“Smaller,” Dad says. “I get that.”
“They seemed. . .” Gideon grunts. “Almost human.”
I roll my eyes. Then I unsheathe my swords and jump to the ground outside. “The connection between sky children and earth children has never been very strong, and I think that’s why sky children suffer here on earth. They need a connection to this place and these people. More specifically, they need a connection that helps them understand us and care for us and do more good than damage.” I release the swords and lift my arms. “So today, on the eve of Christmas, I’m going to call on the power of the earth and the power of the sky to join in these dragons. Please, Jörð,” I beg. “Allow them to come to understand the children of earth better by taking their form. Allow them to deepen their bond with their humans so they can serve all of us better.”
Again, like with the earth blessed before, my entire body lights up, and then the swords begin to glow.
I kind of like having this heart thing close at hand.
Only, this time, the light doesn’t stop. It keeps growing and growing and growing. I grab the sword hilts, and it feels like I’ve grabbed burning steel in the center of a forge. I scream, my body bowing back, my wings spreading out wide, and the light explodes out of me.
Then the rest of the world goes black.
Chapter 16
Azar
Liz is brash.
She doesn’t think things through. Jörð never should have given her wings. It makes her even more prone to leap off cliffs with no idea what’s waiting below.
When I collect her limp body and her swords, there’s still a bit of light pulsing from her body, and thankfully, she’s still breathing. The bond between us pulses with extra energy and magic. I hate that she pulls on the heart and her stupid swords and their connection to Jörð so often, like there’s no possible side effect to demanding input and favors from some kind of earth deity.
I take her inside and set her carefully on the bed, and then I storm back out. “You did this.” I can’t help glaring at the stupid blessed in front of me.
“But did it work?” Sammy asks. “Can they shift?”
Gordon blinks.
Rufus coughs.
I can’t remember exactly how, Gordon says. I remember that you— The familiar sound of tearing cloth fills the clearing, and then the ruddy-faced man-shape of Gordon stands, beaming. “Hey, it worked.”
Rufus changes next, the rock-crushing sound preceding him as he jogs up the stairs, wearing one of his dumb t-shirts that says, “Fear me. I dragon.”
“That’s not even proper wording,” I say. “Did Liz scramble your brain?”
“That’s part of what makes it funny.” Rufus thumps my shoulder as he walks past, and I’m already regretting this.
Wait, Asteria says. How do we. . . Unsurprisingly, with a sound like the tinkling of bells, she collapses into a silver-gowned woman, slender, pale, and with startling cerulean eyes. “Oh.” She beams at Jade, and the two of them giggle at the exact same time.
It’s a little unsettling.
“You look beautiful,” Asteria says at the very same time Jade says, “You’re so pretty.”
“Okay,” Coral says. “Can the freaky twins go inside and, I don’t know, braid each other’s hair? Some of us aren’t sure it worked for everyone.”
Hyperion’s scowling. Why can’t I shift? Did Liz not allow me the chance? Does she really despise me? What does she think I’ll do? Track mud in the house? Break things? Eat all the food? Or maybe she’s punishing me for giving her no choice but to release the vanir.
My heart lurches just a little. Did Liz really not allow him the chance? Surely she doesn’t distrust him around his own bonded. “You need to reach into your middle,” I say. “It feels like you’re pulling a switch and collapsing downward.”
Why would anyone ever do that? Hyperion sounds horrified.
“If you want to shift, you’ll have to trust me.”
What if I’m ugly? he asks. My human form could be charred. Or I could be very, very fluffy. I could have dots all over my face.
“I don’t care what you look like,” Coral says. “I promise I’ll hardly make fun of you if you have teeth that are all bunched up.” She’s smirking, though.
