Taurian lifted his gaze to Dena’s house. He could just make out the tip of her roof from the woods. Keeping an eye on her from a distance was eating him up inside, but he’d terrified her with his news. She was still in danger and he had to keep her safe. The enemy could come back at any moment and she had no way of protecting herself. Hopefully, the woman would come to her senses soon and realize—Dena's scream vibrate through his heart and soul.

He'd told her that they were bound. Through the forest leading to her house, he tore across the grass. No harm would come to her if he could help it.

He leaped over a fallen log. Once he cleared the trees, he opened his will to his true form. Scales burst across his skin. His leather wings rupturing from his back. Pain jolted through him, but he kept his body moving forward despite it. His jaw elongated along with every muscle and bone in his body. Fire scorching his insides, marking its well-worn path.

Dena!

He flapped his wings, breaking branches and a cluster of birds escaped from the treetops as he soared into the sky. His heart hammering in his chest like a war drum. He spotted Dena below backing away from a huge snake with the face of a man.

What the—?

Taurian dove and snatched up the creature in his talons. The human head snapped its teeth at him. He ripped the monster in half, black blood gushing out. Everywhere the blood touched bubbled like acid. His scales curled. Cxjkr! Impossible, Renjerian scales were his armor. A roar shot from his throat as his flesh sizzled. The black liquid was going to flay him alive if he didn’t stop it! His dragonfire dissolved before it reached his tongue. Pain shooting through him. He couldn’t think anymore.

“Taurian?” Dena’s concerned voice brought a glimmer of hope to his heart.

He concentrated, shoving the pain aside as it burrowed into his flesh in multiple places. If he didn’t kill this thing, it would hurt her. He couldn’t let that happen. Dragonfire bellowed through him, turning the corpse into smoldering ash.

“Taurian?’” Dena gasped. “Is that you?”

Taking a step toward her, he stumbled, falling onto his haunches. The searing pain from the acid cut into him.

“Hang on.” She dashed into her house and came running out seconds later with two different bottles. “No way to know what kind of acid this is.”

Taurian grunted, weakness making it hard to move.

“Let's try water first.” She opened the clear bigger bottle and dumped it in a section of his exposed Renjerian skin.

“Ow!” Sweat broke out across his scaled brow. Agonizing pain lanced through him from every direction. His breathing labored as he concentrated on staying conscious. Who was that freaking snake?

“Sorry, sorry. Must be some type of Carbolic acid or phenol.” She scrambled for the other bottle then poured that onto one of the spots.

The soothing coolness of the liquid eased his burns some and the antiseptic scent tickled his nostrils. The serpent had to have been from the Tryn…sent here to watch Dena and attack. If Taurian hadn’t been nearby, the monster would’ve killed her. Scorching bile surged up his throat. He needed her someplace safe, but where, if the Tryn were already using human remains to create otherworldly creatures.

After she doused all his wounds, he asked, “What is that?”

“Alcohol. But we need to get you closer to the house so I can use the water hose to wash away the neutralized acid.” Her gaze filled with concern. “Can you move?”

“Dump the water on me from your jar and I'll be fine.”

“No, we need to rinse your burns for twenty minutes.” Her brow furrowed. “Just scoot a few feet toward me, okay? I'll help you.” She placed a hand on his scaled arm.

Letting her guide him, he crawled the distance to her house. The cool water she meticulously sprayed on him soothed the throbbing of his wounds. For several minutes only the rushing of the water and crickets filled the air. The burning pain lessened somewhat, but he still felt the underlying blisters. Beneath him, the ground was soaked.

“Thank you,” she choked out not looking at him, “For saving me against…that whatever it was. And why did it have my ex’s face?”

He didn't know either, but he could guess. “The Tryns have evolved.” He shook his head. “They used to be small, but the one I came over with was bigger than a man. My guess is the Tryn used your ex, turning him into that snake creature, and left him near here to attack you if you escaped his possession.” Which if the Tryns could do this...then what else could they do? He had to get back and warn his people that the Tryns were now capable of a weapon to use against them. Acid blood could swing the war in his enemies’ favor. Which is why his people had fought alongside the humans in the first place to rid the planet of the Tryn infestation.

“Thank you for helping me, I need to leave now.” He pushed up into a crouch only to fall back down again. “I have to find and kill all the Tryns.”

“You aren't going anywhere until you've recovered.” She crossed an arm over her chest, the moonlight shining across her glare.

“So you're asking me to stay here with you?”

She sprayed him in the face with the water, then laughed as he sputtered. “Nice try, but you're staying as one of my patients, nothing more.” But she placed her free hand on his uninjured side, tracing a scale there and sending a shiver of pleasure rolling through him.

“I turn you on more as a dragon than a human?” He grinned.

“Wha—no.” She shook her head. “As a dragon, you fascinate me...as a man, you just irritate me.”

