any of you getting accidentally killed.”
    The battle cries stopped. She looked wildly around the room. Resting her hand on her sword, she waited. “Get ready! It’s about to get very hot in here.”

    DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170

Chapter Four
    Grania hit the nail right on the head, with her latest statement. He watched her catch his gaze and hold it. Nodding her head to him, she drew her sword from its scabbard. In the next second, she held her hand up and his mother, father and uncle were moved toward him so they stood flanking his sides.
    “Be safe.” Flames erupted in her green eyes. A wall of fire enshrouded them.
    “Damn.”
    His mother’s horrified face turned to meet his. “She’s going to burn us alive!”
    “Come now, mother. You should know better than that. Do you feel hot?”
    “Strangely … no.”
    “Dragon shifters have control over the elements. They can influence the
    temperature of their flame to either be scolding hot—or lukewarm, cool, or icy cold.
    This flame is cool to the touch … hence, the reason why it’s blue.”
    “She does know her stuff, Dylan.” His father beamed over at him. “We could
    have helped her—I’ve fought my fair share of dragon shifters in my day.”
    “You are out of practice, Timothy. Don’t even think about walking through this flame barrier to assist that young girl. She was entrusted to protect our son, I highly doubt her king and queen would have given her such a responsibility if they didn’t believe she could keep him safe.”
    “Even if father wanted to walk through the flame, he couldn’t. It’s been erected as a bloody shield. Bloody hell, she’s got grit, I’ll hand that to you.” Pride welled in him.
    “She’ll hold her own. I’m certain she’ll drive them away.” Her mother gave him a confident smile.
    “She said there was six or seven of them coming.”
    “No, Dylan, she didn’t.”
    “Your mother is right … she never said a thing about how many were coming.”
    “Oh, my aching head.” Earlier that night, Denys had played with his head, and
    now Grania was doing it.
    “I’m afraid, Dylan, that you don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of ever getting away from young Grania.”
    He looked at his uncle sharply. “What do you mean, Uncle Jonas?”
    “I meant exactly what I said. You must be her mate … she probably
    unintentionally allowed you to hear her thoughts. I’ve heard about the wonders of these dragon shifters when it comes to love. Your own aunt once held a torch for one of them.”
    “That’s true. Rachel was quite smitten with one of them once. She even offered her magical services to many of them when it came to enchanting their lands so the humans wouldn’t notice when they shifted.”
    “Aunt Rachel. Of course. That’s why I had such a bloody hard time working
    past her enchantments—family spells are bloody hard to impregnate. She had to have been the witch that Grania got to bless her cottage.”

    DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
    “Indeed. Our sister does know how to write them.” His father nodded, beaming
    with pride.
    The sounds of battle met their