Farrah woke up as if from a dream, heart pounding, body wondering if it wanted to be present in this new situation.

The first thing that hit her was the scent of cinnamon and pine, welcoming, familiar smells so different from the sterile atmosphere of the lab where she’d been imprisoned.

The next thing she noticed were the women. First was the one who had saved her, a beautiful blonde who could have played an Amazon in a movie with her height and imposing presence. She would bet this one wasn’t human, and that set her slightly on guard.

The other two women put her more at ease, and she’d bet anything they were human and friendly.

Though she was uncomfortable with the pity in their eyes, it was such an improvement to any of the other emotions directed at her in the past weeks, and she had to be grateful.

“How are you doing?” one of them asked, leaning forward on the chair she’d pulled up next to the bed. She had dark-blond hair pulled into a ponytail and worried blue eyes. She was curvy, as were all the women in the room, to various degrees. They looked glowing, healthy, well cared for.

The opposite of her.

“My name is Casey,” the other human woman said. She had straight, dark hair that flowed over her shoulders as she leaned forward and curious hazel eyes that were lit with gold and green and hints of blue. “This is Brittany, and that is Marina,” she said, pointing at the beautiful blond woman.

“I know her,” Farrah said, her throat still scratchy from lack of use. “She rescued me.”

“I’m afraid I can’t take all the credit for that,” Marina said, and her voice was soft and musical, drawing Farrah in.

A shudder went through Farrah as she realized it was truly over. She was truly free. She slumped forward, shaking, and felt Marina and the others come around her.

She let them hold her, stroke her back, as she let herself sob out her relief in great, choking breaths.

When she’d composed herself and waved for the others to step back, she looked at Marina questioningly. “What do you mean you can’t take all the credit?”

“There were others who helped, one especially. You might have seen him.”

“The scary man with the knives?” Farrah asked, heart pounding as she remembered. Even through her own panicked screams and the way the world had blurred around her, she could still remember it clearly. The way he’d walked forward, cool as ice, focused on annihilating everyone in his path.

At first, she’d feared he was coming for her next, but then the beautiful woman had come forward and calmed her, and…

She looked over at Marina in wonder. “What did you do to me?”

“Just some soothing,” Marina said. “How much do you know about shifters?”

“Some,” Farrah said, not really wanting to talk about it. She was free, and now she could escape that world forever. Go back to being normal. How amazing that sounded.

“Do you know about dragons?” Marina asked.

“No,” Farrah said dully. “And I don’t want to. I just want to go home.”

The others exchanged worried glances, and Farrah felt her heart start a rapid free-fall toward something hard and unforgiving. Her pulse sped up. “Please say I can go home. I can’t stay in this world any longer. It would destroy me.”

A flash of light lit the room, and a swirling vortex appeared for a split second before an old woman in a sleeping robe walked through it. The vortex closed, and the woman’s misty, purple-white eyes focused on Farrah as she cringed back against the headboard of the bed.

“Unfortunately, my dear, I believe you,” the woman said, walking forward.

“Oracle,” Marina said, bowing her head.

Farrah bowed her head, too, not sure who she was talking to, but she could sense this was a powerful person, one who might be able to grant her the right to go home.

“Raise your head, child,” the oracle said. “You’ve been through enough already.” She looked at the others. “I need to talk to her alone.”

Marina put her hand over Farrah’s. “Can I at least stay?”

The oracle nodded. “That is fine, if Farrah wants it.”

Casey and Brittany gave Farrah reassuring glances and then left the room.

“So your name is Farrah?” Marina asked. She looked at the oracle. “Would figure she knew that.”

“Of course I would,” the oracle said calmly, taking one of the vacated seats by the bed. Her gaze was wizened but sharp and piercing. “What I don’t know is how she slipped past our notice for so long.” The oracle put a hand on Farrah’s, but she pulled her hand back from both her and Marina, not wanting to deal with touch.

The oracle dipped her head, shame in her gaze. “We have failed you, and I assure you we will do whatever we can to make you comfortable.”