He let her trace his body with the water, and she was careful not to come too close to his injuries.

“You said I would change, like you.” She paused in front of him. “Kohl was purple in his dragon form and you're blue. But he was much smaller than you and didn't have has many spikes as you and none on his tail…what will I look like?”

“You won’t change fully, just have some of our abilities.” He was lucky she even survived the ritual. “You're special, no other human in a thousand years has lived after the procedure.” He stared at her, wondering at his luck and thankful she wasn’t harmed.

She swallowed and pointed her chin at him. “And what about you? Is it only dangerous for the human?” She went back to running the water hose over his body.

“No, it’s also dangerous for Renjerians, though more Renjerians survive the binding than not.”

“But there is still a risk?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.”

“Then why risk it? Why did you do this?”

He placed his claws gently on her hand, bringing the water gurgling into the mud between them. “It was the only way I knew that might bring you back to life. I couldn't handle the fact you were dead, even if you hated me forever, you'd be alive.”

“I-I was dead?” Her face paled. “Are you sure?”

“No pulse and not breathing. I couldn't walk away from that, not when there was a chance to save you.” The fact she spoke with him at all made happiness sail in his veins.

Her mouth opened and closed before she straightened. “Don't think this means I've forgiven what you did.”

“Never.” He hid his smile or thought he did until she switched off the water.

“Okay, can you fly? I want to know if your burns have injured your wings.” She frowned walking from one side to the other examining him. “Maybe just stretch them out and see if they hurt.”

He did as she asked and cringed. His right wing ached like it had been bruised. “I’m okay, but flying is out of the question for the moment.”

“Well, you can’t stay here.” She waved a hand to the horizon. “At least not as a thirty-foot dragon in my front yard. The neighbors will freak once the sun comes up.”

“So you’re saying I can stay here now?” He arched a scaled eyebrow.

“Until you heal properly,” she sighed, “then I guess so. Never was one to be able to turn down an animal in distress.” Then she cocked her head to the side. “Hey, how am I able to talk with you while you’re a dragon? I would think you’d just roar or growl or something?”

“Mindspeak. You’re hearing my voice in your head. It’s dark out and your human eyes can’t see me well enough to realize my mouth isn’t moving.”

“Oh, okay. Well, let’s go inside and figure out what to do next.”

Taurian grunted and pushed down his Renjerian form, recalling how it felt to be a human. How good it felt to kiss Dena and touch her. He was too big as a dragon to risk that and he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her if he could help it. His muscles and bones protested as though finally being free and now crammed into a box. Sweat beaded across his back as his wings folded and disappeared underneath his flesh. His scales sinking into his skin and at last, his muscles and bones changing shape: becoming smaller and human.

In the night’s breeze, he trembled. “Thank you for tending my wounds.”

“Whoa.” She placed a hand on his chest and shook her head. “I said you as a dragon could stay with me, not you the man.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but she placed a finger to his lips.

“Kidding.” She gave him a half-smile. “This doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you yet. But sunrise is in less than an hour and the only thing more shocking to my neighbors beside a gigantic dragon would be a buff naked man.”

“I’m buff?” Was that a good thing? He puffed out his chest.

“God, you’re incorrigible.” She took his hand and he hoped she never let go. “Come inside and get dressed. Then we need to figure out what to do about Dave—my ex—and how to explain how he got turned into that creature thing, even if he is dead. How am I going to explain this to the authorities?”

“I could always char his remains.”

She shook her head, but he already vowed he would turn the body to cinders. No way would he allow her to take blame for the death and be imprisoned. After she went inside, he released his dragonfire, the flames chewing up the corpse.

“What the hell did you do?” she screeched. “You could catch the whole place on fire.”

“I can contro—”

She didn’t listen but ran to the side of the house grabbing a rubber hose and shooting water over the burning grass.

“I could’ve stopped the fire.” He grumbled, crossing his arms. Did she think he was that reckless?

Once the fire was out, she sloshed through the muddy area. “Wha—there’s not even bones or dentures.”

“Yeah, well, I told the fire to leave nothing behind. It would’ve gotten all this black oil up too if you hadn’t drowned the flames.”

“Really?” She wrapped the hose up beside the house on a hook. “So it’s almost like a magical power and does what you wish?”

“To some extent. I can have it do this,” he waved a hand, “Its essence is burning, destroying, smoothing.”

“So it wouldn’t catch the forest or house on fire?” she asked stomping on an ember a foot away.

“I could’ve put it out once it finished the task I wanted. My heat level changes with need. I could light a gentle campfire or have a flame like this hotter than any on Earth to disintegrate my enemies.”

“Well, next time, don’t blast something in my yard like this if its already dead.” She turned away to her house.

“So if its alive then I’ve free reign to kill it however I wish?”

“Sure, as long as you clean up your mess afterward.” She tossed him a rag. Her laugh warmed his heart.