Then he shifts. My tiger has patchy fur on one side of his adorable head, but the rest is sleek and glossy with stunning orange and black stripes and white patches on his face, belly, and inner legs.
I eye the other little man who’s arrived with the tiny doctor. He smells like wolf but is staying near the other wolf and the doctor, arms folded. Not threatening.
My tiger’s amber eyes lock onto me and he bounds towards me, tripping on an exposed tree root.
I take two steps forward and pick him up, making sure to hold him securely but not too tight. I lift him to head height so I can examine him. The only damage seems to be the fur on his head and his wobbly legs. He blinks at me then licks my paw, his tongue rough against my scales.
I must guard my tiger while he heals. I curl up and place him safely in the protective circle I make with my body and tail. I gently pet the soft fur on the undamaged side of his head, puffing out happy smoke when my tiger’s eyes close in bliss as heleans into my pets.
My biped side wants a turn at being in charge, but that’s a bad idea. It’s easier to keep my tiger safe in this form.
My brother shifts back to two legs and stomps towards me, his hand movements wild and angry. ‘Why didn’t you just tell me you wanted Dhiren? For fuck’s sake, Bryn.’
I’m tempted to flick him away. I could probably send him far enough that he’d magically reappear near the tree, but the wolf with black fur shifts and my brother gets distracted looking at the naked man, so I decide my brother can stay.
Hmm. I do recognise the wolf’s human form. He winks at my brother then puts his clothes back on, because wolves are inferior and do not keep their garments when they shift. The other wolf, the one with threads of silver at his temples and blue eyes that glow with power, talks to them.
My tiger bites my hand, a protest because I’d stopped petting him. I gently lift him and nuzzle him in apology. He licks my jaw then rubs his head against the patch of scales he just licked, leaving his apple and cinnamon scent on me.
That’s it; decision made. I’m keeping my tiger forever.
I suck in a sharp breath as I recognise the Muroyi estate. Ethan Lupo, head of the task force, drives Dhiren and me up the tree-lined driveway. The trees are bare—like that fucking oak tree should have been—and when we round the corner the manor house comes into view.
It’s as big as I remember, although partially obscured by scaffolding, and instead of the multitude of spells holding the old place together there’s now a massive magical dome over the entire building. The shimmering blue dome seems to be designed to keep out rain and snow and, if I’m reading the layers of the spell correctly, controls the temperature inside it as well. Interestingly, there’s also a warding layer even though we drove through animpressive ward at the edge of the estate that stretched all the way around the outer wall—as far as I could see from the back of the car, anyway.
I don’t actually know why we’re here, of all places. The task force found out about the explosion at Far Out Freight and came to ask us questions about it. After Dhiren and I spent the night in Doctor Payton’s clinic—thankfully in an ordinary treatment room with two hospital beds this time and not that bizarre pocket realm—Ethan took our full statements this morning.
The doctor gave Dhiren the all-clear, and after giving me an explanation on my internal unity that left me with more questions than answers, warned that the effects could linger for a few days. I’ve almost forgiven him for separating Dhiren and me for several hours yesterday, because he told me I was generating too much heat for Dhiren to withstand, but I’m a little nervous about what’ll happen the next time I shift.
Am I going to lose myself to instinct again? And were the effects more severe because my dragon and I were at odds already? I should have asked when I had the chance, but admitting to the prior disconnect is a humiliation I chose to skip.
Doctor Payton assured me the foreign magic will have entirely left my system within a week, and to get in touch if things escalate instead of improving. Dhiren did ask what kind of magic it was, but the doctor either didn’t know or couldn’t say, because he made an excuse and left.
Perhaps the continued risk of me spontaneously shifting is why Ethan insisted on taking us to a safe place to recuperate. Dhiren readily agreed and where he goes, I go, but this was seriously the last place I expected to end up.
Dhiren’s sitting in the front with Ethan, his remaining hair now shaved off. I touch him on the shoulder to get his attention.
‘Did you know this was where we were coming, treasure?’ I ask, frowning.
‘Yes.’ Unlike last night, his gaze is alert. ‘There are some things I need to tell you once we arrive.’
Well, that isn’t ominous at all.
Ethan pulls up in front of the steps leading to the huge, carved oak double doors. I leave behind the relative comfort of the Soldati Security SUV and step out into the chilly morning air. My breath fogs in front of me, and a layer of thick frost covers the lawn stretching out behind us.
Ethan opens the boot so we can retrieve our bags. Milo packed mine for me, and a golden eagle shifter brought Dhiren’s in his talons, appearing at the treatment room window and waiting patiently until Dhiren let him in. He flew off without me seeing his other form, but Dhiren said he’s a friend and I’d recognise his scent again.
Stepping into the entrance hall is like walking into a memory. The wood panelling and checkerboard floor look exactly the same, and the Muroyi crest is still displayed proudly on a red and gold wooden shield high up on the left-hand wall. Runes are carved into the wood on either side of the crest, although there’s no magic powering them anymore. Multiple doors lead off the space, but the dominant feature is the grand staircase, carved from oak with a patterned carpet runner down the centre.
Ethan gestures for us to leave our bags in the hall, bringing his own backpack with him as he leads us into a formal sitting room that’s been redecorated sometime in the last sixteen years—not that I was allowed to sit in here back then, of course. It’s now got silver damask wallpaper, and when Ethan starts removing dust sheets from the furniture, the sofas are a matching silvery-grey.
Dhiren and I help remove the remaining dust sheets and leave them in an out-of-the-way corner. Ethan gestures for us to sit down.
Dhiren and I sit next to each other on a sofa, and Ethan positions an armchair near to Dhiren. It makes it easy for me to see both of them at once, and I wonder if that’s deliberate.
Dhiren sits at a slight angle so he’s facing me. ‘Would you like me to interpret, or would you prefer to use a notes app or messaging?’
His hands move more smoothly through the signs than during our first conversation, and he already seems to have more vocabulary than before. I noticed at the clinic as well. Has he been practicing? How well can you really learn a language in a month? Although he wasn’t a beginner by any means, so that will have undoubtedly helped.
