Rogue Dragon by Kassanna Page A

fish.”
    “Keep on dreaming, reptile.” A shuffle of steps and the whine of hinges accompanied by the solid click of a door closing told her she was now alone with Kirill.
    A vein in his temple throbbed. She pulled his head down and traced his lips with the point of her tongue. His hand skirted down her sides and she angled away from his palm. He lifted his head and tilted it to look at her side. Kirill yanked the jacket aside and lifted the hem of her sweater. He narrowed his eyes and she bent her head to see what he was glowering at. Her ribs were bruised black with the edges turning a mottled purple. The wide mark covered a few of her tattoos, and he skimmed his fingers along her ribs. Her skin was tender to the touch. He circled her, holding her clothes away from her body. The cool air brushed her skin and goose bumps rose up.
    “Next time I see that fish I will finish what I started.”
    “You can’t kill him, and how did you know he was a merman?” She pried her top from his fingers.
    “I’m older, I could sense his essence. I won’t kill him for you, but taking a nice chunk out of his hide is an option.”
    Synda giggled. “Exactly how old are you?”
    “Too old to want to talk about it. Where is your bathroom?” Careful of her bruises, he scooped her up and cradled her against his chest.
    “Upstairs, unlike someone, we actually have in-door plumbing.” She bit her lip. “Dad’s not here Kirill. You don’t think…”
    He held a finger against her lips. “I’ll find your father. In the meantime, you are my top priority and I want to take care of you.”
    “Wait, what about the window?”
    Kirill sighed. “I’ll handle that too.”

Chapter Nine
    The narrow shower took up most of the space in the tiny bathroom. He’d set Synda on her feet and there was no room to maneuver with both of them standing there. Kirill stared at the contraption, with the showerhead hanging from tubes in the ceiling, and followed them. The knobs were bolted to plastic covered wood planks. He shook his head. She complained about an outhouse .
    They moved in a circle as she inched toward the shower. He tilted his head and watched, fascinated, as she worked the knobs and a dribble of water fell from the metal head. The wall shuddered and pipes groaned, more water sputtered and then stopped.
    “Crap.” She twisted the knobs then turned into his chest.
    “What now?” He tried to step back but his calves hit the commode.
    “I think the pipes are frozen. Dad hooked it up so we would have continual hot water as long as we kept the furnace outside lit. With him not here, I think the fire finally went out.”
    “Where is the furnace?”
    “On the back side of the house.”
    “Stay here and give me a few minutes, okay?”
    She nodded.
    He gripped her hips in a dance to get out of the miniscule area. Synda placed a palm on his arm. He stopped, twisted his torso and pecked her nose with his mouth. The worry in her eyes constricted his heart. Her pain was his. He resolved to wipe the hurt he was witnessing away. She released his biceps.
    Kirill trotted down the steps two at a time, inhaling deeply to warm his core. It probably would have been smart to put on clothes, but he didn’t have time. First with the perceived threat, earlier from the damn merman, and now making sure she was taken care of. Wind whipped the drapes, making them snap in the wind. He’d get the water warmed, and then see if he could find something to cover the window. A quick glance around the room and he wondered if there was also a generator. He hadn’t heard any noises but if there was, it was probably running out of oil too.
    Outside, the snow flurries had picked up. He shook off the chill and increased his body heat, stalking around the house in search of the furnace. The old metal was caked with ice, and the opening creaked as it swung in the wind. Beside it, stacks of wood covered in deep drifts told him it had been more than a few days since