Page 68 of Feathers and Scales

A junky gray sedan screeched to a halt beside them. Lewis, a rich, dark-complexioned man, maneuvered his burly body out of the driver’s seat. “She’s all yours. We’ll rendezvous later.”

“Thanks,” Raz said, climbing into the front seat.

Izzy slid into the back with Simon.

Raz put the car in gear and gunned it, jerking Izzy against the seat. An earthquake rumbled along the link when Daxton yanked on their connection.

Worry coursed through the link along with a longing to see her. He could wait, but Izzy had to fight the urge to seek his comfort.

“I’ll be okay,” Simon said as if reading something on her face. He pulled her into a hug.

Izzy stilled. The muted texture of his body stirred a sense of reassurance only a home could.

“You shouldn’t have wasted your feathers, but…thank you.”

Simon’s hold tore at her heart, but his words shocked it back to life. Tears pricked at her eyes, and she pulled away from him and theemotions he wrung from her. “Don’t you dare put yourself in danger like that again.”

“He’ll be safe,” Raz said. “We’re heading to Dyamur Territory.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you soon, then.” With weight pressing down on her chest, Izzy turned into her light form and focused on the path to Daxton.

In her human body, she raised her head. Daxton sat next to her where Serephina had once been, eyes drawn with concern. Every emotion she’d kept at bay welled up. Heart accelerating, she clung to her pants as if the fabric could keep her tears from falling. The Archfiend had hurt and threatened Simon.

“Izzy…” Daxton reached as if to grab her. “I’m sorry.”

“About what? Simon is safe with Raz now.” She resented the hitch in her voice as she scooted the chair backward and headed to a bookshelf.That book…I need to find that book.She trailed her fingers over book spines, the titles blurring too much to read.

What if Raz hadn’t saved Simon? Her lungs ceased as if forgetting how to work. Her legs wobbled as dizziness swept in.

I can’t breathe.

Daxton’s warm hand rested on her shoulder. She gasped in a breath.

“Can I show you something?” he asked.

She nodded, wanting any distraction. He led her to the back of the library, where a staircase spiraled to the upper floor. The metal clanged as she followed him with wobbly legs to the top. When he opened the door, the outdoor breeze caressed her warm face, cooling it. Fresh mountain air filled her lungs. He stepped outside onto the porch.

“There’s no railing,” she said.

“They cause a hindrance to landing dragons.” Daxton offered his arm.

That makes sense.She stared at his arm. On one hand, touching him seemed like a bad idea given all the emotions she was already unable tosuppress, but on the other, she wasn’t sure she could trust herself not to trip or fall. She laced her arm with his, and he guided her out toward the edge.

Sunset crept over the surrounding trees; the reds and violets were more vibrant than she’d seen before. The chilly air sent goosebumps across her arms. She breathed easier, and the sadness that had tried to consume her earlier was easier to deal with.

Daxton stood beside her, a pillar of strength and reassurance. His bronze eyes blazed with understanding, the kind born from losing someone—and recognizing that same ache in her. Her heart lurched painfully. She straightened her spine but kept her hand tightly wrapped around his arm.

“What happened? Who was Yuller? I heard him on the phone,” Daxton said.

She released a shaky sigh and told him about the attack. “A detective who probably set the bomb and tampered with the cameras. I can’t believe he was that far gone. How many puppets do Archfiends normally have?”

“It’s hard to tell. If they’ve been planning this for a while, they could have multiple puppets.”

This was too elaborate a scheme to just want her power. That trap had been for Simon—not her. “I don’t understand what they want. I wish I knew who the one that attacked me is.” She wanted this over with, but until the Archfiends showed themselves, they couldn’t find them. She stared past Daxton’s form, thoughts in disarray. Silence held the space between them.

“Izzy.” He bit his lip and ran his hand over his growing beard. “You healed Simon, didn’t you?”

Her mind raced as if he’d yelled at her. Memories of the men torturing her to learn about her powers surfaced in her mind. The same ones that had taken her after she’d healed Fotios’s legs. If only she’d weighed the risks instead of letting emotions reign, she wouldn’thave that trauma. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to trust Daxton with that information yet. “How do you know I healed him?”