“I want to go home,” Farrah said, not sure what they meant about failing her. The only people she blamed for this were the shifters who’d taken her. As far as she was concerned, these people had saved her, and as long as they returned her safely home, all could be forgiven.

“I’m afraid that may not be possible,” the oracle said, giving her a reluctant look. “You see, you will still have people after you, and until your memories are erased, you will be a liability.”

“I can have my memories erased?” Farrah asked, her heart welling with hope.

“Not so fast, my dear,” the oracle said. “Not until we know you are out of danger. Not until we have dealt with anyone who knows you were taken. Not until we can be assured you would be safe in human life, which we may never be able to.”

“I want them erased,” Farrah said, staring off at nothing in particular, trying to remember a world before all of this had happened. “All of them, from when this started. “

“I understand,” the oracle said. “You feel that way now, but you may change your mind.”

Farrah shook her head, heart pounding harder than ever before. Pounding with… hope. Desperate hope. “I won’t change my mind. If they could be gone, that would be the most wonderful thing in the world.”

The oracle shared a concerned look with Marina, then sighed. “Then we will see, my child.”

“Don’t call me a child,” Farrah said softly. “Or my dear. I’m not a baby.”

The oracle raised a white brow and laughed in a cackle. “My dear, when you have lived as long as I have, everyone is a child.”

“So you… You’re not one of the bad guys in this world?” Farrah asked.

“No,” the oracle said, leaning back with arms folded over her curvy form. “Usually, I’m one who watches over this world and those in it, including humans who have contact with the shifter world. Generally, we prevent… things like this.”

“I see,” Farrah said. Great, she was even unluckier than she’d thought. What was it about her that was unworthy of better treatment? Of rescue?

Well, she’d been rescued. Just a little bit too late.

“We will have to see about sending you to your home, though. At least temporarily, if that’s what you want,” the oracle said.

“I do,” Farrah said hurriedly.

The oracle sighed. “The only way I can see it happening is if you take a dragon with you.”

“A shifter?” Farrah said nervously, thinking of the ones she’d met.

“Yes,” the oracle said. “If one of them is willing to volunteer, then it’s possible you could be in your house and be safe, no matter what comes.”

“I don’t… I can’t—”

“My dear—Farrah, I trust those dragons with my life.”

“I’ve seen dragons,” Farrah said with a shudder. “Awful, evil creatures.”

“No, you’ve seen wyverns,” the oracle said. “Horrible, malformed hybrids that were never supposed to exist. A corruption of dragon blood and the shifters that are injected with it. A hideous perversion of nature.”

Farrah stifled a laugh at the oracle’s disgust with the wyverns. From Farrah’s point of view, it was well-founded.

“Marina, will you see if anyone is willing to volunteer?” the oracle asked. “If we have a dragon willing to do it, I’m at least willing to consider it.”

Farrah wanted to protest, but she also badly wanted to be back in her bed. She’d dreamed of it so many nights. If she was there, she’d at least be able to pretend things were normal. Maybe for once, she wouldn’t have nightmares about needles.

And the oracle didn’t seem to be a bad person. If she trusted the shifters downstairs…

“While Marina’s downstairs, I’ll tell you a little bit about my dragons and hopefully reassure you there is nothing to worry about with one of them around.”

“Right,” Marina said. “I’ll go talk to the guys.” She gave Farrah a reassuring smile. “You’re going to be fine. You’re safe now.” Then with a little wave, Marina slipped out the door.

The oracle slid her hand over Farrah’s once again, and this time, Farrah didn’t pull away as a wave of warmth and comfort washed over her. She took a deep breath and released it.

It was finally sinking in that she was actually safe. And this woman who she’d thought would ask her tons of invasive questions about what she’d been through instead only seemed to want to comfort and reassure her.

After weeks being poked and prodded as a lab experiment, being treated like, well, a human was refreshing. She could feel at least a tiny bit of bravery returning.

She looked into the misty, whitish-purple eyes of the oracle. “Tell me about the dragons.”