“Call Talli and Maisie. Get them to teleport everyone here.”
I could feel Everett’s raised eyebrow on me. “Byrd can’t even handle me taking a step near her right now. How are more people going to help?”
I rolled my eyes. I fucking hated being questioned at all, but when a man did it? During an urgent situation? I wanted to cut out his larynx with a blunt spoon, mash it into soup, and feed it to Clarkson. “Because,pendejo, Byrd is obviously not able to shift back, so we will need some fitches to change that. Do you have any other questions?”
“Yes, what are you going to be doing?”
“Talking her down, clearly.”
“You are going totalkher down?”
I lifted a shoulder, trying to avoid gritting my teeth or throwing a dagger at his throat. “I have gone up against a rogue moose-shifter on the warpath. This couldn’t possibly be as bad as that.”
A beat passed before Teddy spoke, completely dumbfounded. “A moose-shifter? Are you being serious?”
“They are insanely territorial. Remind me later, and I’ll tell you all about it. Now,go.”
I heard them hesitate for a moment before running toward Everett’s bedroom. Byrd growled at their retreat, but she made no move to follow them or send her glass after them. Instead,she continued the pacing she had picked up while I was talking to her guncles, her tail swinging behind her like a mace. Her nostrils flared, and her eyes darted all around the room. Her wings fluttered anxiously, creating a nice breeze.
Okay, good. My theory is right so far.Let’s get you back, mi vida.
I cleared my throat. Her head whipped toward me immediately. She bared her fangs.
I raised both hands slowly, keeping my palms up where she could see them. No weapons. No threat. I kept my eyes low, fixed on her muzzle to avoid eye contact with her.Don’t provoke, don’t challenge her. My father would’ve told me to find a weakness and exploit it before she could lash out again. But my mother’s voice was even louder in my head, her training coming through even clearer.People feed off your energy. Stay calm, keep your wits, and they will sense that, too.I blinked deliberately. I even swallowed at as much of a glacial pace as I could.Some battles aren’t won with blades or a fist, Quinn-Quinn. Some need softness and care. Because of how you look and who your father is, people will assume that you don’t know that. Let them underestimate you.I kept my stance open, offering options for whatever Byrd needed. Through our bond, I sent love and reassurance, steady and unwavering, to her.
“Byrd,mi libélulita. You’re safe. You’re home. No one is going to hurt you here. No one is taking you away again. You’re not being held captive. You’re not under anyone’s control.”
A growl rumbled low in her throat, echoing through my chest.
“I know you sense danger, baby girl. You’re scared. I know you feel like you have to fight right now. But look around you. Like,reallylook. You’re not alone. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Byrd look around her with those eyes still smoking with blood-red.
“Do you remember me, Sweetness? Do you remember your girlfriend?” I took a step toward her. Neither she nor her glass shards moved. “Do you remember that you’re mine? You’re my mate. You’re my Byrd. I know you. I love you. Do you remember it?”
Byrd shook her head, but not as a way of saying no. Her wings twitched before she tucked them in. The wind stopped, allowing my curls to settle into a windblown state. Her tail calmed its slashing of the air, curling around her and twitching occasionally. Her lips covered her fangs, and I could hear her heartbeat normalize. I watched the red scars around her wrists and ankles dull to a faint pink as the pain was pushed out until it too seemed to fade to almost nothing.
Emphasis on thealmost.
Byrd lowered her head and body to the floor, making herself as flat as possible. A soft, confused whimper escaped her.
“That’s it,” I whispered. “That’s my good girl.”
I walked up to Byrd slowly and carefully, with all the respect I could muster for how vulnerable yet powerful of a state she was in right now. When I approached her, I reached my hand out toward her muzzle. Her scales were as electric as they always were at my touch, but I could feel the barely-contained power thrumming beneath my fingers. Out of nowhere, Byrd lifted her massive head that was the same size as my body and pressed it into me. It nearly knocked me over, but I wrapped my arms around her to steady myself. I petted her gently. She started whining.
“Shhh, baby girl. Don’t worry, I got you. I got you always.”
A deep, rumbling purr vibrated through her that made me shake. I smiled, thinking how it was like a giant version of Byrd’s.
Sweets? Byrdie?I called out through the bond.
Quinn…Byrd answered at last. Her voice was raw and weak. But it was there. Her presence was growing, too, even if it was slower than I would like.
I’m right here. Talk to me, babe.
My dragon… she’s still on edge… I can’t get control.
We’ll figure it out, Sweets. What happened? What triggered this?
