The Spirit Dragon by Tianna Xander

Chapter One
     
     
    Jasmine stared out through her brother-in-law’s kitchen window. “What in the goddess’s name did I ever do to deserve this?” She needed a vacation…from life.
    She tore her gaze away from the poor dog standing out in the rain and stared down at the windowsill. How could she tell her sisters what she’d done, this time—even though it was an accident? Jasmine used to think her powers were cool, even if she couldn’t control them, but not now. Now, she knew them for what they truly were. A curse.
    She glanced back out the window and tried to come up with an excuse for what she saw other than that she was a menace. She attempted to think up a plausible explanation for what she saw. “I have no idea how he got there, he just showed up. Are you sure the vet said he was dead?”
    “What are you talking about?” April asked as she breezed into the room, glancing Jasmine’s way with a smile.
    “I-uh,” Jasmine tried to articulate, but just couldn’t find the words. Wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, she gestured to the window with a nervous smile. “Look who’s back.” She moved out of her sister’s way, hoping to escape the kitchen before April had the proverbial cow.
    Her sister moved to the window with a frown. “What the—”
    Jasmine attempted to leave the room while the dog had her sister distracted, but failed.
    “Oh, no you don’t, Jasmine. Come here and explain this.”
    Turning, Jasmine looked at her sister who rested her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at her. “Did you say something?” Jasmine tried for an innocent expression, but had the suspicion she failed…miserably.
    “How did he get out there?” April gestured toward the window and the dog that stood on the back lawn with his midsection dangling sickly where it was flat from a car running over it. “Let him die, Jasmine.”
    “He is dead. I don’t know how he got out there.” Jasmine moved to the window again just in time to see the dog wag its tail, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. “It’s not like I did anything to bring him back. Heck, I didn’t even know I could bring animals back.”
    The dog’s midsection almost dragged in the grass, which probably would have been okay if he’d have been one of those little wiener dogs. However, Boomer had been a German Shepherd Dog. There was no way to explain the dangling middle for an animal whose stomach should have been a good foot and a half off the ground.
    April crossed her arms over her rounded belly with a sigh. “What are we going to do with him?”
    “We just need to keep him in the back yard until you can get me out of here.”
    “What are you thinking?” April’s brows nearly disappeared into her hairline. “You can’t leave with that-that thing hanging around the back yard.”
    “It’s not a thing , April. That’s—”
    “Don’t you dare tell me that’s Boomer. That might be Boomer’s reanimated shell, but his spirit is long gone.” She waved her arm toward the window. “Whatever that is out there, it’s not Drake’s dog and you need to kill it or let it die.” She walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. “Good grief. What’s come over the rest of you? Why is it that your powers seem to keep getting more and more out of control? Ever since we all had our twenty-fifth birthdays, things have gotten hairy.” She rested her head in her hands. “We need to get you all married.”
    “No, you don’t. What you need is to let me go off on my own for a while. At least until it’s almost time for you to have that baby. I don’t want to be the reason you have a miscarriage, April.” Jasmine moved to sit next to her sister, resting her hand on April’s arm. “I can’t control this. I don’t know how I brought Boomer back to life. The only thing I do know is that if I leave, he’ll die again. Then, if Drake wants to keep the dog’s remains around, I would suggest cremation.” Nothing ever came back from that