SAGE
For a few heartbeats, everything was smoke and dust. My chest heaved as I stared at the motionless dragon sprawled across the field, its once-majestic form now dimming under the glare of the sun. My arms trembled, my magic thinned to threads.
Please, stay down. I mused, struggling to catch my breath.
But luck wasn't on my side.
With a shimmer of silver and gold, the dragon's body began to fold inward—like fire curling into itself—and Darius emerged from it, human.
He landed on his knees first, gasping, before his body glowed again. A shift—faster this time—until where the man had stood was now a cougar, large and sleek, its pelt as dark as wet stone, eyes glowing amber. The air rippled with his fury and exhaustion.
For a second, I almost laughed. A dragon to a cat. Quite the downgrade. But my amusement didn't last long.
I knew he was conserving strength. Smart. Dangerous. His movements were lithe, a silent shadow slinking toward me, golden eyes fixed and unblinking
