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was a different creature now that he was free of the trance. Any semblance of vulnerability was gone. Having cared for his body for three days, she’d known he was large but he towered over her, filling her cabin and making the tiny space seem even smaller. Even the strength she’d observed in his sleep was nothing to the internal power he exuded now. This was a frighteningly strong man—physically and mentally. And she’d just shocked him. But she had to make him understand. Over the next three weeks, the dragon’s awareness would grow inside him, slowly overtaking the human mind. And then, in an instant, the dragon would appear in corporeal form and the human would disappear forever.
    “Explain that.” It was a true command, spoken by one used to giving orders and expecting them to be filled.
    Irritation pricked her. She’d spent three days watching him, soothing him, and allowing him to touch her—though she would admit that had been a pleasure for her—
    and now he presumed to give her orders like some serf. She was tempted to snap at him but she wanted his help, so she clamped down on the annoyance.
    “The change happens more quickly if the man returns home. No one knows why exactly, but it’s believed to be the emotional upheaval.”
    “Emotional upheaval?”
    He was obviously a warrior who didn’t believe emotions would or could affect him. She took all emotion out of her voice.
    Tielle St. Clare
    Dragon’s Kiss
    22
    “Yes. As the creature begins to awaken, the human is lost more and more. The challenge of trying to maintain the previous personality seems to make the dragon more fierce. More desperate to appear. And more angry when he does appear.”
    Kei squinted and watched her for a moment. “How do you know so much?”
    Suspicion laced his voice.
    “I study dragons.”
    And the light of recognition flared in his eyes. “Of course. You’re the dragon who—” He stopped and had the grace to look ashamed.
    “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I know what they call me.”
    “And it doesn’t bother you?”
    Because he sounded truly curious, and not mocking, she answered honestly. “No. Because I have to be near the dragons to study them.”
    “For what purpose?” The King stared at her in amazement. “The only reason to study them is to find more efficient ways to kill them. The only good dragon is a dead dragon.”
    Lorran knew most people held that opinion, but still, it was hard to hear the words. She’d come to respect if not understand these creatures.
    “I’ll be curious to see if you hold that same opinion in three weeks time when you turn into one of those creatures. Will death be your choice?”
    “Yes,” he answered without pausing. “But I’ll never make the final transition. I won’t do that to my family or to my people.”
    Lorran felt her eyes widen. He couldn’t be serious. “You’d suicide?” The idea was so foreign she couldn’t imagine it. The depth of his determination was beyond her comprehension.
    “If that’s the only way the transition can be stopped then, yes. You’ve seen what happens to the villages where these creatures nest. You’ve seen the destruction, the devastation. Crops burned, entire herds of livestock eliminated. And then, there’s the lovely tradition of sacrificing virgins.” Kei began to pace the room and for the first time, Lorran saw him as a leader, not merely as a King. He wasn’t blind with hatred. He hated with reason. “No matter how many times we tell people that sacrificing virgins doesn’t help, they still do it. And the dragon still takes them.” He spun around and stalked toward her. “Have you seen what happens to these women when the dragon is done with them?” He stopped in front of her. “Have you?”
    “Yes,” she whispered, the memories still haunted her dreams. She’d never been able to save them. Their screams of terror had eventually ended in death.
    “And still you defend them?”
    Lorran didn’t know how