Page 64 of Ignited

And then he saw something else. A faint blue line leading from the two of them to the closet, where that damn Orb was hidden.

Whatever magic connected Karisma to the sorcerer Maximilian, now Boomer was a part of it.

He stood there, staring at it, thoughts and calculations running through his mind. Then he stole silently into the room and picked up the golden dragon sphere off the dresser, the one DB had given to Boomer.

He looked down at Boomer and Karisma once more, and then walked out as silently as he’d come.

Going into the workroom, he put on his clothes and weapons, and tucked the communication device in his pocket.

He knew what he had to do.

Chapter 26

Karisma woke to the smell of frying sausages. The bed next to her was empty, but it was still warm. Boomer must have just gotten up.

She lay in bed, savoring the warmth. She hadn’t felt this good since before DB had done his magic on her. Strong. Competent. Almost like herself.

She gave a yawn and a long, leisurely cat stretch—and froze. Her front claws were extended. She brought them down where she could see them, moving slowly and carefully, as if they were tiny wild animals and she might scare them away.

They were still there.

She retracted them, her hands back to normal fingers, and then extended them again. They obeyed her, like she’d never had a problem with them.

I’m never a problem, her tiger said complacently.

You’re back! she said.

I was never gone. I was just taking a nap.

Maybe. But her tiger felt… different. Like they were somehow more a part of each other. Equal. She glanced toward the living area. Boomer was still doing something potentially heinous in the kitchen. His brother was probably still out—she couldn’t catch his scent.

She hoped he was okay.

She looked over to the corner for RoomBubba, but he wasn’t there. Boomer must have taken him out to the kitchen.

Good. She didn’t want any visual sensors on her right now.

Karisma took a deep breath. Then she called on her tiger and Changed.

And it happened. She was a tiger, stretched out in Boomer’s bed. But unlike before, her tiger wasn’t fighting her for control. Karisma said, Let’s lick our paw.

If you want to. But it’s clean.

And they licked their paw. So simple. Sharing control, the way it should always have been.

Can we Change back now? she asked tentatively.

Whatever.

She concentrated. And with a shimmer and a crack of bones, they were human again. Just like that.

Karisma lay in bed, her body humming with excitement. She almost bounded out into the living room to show Boomer—and then she stopped herself.

She was okay now. Or almost okay. She still didn’t have her full strength, and she’d have to find out how much stamina she had.

But if she were all better, then…

Then they could go on the mission. She’d be cured. Boomer would have saved her. And then…