I rolled out from under the bed, starshine ready and waiting in my hands. "Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?" I asked the woman. She had long blonde hair that looked like it would touch her butt if it weren't up in braids. Dozens of pieces of metal danced at her ears as she raised her hands and backed away. "Easy there, corcra. No need for weapons of mass destruction." Her gaze slid over my naked body. A glint appeared in her bright green eyes as a smile played at the corner of her mouth. "Then again, I might be willing to be destroyed if you're the one doing it."Tag finally made it out from under the bed, a glare on his face. "Who the fuck are you and how did you get in here?"I rolled my eyes. Like she was going to answer hi-"Ari called for me. I'm Drace." She stuck her hand out for him to shake. She gave him the same once over she'd given me. "Damn, is this where all the hot people live? If so, can I come stay here?" She looked between us, hope evident on
"With Sidney gone, who's going to train Hols?" I asked. I had to do something, anything, to distract myself from the images of Drace and Hols entwined together-all long sexy bodies and smooth skin sliding over each other. Lips caressing ski-Tag slapped me upside the head. "Stop it."Right. I shook my head. "Hols. Training. Who? What? When? Where? How?" I probably sounded like an idiot, but it was working. Ari smirked at me. "I'll take over her training. If she was able to come find me on Caer Sidi, then she is more powerful than any druid currently alive."I sighed. "Good. I think Sidney the Asshat was of the sink or swim type of teacher." I still needed to kick the guy's ass. I slapped my hands together. "Good. That's all taken care of. When do we start dragon training?" I was so freaking excited. It was like real live D&D. Except, I got to play my actual character. I just wish I could tell my fellow campaigners. That would be the shit. "We'll wait for nightfall. Peopl
I swallowed again, rubbed my free palm down the leg of my shorts to wipe it off. Now that the time had come to share the news of our family, all I could feel was butterflies and the rampant urge to vomit. As if she knew that, Stretch pulled from Tag's arms and wrapped her own around my waist. "Whatever it is, it won't change anything, Thane." She pressed her sweet lips to my sternum. "I promise."I hugged her to me. I wasn't terrified of the news or how she'd take it. It was just so personal. Except for the three of us, no one knew or understood. We'd been forbidden from sharing it. Had thought sharing it would end with our lives being forfeit. That was a lot for angry teens and young adult men to carry. I released her and we sat on Tove's bed. Tove got himself settled in his computer chair and wheeled it over. Tag leaned against one of the upright posts of the bed. "We come from a long line of shifters. Sometimes it skipped a generation, depending on various genes and expre
I clamped my arms around Sweetcheeks like they were steel bands as I felt the room drop away from us in the blinding light. It felt like I was trying to shield myself from the sun with a piece of lace. The light radiated around us, heated me from within. "What the hell?" Tove shouted. "I think closer to the heavens," Sweetcheeks said with a chuckle. "Look up." Her voice oozed happiness and joy. I slitted one eye open, ready to slam it shut again against the brutal brilliance of the light. All I could see for a moment were the singed vapors of after images on my retinas. Once those cleared, I sucked in a gasp. Blinked a few times to make sure I was actually seeing what my eyes and brain were telling me I was seeing. "This is amazing."Sweetcheeks giggled. "I know." She lowered her chin, smacked her mouth to mine. Too soon, she pulled away. "It's beautiful."Yes, yes she fucking was beautiful. Her dark purple hair was fanned out around her head against the purest white backg
"What the fuck?" Drace said. I looked over at Grumpy. My soul stuttered. "Is he supposed to look like that?" I rushed over. Came to a rocking halt before I crashed into him. "Grumpy? You okay?"He nodded. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be okay?"I gulped. "Um, because you look like you're stuck somewhere between a man and a dragon?"He laughed. "Yeah. Right.""She speaks truth, Tagan Ladon. See for yourself," Ari said. She waved her hand and a section of the clouds we were standing on rose and solidified into a silvered section of mirror. His gray eyes widened as he stepped forward. "No fucking way."Giant silver wings protruded from his back. And his face and chest shimmered with silvered scales. His hands had remained the same while his feet had transformed into those of the dragon form that Thane was currently inhabiting. Grumpy looked over at me. Then at Drace. "What the fuck?"She shook her head. "I've never seen anything like this in all of my 150 years."My mind ex
TUCK YOUR WINGS CLOSE AND DIVE, Drace shouted through my head. I pulled my wings in as close to my body as I could and shot through the air towards Stretch. I kept my eyes on her as I begged my body for more speed. I had no idea what I was doing, but I believed that between Drace and Ari, they'd help me save my mate. Open your legs and arms wide, Hollyn. Cup your hands, palms down, Drace said through the mental link. Thankfully, Stretch must have heard her because her arms and legs shot out into a big X. Her fall immediately stabilized from the twisting, turning mess it had been before. Is this what flying feels like? Stretch asked, her voice calm. I don't know, but you're going to feel what spankings feel like. What the hell was that, Sweetcheeks? Tag raged.You looked so sad. I thought maybe I could give you some more power like I'd given to Drace. That maybe you could have your dragon like Thane and Tove have theirs. I'm sorry. What the hell did we just talk abou
My body felt like it had been scrubbed over the washer and beaten against the rocks near the stream where we did laundry in the Village. My stomach heaved as my head throbbed and thrummed. My heart pounded in my ears as my eyes watered. I struggled to pull air in through my nose and push it steadily from my mouth. Over and over. All I could focus on was my breathing. Staying alive. That was it. Once my world righted itself, and my organs felt like they were back in their normal position, I sat up. The living room greeted me. We were back at home. I looked around, counted heads. Nodded. Good. We were all here. "Ari? What the heck did you do? And why?" My tongue felt thick and stupid inside my mouth. Reaching out, I grabbed Thane's hand in one of mine. Drace's hand in the other. "Grab Tove and Grumpy," I said. They each reached out until we made a lopsided circle. "Quod restituo dimittere." The room lit briefly as I called on my magic. My magic. It was so weird to know
I jumped forward as her body crumpled towards the floor like a puppet with cut strings. I hauled her up into my arms and moved behind Ari and Thane and Drace. They'd made a barricade between Brigid and Hols. "Does she still breathe?" Ari asked, not taking her eyes off her sister. I laid my ear to Hols' face. Felt the gentle puff of air against my cheek. "Yes." Saying it relaxed the band of fear around my chest. Allowed my lungs to expand, my heart to beat. "Where is Sidney?" Thane asked. "Where he belongs," Ari said. "In hell.""Good," Thane and I said in unison. "You don't even know what you've just done. You fools!" Brigid roared. "You've given the Villagers exactly what they wanted. You've released Patrick's power."I curled Hols closer to my chest. "Explain. Now."She stuck her nose up in the air. "Answer the man, sister. Or suffer the same fate as the idiotic coward you brought to hurt my granddaughter," Ari said, her voice hard as diamonds. Brigid didn'