The muscles and bones began to change, lengthening to someone a little taller as her hips widened and her breasts enlarged. She groaned as the bones of her face shifted, but I closed my eyes and chased through her body.
It was working, but it was a painfully slow, torturous process. Shifting to Dragon reduced the inflammation—the Dragon body knew how to handle the remaining dust in her system. It also knew how to channel its resources when low on it, without the system-wide shutdown suffered by her original cells.
I clutched the crystals and used their power to augment my weakened healing talents, soothing the remaining inflammation, pushing toxins out of her blood. For a while, she cried tears that were almost black.
When I looked down at her arms, they were covered in golden scales, and her face was no longer her own—it was pure Dragona, with the usual perfect features and slight arrogant tilt to the lips. The eyes, though, were still Riley, and gleaming green at me.
I had no idea how long we’d been working, but the sky outside the window was lightening toward dawn.
Riley held up her hand and looked at it. “I still feel like crap. But I think the fever has broken.” Then she met my eyes. “Now what?”
Now what, indeed. As a Morph, she couldn’t keep Vali’s form for very long. It pulled resources with every minute it existed. But what would happen if she shifted back? The addiction would not be resolved, not until her Dragon could emerge.
When I sent my energy through her once more, the inflammation was gone, and her fever had subsided. But the cells were still craving the dust.
I told her that, and a muscle jumped in her jaw. “But we’ve bought you time,” I said. “Your body will seek the crystal dust, but it is no longer shutting down.”
The green eyes glowed at me from Vali’s face. “Will I be able to Jump?”
It was a good question, and I knew she wouldn’t like the answer. “I’m not certain,” I hedged.
She swallowed. “If I take more dust now, will it kill me?”
My rejection was automatic. “Not a good idea. It could put you right back where you were before.”
“But we need this.” Her voice rasped. “Without it, Isobel will find us.”
She would. But I couldn’t condone Riley taking more dust to save us, not when it could do damage. Not when there was another way.
It all made perfect sense now. I was flooded with the calmness I had craved since I’d discovered Isobel had murdered my parents. A true sensation of purpose.
“If you rest, you should be able to Jump at least once.” I hated lying to her, but it was the only way. “You have time before Isobel can reach us.”
We had no choice—she had to regain her natural form. “Are you ready? We are going to take you back to yourself now.”
She nodded, and I kept my voice calm, even though my pulse pounded. “Visualize you as you.”
Agonized sounds escaped from between her teeth as her body changed—I wanted to take that pain from her, and I tried. What used to be so easy for me, now only came with effort.
But what emerged from the form on the bed wasn’t Riley. And it wasn’t until an intoxicating aroma hit me hard that I saw the curved horns peeking through hair the same color as mine.
“What—” I began.
The Satyr I knew had to be Riley pushed herself up to a sitting position. “I figure the only way to catch a Satyr,” she whispered, “Is with another Satyr.” She ran her fingers along my jaw.
It was like being touched by fire. I inhaled her rich scent and fought the urge to kiss her.
She leaned closer. “This could work, Rafael. If I’m a Satyr, your power might not affect me.” Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears. “Please. We have totry.”
My heart screamed that this was the last chance I had to hold her. To be with her.
No.It was still too dangerous. I had to walk out of here. Now.
But what if she was right?
It wasn’t until her warm lips moved against my own that I realized I’d already lost the battle. I wanted her so badly I shook. Her pheromones should only cancel mine out, and not entice. But despite that, and her appearance, my spirit, mysoul—knew this was meant to be.
Fate had chosen her for me.
