“Caliel and me.”
He hesitated. “I had a vision that you were in trouble. I saw you being chased in the mountains.”
It confused me. “Have you had visions before?”
He sighed. “Only if you count pink-iced pastries.”
My mind groped for the relevance and gave it up. “Well, it was good that you did, or—” I shivered.
The arms tightened. “Did Victor send them? I saw a woman with white hair.”
“Aurora. Yes, they were sent by Victor.” I was shivering so hard my voice shook. “The Wyverns were at one time Centaurs, like me. I grew up with them. Used to consider them family.”
“Family?” The incredulity in his voice spoke volumes.
“Yeah,” I said. “Emphasis on ‘used to’.”
Another pause. “I’m sorry.”
We’d saved his family, but they were strangers to him. I couldn’t decide which was worse, really. At least I had memories of happier times…
Riggs dropped one leg into the water. Although he tried to angle, the movement collapsed me back more fully into him—and I felt something rigid poke into my back.
It seemed he was warming up in more ways than one. A flush of heat shot through me. I was suddenly very aware of the strength of his big body, of the hard muscles of the arms now holding me more gently…
Cara interrupted my carnal thoughts by sighing and sitting back. The steam off the bath had formed curls in the shorter strands around her face, and she pushed them back as she met my eyes. Why did she look so concerned?
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Does Caliel still talk in your head?”
The question confused me. “Yes.” Then I frowned. “Although he’s been quieter, lately, I think. We really haven’t been connected for very long. Why?”
Her mouth straightened. “He seems weak to me. Weaker than he was when we healed Riggs.”
My pulse pounded. “Is he okay?”
She sighed. “I don’t know, really. There is no precedent for inserting one life essence into another. It shouldn’t even be possible, but Isobel found a way.”
Caliel? Are you okay?
Define okay. I am living in another’s body.
I sensed a certain elusiveness in his answer, but when I mentally pushed, he skittered away.The healing has fatigued me. I need to rest.
Cara must have read the alarm in the look I shot to her. “It’s okay, Bree. Perhaps this is normal. Are you taking crystal dust?”
I bit my lip. I had been while at the stronghold, but here I’d been more focused on finding my cycle powder than crystal dust. “I haven’t now, for a bit.”
She rubbed her temple. “I have been remiss on this. With everything going on, I’ve been distracted. Iskar needs crystal power to help Marcus control his Storm Drake, so it only follows that it would also help Caliel.” She pushed herself to her feet and eyed Riggs. “You should be taking it, too.”
“I’m not a Dragon, anymore,” Riggs said quietly.
“You can’t shift to Dragon right now,” she corrected. “But you are still, physically, a Dragon. And you need the dust to survive.” She fixed him with a stare.
“Okey-dokey. I get it,” he said with a sigh.
She gave a single, brisk nod. “Stay in the bath as long as you like. The water is heated. I will wait for you two in the kitchen.”
