Page 58 of Feathers and Scales

“Sorry, honey.” Serephina wore a shit-eating grin. “You’re a bigger distraction than I expected, and I have one hundred dollars on him. My brother is too old to take him on.”

Izzy swallowed and tried to breathe.

As soon as they freed themselves from the crowd, Serephina released an obnoxious laugh. “You poor thing. I suppose I’d be shell-shocked, too, if I were the target of that stare. You two have sexual tension written all over you.”

Under normal circumstances, Izzy could brush off such brazen remarks. But at that moment, she couldn’t breathe beyond her desire, let alone ignore what Serephina said.

Daxton’s beast burned holes in him as Silas left his office for the night. Two days had been too long to stay away from Izzy. He and his dragon starved for her calming presence, and Daxton wanted to learn more about her. He’d been busy trying to track down the Tattered Ones with his men, knowing Keiran would kick Izzy out if they didn’t destroy them. All the while, he had to keep up with his regular chief duties as Silas hovered over his shoulder.

He groaned.

The desire to visit Izzy beat at him, but the fear of losing control and Marking her once more was a steady drum in his head. The breathing exercises she gave him only worked so much before his emotions trickled back in.

When did you become such a coward?Sighing, he got to his feet.Stop avoiding her. You can’t get her to like you if you don’t spend time with her.

Before he left the barracks, he detoured to the kitchen. He doubted Izzy had eaten regularly even with Blaze on her. With a buffet of vegetables, fruits, and jerky in bags, he reached the library late in theevening. Blaze stood outside the doors to the Archives with one earbud in place.

Upon spotting him, she scowled with a hint of bared teeth. “Oh, do I have a bone to pick with you.” She ripped the earbud free.

“I could say the same. A report about our visitor would have been nice.”

“Do you think I’ve had a free moment?” She stabbed her thumb toward the Archives. “That woman—thing—doesn’t rest, eat, or even care. At first, she was normal, but now she’s a fucking robot. I’ve only been able to sleep in the spare room when Mrs. Renly is teaching her Dragonian or when she doesn’t leave her body in the bed like a corpse.” She crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her elbow. “And yes, we’ve learned that parlor trick. She damn near gave Mrs. Renly a heart attack when the poor lady couldn’t wake her. Then, that ghost Izzy came up and caused her fright. To top it all off, Izzy won’t tell us anything about herself.”

Daxton winced and rubbed his stubble.

Blaze sucked in a breath. “Silas mentioned her kind were the origins of the Tattered Ones, but I didn’t expect this human-thing. Why the hell did you Mark her?”

Pressure built at the back of his eyes from his rising power as his dragon interpreted her actions as threats. “That’s what she’s trying to figure out.” He rubbed his pounding temples. “You’re exhausted, Blaze. Go enjoy the rest of the night off.”

Her head dropped, unable to meet his gaze, and her fists tightened. With a clenched jaw, she lifted her chin. “I’d love to watch this premiere of ‘The Life of Daxton and Izzy,’ but I’ll take your offer. I need to become reacquainted with an actual bed.”

She stomped past him, her attitude crackling in the air. Her temper wasn’t new to him, but the defiance was. To stand against him like that, Blaze held a powerful dominance. He hadn’t used the same strengthas he had with Keiran, but he hadn’t taken it easy on her, either. She’d grown into a strong woman.

He sighed and opened the glass door. Something bright on the floor caught his attention as he walked in.

The pure white feather felt soft, like down. The barbs tapered into a translucent yellow rachis in the middle. It reminded him of the male northern flicker—a bird he used to see while on guard patrol. The feather’s beauty fascinated him, and he twirled it between his fingers. Knowing who it belonged to, and how few she had, he tucked it into the pocket of his long-sleeved flannel and headed to its owner.

He found Izzy’s human body asleep on a chaise lounge, her blond hair sweeping over her cheeks as she slumbered. She wore a simple T-shirt and jacket. Her jeans clung to her legs, and her small feet remained bare. Her lifelessness told him she walked in her spirit. His breathing became harder, smoky in taste.

Drawn to her sleeping form, he brushed her untamed hair behind her ear. A gnawing need for her to stay in her body wrenched his gut. By staying in her other form, she denied that her humanity was a part of her.

In a trance, he placed his palm on her bent knee as if to wake her from sleep. Relief loosened the tension in his muscles as his dragon finally relented. He tugged at the link. Something small clattered to the floor to his left, and her eyelids lifted.

Her startled gold gaze shot to his hand. “Stop doing that.” She smacked his fingers away.

The tension returned to his shoulders, a reminder that the calming effect only worked if he touched her. She grabbed her glasses from the table beside her and pushed up from the chair. While she marched to where her book had dropped, she stretched her arms above her head and yawned.

He cleared space on the table for the bag of food he had brought and touched the link between them. The trickle of surprise, as if she didn’t expect him to visit, punched his pride.

“What misfortune brings you to this place of learning?” Her words floated from behind the shelves.

“I brought you something.”

“What is it?” She poked her head out from behind the bookshelf in front of him. Her eyes twinkled.

She enjoys gifts. I’ll have to remember that.“Food.”

“Serephina already made me eat three times today.” Her pointed nose wriggled before she ducked back.