Page 88 of Feathers and Scales

Eyes narrowed, Serephina nodded her head.

“It’s going to get cold.” Izzy’s back prickled as she drew the power from her feathers. As she targeted Serephina’s back and arm, all of Izzy’s feathers tingled. She’d have to use all of them to pull her back through time. Logic told her that she needed to save them to trap Fotios, but Serephina’s hopeful expression battled for her heart.

Burning agony stretched across her wings and back. All her feathers littered the ground, but she didn’t regret a single one. Izzy hissed and dropped her head into Serephina’s mattress.

Serephina’s arm turned frigid, and her teeth chattered. “D-did you t-turn me into a p-p-penguin? I feel like I just got back from Antarctica.”

Izzy let loose a belly laugh into the covers. Serephina joined her. They sobered to a subdued silence, and Izzy lifted her head. The bruises still marred Serephina’s face, but the pain lines had receded.

Serephina sighed. “You should do that more often.”

“What?”

“Laugh,” she said. “I didn’t think you could.”

Izzy smiled shyly. When was the last time she’d laughed like that? It felt nice.

“I did what I could,” Izzy said. “You still need to recover, but your injuries shouldn’t affect your flying.” Izzy stepped on her feathers to destroy them.

“I can feel a difference already. Thank you.” Her glistening eyes made Izzy’s heart ache. “Are you okay? Now you look worse than me.”

“It’s nothing.”It isn’t the first time I’ve lost all my feathers.

Serephina wiped at her eyes. “It didn’t look like nothing, but I appreciate it.”

Izzy gave her a tight grin.

“I have a silly question,” Serephina said. “Are there male Fallen?”

“Only a few of them I know aren’t Archfiends—Tattered Ones. But it’s been a while since I’ve spoken to any of them.”

Serephina frowned.

Curiosity got the better of Izzy. “Why? Would you be interested?”

She snorted. “My brothers would have a field day. They can’t get it that I’m past my first century and don’t need babysitters.”

“They probably don’t want their sibling getting hurt. Imagine lifetimes of mistakes they can’t stand to see you repeat.”

“It’s still my life to mess up without interference from them,” Serephina said.

“I agree, but you’ll have to figure out how to make those mistakes with two overzealous brothers. From what I hear, you’re good at it already. As for a man, you’ll want someone who can step up to them.”Why am I trying to give advice when I have no room to talk?Izzy sighed. “I’m actually envious of you. I’ve never had a caring or protective family.”

“Would you want a protective dragon family?”

Her chest tightened. Too scared to allow hope to fester when she needed to stick with her plan.

“Sarah,” Silas shouted. The high pitch rang with alarm.

Izzy pulled back the curtain as Sarah ran by. Silas carried Jamal under the shoulder toward a gurney. Blood dripped from a wound under his pant leg.

“What happened?” Sarah asked as her blue-emitting hands hovered over his chest. Silas lifted the man’s legs gingerly onto the bed.

Jamal’s placid skin glistened with sweat as he grimaced. “Daxton…he…” He swallowed heavily. “He attacked me.”

Time slowed as Izzy stopped breathing.

Sarah met Silas’s eyes.