Page 96 of Feathers and Scales
Fire scorched her insides. Inch by inch, the blue fused with the yellow, creating a glossy green webbing until the fever broke. Outside, the rain pelted harder against the roof. Green energy lined her Spirit Cavity. A weight fell from her shoulders.
A nuclear fission of power arched through her, making her heart pound. She breathed in two separate bodies, able to perceive Daxton as if she was sleeping in his body, inhaling the air he did. It took her a moment to force her mind to concentrate back on herself.
Delving deep, she gasped. She and Daxton were sharing spirit energy. The link connecting them glowed the same green as inside her. Instead of two separate beings, they existed as one person. If she concentrated enough, she could visualize his dreams, dragon wings dipping in a cold blue sea. The pounding of her heart became a scary staccato.
She assumed the energy would just fuse her human to her spirit, not fuse Daxton to her. Sharing spirit energy this way was unheard of in the Fallen realm. If they shared energy similar to a battery on a circuit board, if one side died, did that mean the other would, too?
Lightning outside flashed over her eyelids and echoed in her mind.
Panic flooded her being. To escape the onslaught, she sat up, intending to release into her spirit. The weight of her form held her down.
“Oh, damn…” she choked out as she looked at her human hands in the stormy darkness. She’d expected as much, but facing the reality felt like she’d lost a piece of herself.
Wetness built in her eyes. She shook and struggled to breathe. Ignoring her palpitating heart, she tried again.
Nothing.
She was stuck in her body.
The dull roar of thunder woke Daxton. His beast side pushed its claws and wings against his skin. The overcast sky created a shadowy atmosphere in his room. He tuned to Izzy. A wall of silence greeted him. He sensed her near the end of the bed.
Turning over, he made out her silhouette. She stood hunched at the end of the bed with her back to him, a throw blanket covering her thin frame.
“Izzy?”
Her head bowed, and a sob escaped her lips.
His heart skipped. “What is it?” He resisted going to her, not sure how she’d react.
A choked laugh broke free between her sobs. He sat up. Mystified, he held his breath, waiting for her to answer.
“I’m sorry.” She hiccupped. “Just feeling a little overwhelmed by the link.”
“What happened?” He scooted across the bed and wrapped his arms around her back.
She leaned into his embrace. “It’s just as we thought—my spirit fused to my body. I feel stuck, but free all at the same time. It’s amiracle, but…” Her body shuddered around a sob, breaking his heart. “I think the link merged our spirits, and we’re sharing life energy.”
“Why does that upset you?”
“What if I’ve condemned you to the same fate? Death won’t take us to Heaven unless I can collect my feathers.”
“Hmm…” He pressed his lips against her ear. “It’s concerning, but it doesn’t sound all that bad. Especially since we have time to collect your feathers now.”
“Fotios is out there.”
He cradled her chin and turned her until her red and swollen eyes met his. “We will deal with him. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“How can you be so confident?”
“When a woman like you falls for a man like me, how can I not be?”
She smiled at him.
“Speaking of which”—he pulled her in closer—“we should celebrate our new bond.”
She kissed him with soft lips. The storm outside the cabin rolled by, gradual and heavy, as their passion took hold. Only instinct and emotion reigned. Daxton took it slow, since it was so soon after her first time. Lips caressed, hands stroked, bodies melded, and they climaxed together with a burst of lightning and a clash of thunder. They stared at the rain outside the window as they lay with their bodies tangled.
The sun’s rays lit his room as day broke from behind the veil of gloomy clouds. Daxton remained awake with Izzy’s sleeping form on his chest and ran his fingers through her soft hair. The third Mark had left him whole. His dragon rested so peacefully it snored.
