“What if—”
Taeven cut me off with a kiss. Despite the throbbing, nauseous pain, my whole body responded to that kiss. In a good way. In a heart-pounding, thrilling, breathtaking way. I groaned and slid my hand into his hair to feel the silk run through my fingers, then clenched my hand in it. Pulled him closer with it. It had been only a day since I'd kissed him, but it felt like coming home after being away for years. It felt like . . . heaven. Just as Daron had described it. And he was right about something else too—it was worth risking hell to have it.
“Better?” Tae whispered as he eased back.
“Yes.”
He grinned. “Just try to relax.”
I let out a shaky breath as the Falcon Soul, that large trillium-cut jewel that hung from Tae's neck, began to glow. Its pale crimson light encapsulated us, sealing Tae and me in an orb of magic that then sank into me. I felt it tremble along my skin as it pushed deeper—a glittering sensation that made me want to laugh. But then Taeven turned into an angel and that bright feeling shifted into awe.
I gaped up at a translucent version of the Falcon Lord—a brilliant thing of sublime beauty. His eyes were stars and his hair lifted on a breeze that wasn't there. Like a crystal figurine in the sun, he seemed to be made of light and within that light swirled all that he was. Gleaming facets of strength, bravery, resilience, loyalty, and honor colored by hints doubt, fury, and jealousy. The good and the bad, but they were just aspects of Taeven, not the real him. His soul was at the center of those worldly facets—a thing that couldn't be altered by anything as petty as self-doubt. A core of pure white that burned with a fire that was the true Taeven.
Fuck, there was no way this amazing man, this being of beauty and magic and light, could ever love me. I had doomed myself—I realized it right then and there—but it was too late. I had seen him, and he had seen me. I wanted to sob and hide from him.
Miraculously, Taeven didn't cringe away but instead, smiled. Smiled as he laid his ethereal hand on my chest. Smiled as if he wanted nothing more than to touch me. I looked down and saw my body in a similar state to his—spectral and glowing. Kind of pretty, actually. But nothing like Tae. And still, Taeven went through with it. He pushed his translucent hand into my chest, and as I gaped at our merged souls, I felt him inside me. Not in a sexual way, but a profound, life-altering way. And Iwasaltered, not just by the magic but also by the beauty of Taeven Rumerra. By seeing andfeelinghis true self. When he removed his hand, I still felt him there. That piece of him was mine now; the greatest gift I'd ever received. And all I wanted to do was weep because compared to that brilliant speck of a soul, my soul felt dull and unworthy. As if a diamond had been tossed in the muck.
But I couldn't focus on that for long. Suddenly, a rush of bubbling energy pulsed through me. My shoulders itched as my wounds healed rapidly, my cheek stung, and the ache in my side vanished. I tried to focus on Taeven, but the light of my soul brightened until I was blinded by it and my ears stopped working too. No, wait, I could still hear, but it was strange. Hollow.
A woman's voice lifted through the whooshing silence and the calls of animals echoed in the background—in particular, the cry of a falcon. Her words drifted away as soon as they were spoken, but they nonetheless put me at peace. The fear of Tae's rejection vanished along with the feeling of being worthless. She banished them like the brush of sunshine on my soul. When the light dimmed and the voices faded, I was left smiling.
“Dear Goddess,” Taeven whispered, his expression one of sublime wonder. “Shane, you . . . I've never seen anything so beautiful.”
My smile turned into puzzled amazement. Me? He thought I was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen? “That magic must have really done a number on me.”
“Not your body, you fool,” he said affectionately as he removed the bandage from my cheek and brushed away the thread that had been pushed out of my skin. “Though your body is . . .” he looked down and grinned. “Magnificent.” His stunning amethyst gaze returned to mine. “I meant your soul.You, Shane. Your fear was unfounded; you are beautiful. And I was right; you were meant to be mine,Falcon Valorian.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
“Never.” Tae had my hand again and squeezed it tightly. “I swear that I will never give up on you. Even if you act the fool again.”
I snorted a laugh. I was about to say more when a wave of exhaustion swept over me. All I got out was, “Tae,” and then my eyes fluttered closed. As I succumbed to slumber, I could have sworn that I heard the cry of a falcon.
Chapter Twenty-One
I woke up to delicious smells. Mouthwatering smells. My stomach rumbled as I sat up, yawned, and stretched. The arms that rose above my head looked thicker. I brought them down and peered at them, turning them this way and that. It wasn't just my arms, but my entire body. I was thicker, firmer, and more sculpted. My biceps looked fucking incredible. I glanced at the mirror over Tae's dresser and got to my feet with a grin, eager to see my new face.
And promptly fell on it.
Laughter drew my attention to the left. Tae stood in the bedroom entrance, fully dressed, with his arms crossed as he laughed boisterously at me. Oddly enough, I was now the naked one.
“What the hell is wrong with me?” I growled as I stood up. “I feel weird.”
“Your new body . . . is . . . stronger,” he trailed off as his stare wandered over me. Then he stepped forward, his hands going to his belt.
“Hold on there, lover.” I held up a warding hand. “I have a few questions about all this.”
“You're fae, that makes you stronger and heavier. You can't go swimming anymore. Faeries are prone to drowning because of our muscle mass. Your face is more fae as well, though it's still you and there are human aspects to it—which I love, by the way. Your jawline is divine.”
“My jawline?” I stepped carefully to the dresser, then gaped at my reflection. “I really am a faerie.”
I ran my fingers over my sharper facial bones. My cheekbones, in particular, seemed to have lifted and angled upward at the outside, where before, they'd been heavier and wider. My nose was more refined and my jaw was more angular but still had the width of my previous face. And my eyes—fuck, they were gorgeous. The green had turned vibrant and the golden-brown had turned into pure gold like the striations in Tae's eyes. But Tae was right, it was still me, just fae-er.
“I will be taking you to Varalorre tomorrow, where you will learn to shift and use basic magic,” Taeven went on rapidly, as if trying to give me as much information in as little time possible. “My hope is to get you proficient enough in magic that when we return, I can take you to train with the Wolf Valorian, who has been instructing valorians on working with emotion magic. After you shift, your senses will sharpen, becoming more like your falcon's—”
“Tae!” I turned toward him with a lifted hand. “I'm never going to remember all of that. Reel it in, babe.”
Taeven grinned. “I like it when you call me babe.”
