"Where do you get this?" I soaked up some more of the dark, sugary, sticky liquid with a bite of pancakes. I'd never had syrup before, but I was pretty sure it had become one of my new favorite flavors. "The store, Stretch. Just like we get most things." Thane took another drink from his steaming cup. "Did anyone see where Sidney went?" I asked, my mouth full. "He was gone after Thane and I left Tove's room last night," Grumpy said. "Since I didn't hear him, I'm assuming he either magicked himself out of here, or one of the gods came and retrieved him."I nodded. Between the peanut butter, syrup, and pancakes, I felt like I could drink a gallon of milk. I settled for a large glass of the delicious cow juice. I'd been so happy to know that this world still had cows and milk. "So what are we doing today?" I asked after a few moments while everyone finished their meals. "I think we need to come up with some concrete plans for moving forward with the business, first off,"

I rolled out from under the bed, starshine ready and waiting in my hands. "Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?" I asked the woman. She had long blonde hair that looked like it would touch her butt if it weren't up in braids. Dozens of pieces of metal danced at her ears as she raised her hands and backed away. "Easy there, corcra. No need for weapons of mass destruction." Her gaze slid over my naked body. A glint appeared in her bright green eyes as a smile played at the corner of her mouth. "Then again, I might be willing to be destroyed if you're the one doing it."Tag finally made it out from under the bed, a glare on his face. "Who the fuck are you and how did you get in here?"I rolled my eyes. Like she was going to answer hi-"Ari called for me. I'm Drace." She stuck her hand out for him to shake. She gave him the same once over she'd given me. "Damn, is this where all the hot people live? If so, can I come stay here?" She looked between us, hope evident on

I swallowed again, rubbed my free palm down the leg of my shorts to wipe it off. Now that the time had come to share the news of our family, all I could feel was butterflies and the rampant urge to vomit. As if she knew that, Stretch pulled from Tag's arms and wrapped her own around my waist. "Whatever it is, it won't change anything, Thane." She pressed her sweet lips to my sternum. "I promise."I hugged her to me. I wasn't terrified of the news or how she'd take it. It was just so personal. Except for the three of us, no one knew or understood. We'd been forbidden from sharing it. Had thought sharing it would end with our lives being forfeit. That was a lot for angry teens and young adult men to carry. I released her and we sat on Tove's bed. Tove got himself settled in his computer chair and wheeled it over. Tag leaned against one of the upright posts of the bed. "We come from a long line of shifters. Sometimes it skipped a generation, depending on various genes and expre

"What the fuck?" Drace said. I looked over at Grumpy. My soul stuttered. "Is he supposed to look like that?" I rushed over. Came to a rocking halt before I crashed into him. "Grumpy? You okay?"He nodded. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be okay?"I gulped. "Um, because you look like you're stuck somewhere between a man and a dragon?"He laughed. "Yeah. Right.""She speaks truth, Tagan Ladon. See for yourself," Ari said. She waved her hand and a section of the clouds we were standing on rose and solidified into a silvered section of mirror. His gray eyes widened as he stepped forward. "No fucking way."Giant silver wings protruded from his back. And his face and chest shimmered with silvered scales. His hands had remained the same while his feet had transformed into those of the dragon form that Thane was currently inhabiting. Grumpy looked over at me. Then at Drace. "What the fuck?"She shook her head. "I've never seen anything like this in all of my 150 years."My mind ex

My body felt like it had been scrubbed over the washer and beaten against the rocks near the stream where we did laundry in the Village. My stomach heaved as my head throbbed and thrummed. My heart pounded in my ears as my eyes watered. I struggled to pull air in through my nose and push it steadily from my mouth. Over and over. All I could focus on was my breathing. Staying alive. That was it. Once my world righted itself, and my organs felt like they were back in their normal position, I sat up. The living room greeted me. We were back at home. I looked around, counted heads. Nodded. Good. We were all here. "Ari? What the heck did you do? And why?" My tongue felt thick and stupid inside my mouth. Reaching out, I grabbed Thane's hand in one of mine. Drace's hand in the other. "Grab Tove and Grumpy," I said. They each reached out until we made a lopsided circle. "Quod restituo dimittere." The room lit briefly as I called on my magic. My magic. It was so weird to know