I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie (The I Like Big Dragons Series) by Lani Lynn Vale Page A

indicated my hands. “I think it was just time. I had no control over it at all.”
    Before Nikolai could respond, a massive roar filled the air surrounding and inside the shop.
    The roar was so loud that car alarms started to sound, as well as building alarms.
    Windows shattered, and the metal building around us started to shake.
    I dropped my tools that I’d just picked up and started running blindly toward the open door at the front of the bay.
    Nikolai was not far behind me.
    A few of the other riders that worked in the shop started running toward the front too, as they’d been trained, and I was thankful they were there.
    Declan would’ve never roared like that had there not been something very wrong.
    Our dragons tended to follow us around.
    So even though I rode in today with Blythe, I knew he was close by.
    The same went for the other dragon riders.
    Most of them chose to drive since it brought less attention to them, seeing as not all of them could veil themselves like Declan and I could.
    “Holy fucking shit,” I breathed as I made it outside. “Holy fucking shit.”
    Declan’s mate was at Declan’s feet, laying deathly still.
    But as I got closer, I could tell she was still breathing.
    Which was also about the time I saw the metal ball sticking into her side.
    “What the fuck is that?” Nikolai asked me, coming to a stop a few feet away from Story.
    He would’ve come closer had Declan allowed him. But when a dragon’s mate was injured, the dragon only allowed the most trusted of allies close, and right then it was me.
    I fell to my knees beside Story’s head, hands going to the scaled skin at her neck where the ball was attached.
    I pressed down lightly around the ball, seeing the area surrounding the ball separate from the metal.
    Lightly, I pulled on the ball, wincing when the skin pulled with it.
    “It’s barbed,” I said. “Declan, let Nikolai in here to look. I need his help.”
    Nikolai came slowly, watching Declan warily as he made it to Story’s side.
    When he was where he wanted to be, he dropped down to his knees. “Pull it up slightly so I can take a look.”
    I did, and Nikolai dropped down to look at the small gap that was there between the metal ball and Story’s skin.
    He pulled out his pocketknife and said, “I think it’s spring loaded. If I can pull it in, I think it’ll loosen.”
    Declan growled when he saw the knife, but he didn’t stop Nikolai when he fit the backside of the blade between the gap and pressed in.
    The metal barb clicked inside, and I felt one side loosen.
    “It worked,” I said hurriedly. “Do the rest.”
    He did, working the last three loose before saying, “Okay, pull it back.”
    I did.
    As soon as I did it, Story’s eyes snapped open and she leapt off the ground, hovering ten feet above our heads.
    Declan’s snout lifted, and he ran it along the underside of Story’s belly before dropping it down to Nikolai’s head, and blew out a puff of air, ruffling his hair.
    “You’re welcome, big guy.” Nikolai patted Declan on the back.
    They shot her , Declan thundered.
    Sometimes, when dragons got overly emotional—mad, sad, happy or whatever other intense feelings they were experiencing—they had difficulty communicating their thoughts. Once they calmed down enough to concentrate, then they were able to send their thoughts to their human counterpart.
    Who shot her? I asked him.
    Purists. White van. They took off the moment she went down, Declan growled.
    “It was as if the ball somehow cut off her link to the Meridian. When that link was severed, she instantly came out of her hover as if all of her powers were gone. She’s lucky she didn’t have a far fall and that she was here instead of somewhere we wouldn’t have gotten to her quickly enough,” Nikolai breathed, studying the ball.
    I looked down, studying the ball myself.
    “Declan says they shot her from a white van,” I told Nikolai.
    “Perdita says the same.” Nikolai nodded his