The metallic pull inside my brain grew and grew, pulling me down the dark corridor. Something had changed. The hold was stronger, and it felt as if it wound around my neck, choking me when I slowed down, or even inclined my head to the side.

I knew Veronica walked right beside me. I was barely aware of Glendale moving at my ankles.

Keep moving. She spoke no words, and she wasn’t inside my head, yet the command was clear in the rope-like tendrils wrapped around me.

Each step was heavy and awkward. As comfortable as I thought I was inside my new dragon skin, my motions weren’t. But maybe that was all the fault of Veronica and the twisted magic she used to control my physical actions.

Stop. I stopped short, right before a fork in the tunnel.

Veronica stepped around me. “You will go in there and burn them to the ground. Only Hailey can live. If you do not do as I say, Hailey will die.”

Hailey wouldn’t die. She couldn’t. I’d die before that happened.

Turn.

I followed the order against my will and saw her. All I could focus on was her. Hailey.

My greatest love and my greatest weakness. On the periphery, I saw others. But none of them were in focus. It was only her.

Fire. The command tugged at the cord, and I could barely breathe.

“Wyatt?” Hailey stepped closer. She was glowing. Glowing like a Lightness.

That shock was eclipsed by another question. Had she figured it out who I was so quickly? Had she recognized me inside the dragon?

“Wyatt.” My name slipped from her lips again, and she reached out for me.

“Hailey!” A familiar male voice yelled. “It’s not him. Wyatt can’t be a dragon.”

I forced my gaze to move to the voice. Troy.

Hailey tentatively touched my wing, sending warmth racing through my system. “Wyatt.”

She was so calm. I sensed no fear, only compassion. And love.

“Kill them!” Veronica screamed. Why was she screaming? And then I realized the metallic cord was weakening. I could move my head. I focused only on Hailey. On her expressive eyes, her red hair.

“Wyatt. It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.” Hailey’s words soothed me, reminding me of exactly who I really was. I was more than a dragon. Her arms wrapped around my scaly wing, and Veronica’s shrieks of protest faded away.

“Holy shit, it is him.” Troy’s voice sounded far off.

In the next moment the wind picked up, and a bright light blinded me again. Seconds later Hailey and I fell onto the dirt covered ground.

I blinked a few times, trying to handle all the different emotions and thoughts swirling through me. First and foremost Hailey was with me. She was wrapped up in my arms. My human, naked arms. I was human again.

“I have so many questions, but I need a minute.” She clung to me.

I tried to comfort her, hoping we were truly safe and she wouldn’t be jerked from my arms. I gazed around out of instinct. We were in a forest with towering trees that looked as if they touched the sky.

Hailey sighed but made no move to leave my arms. “It’s you, right, Glendale?”

Glendale rolled over to look at us. “It is I. Do you know many other cats who could get you out of a mess like that?”

“No. Not many.”

He moved to his feet and walked over. “Oh. I suppose you need clothes.” He nodded in my direction. In the next instant I had pants on. “Uh, how’d you do that?” I probably should have felt violated in some way, but it was more amazement that I was feeling.

He yawned. “You two like to doubt my abilities, don’t you?”

“It’s not doubt. It’s surprise.” I brushed some leaves off of her arms.

“I would have thought you’d have seen enough in your life to cease being surprised so easily.” Glendale sat down right in front of us.

“I doubt I will ever truly stop being surprised.” She wrapped her arms around her chest. She wasn’t cold. At least I didn’t think so. Hailey rarely, if ever, got cold. Still just to be sure I wrapped her tighter in my arms.

“You will. One day it will happen.” Glendale rolled his neck.

“Wait. Where is everyone else?” Hailey glanced around. “I can’t believe I just realized that! Where are they?” Panic dripped from her voice.

Glendale switched his tail back and forth. “I transported them somewhere else. Don’t worry. Let’s talk about you.”

Hailey tensed. “Glendale… you’re lying.”

I prepared to argue the case with her, but Glendale rose to his feet. “Ok. Fine. Stay right here.”

He acted as though we had any choice in the matter. “Where do you think we are going to go?”

“It’s a matter of speaking. Try not to be so literal.” He swished his tail again before disappearing into thin air.

“I’m never going to get used to that.” Hailey stared at the spot where Glendale had just stood.

I pulled her back so she was leaning into me. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” The worry and concern caught up with me, throwing a shadow of exhaustion over every inch of my body.

“Same to you. I can’t believe...” She trailed off. “But how?”

I knew her words could mean several different things. “How did Veronica turn me into a dragon, or how did you turn me into my human form again?”

“Both I guess.” She stared down into her lap. “They are both important.”

“I’ll start with the second question because that seems easier. Somehow you can pull out the human side of me. We’re connected on a level deeper than whatever it is that Veronica did to me.” I kissed the top of Hailey’s head. “Before we get to the first question, I need to know. Are you all right?”

“About being a Lightness, or part Lightness? About you being a dragon? About meeting your dead mom? About trying not to kill Troy?”

I smiled at the last part. I was glad she still had her sense of humor. It would have been an easy thing for her to lose considering all she’d been through. “Ok, so maybe instead of asking how you are, I’ll ask how you are holding up.”

“I’m a lot better now.” She turned, still staying tucked in my arms. “Even if I feel incredibly guilty.”

“Guilty?” I tried to understand why she would feel that way. “But you sent Glendale back for the others already.”

“Not them. But I doubt even Glendale would be able to find Anastasia.”

“Anastasia?” Was that name supposed to mean anything to me? Maybe the exhaustion was worse than I thought.

“She’s a Mer. She was down in that dungeon maze as well.”

“Is she Emerald Flame too?” I wondered how much more Hailey had learned while we were apart. I was still processing the part about her meeting my mom.

“I assume so. I can’t imagine why else she was there. I never spoke to her though.”

“Then how did you know she was there?”

“Hunter told us, and then we played a game of Marco-Polo. Unfortunately, we were never able to find her.”

“Glendale has surprised us already today. You never know.”

“True, but I’m doubtful. She was so weak…”

“We’ll find her. I promise.” I was usually careful not to make promises I couldn’t keep, but I couldn’t stand to see Hailey so hard on herself.

“I’m glad one of us is confident.”

“I’m back.” Glendale dropped out of thin air. He was noticeably alone. “Sorry about the delay. Moving your friends was a bit harder than expected.”

“Why?” I glanced up waiting for the others to show up. Surely they couldn’t be too far behind.

“Because the big one refused to come.” Glendale lay down on the leaf and dirt covered ground.

“The big one?” I tried to follow.

“He means Hunter, I assume?” Hailey stared upward. “What’s taking so long?”

“They’ll be here.” Glendale rolled over onto his side. “And of course I mean the Dire. But ‘the big one’ describes him even better.”

“There was a Dire there too?” I wasn’t particularly surprised.

“You didn’t notice him?”

“I noticed only you.” That was the truth. Everyone else had faded into the background. I’d heard Troy’s voice, but he had still been background noise compared to Hailey.

“Oh.” Hailey seemed to think it over. “But you noticed Troy?”

“I did, but mostly just you.” I smiled, still marveling over how quickly she’d brought me back to myself.

“I’m sure I would have been the same way.” She looked over at Glendale. “Did Hunter finally come?”

“No.” Glendale yawned. “He annoyingly insisted he be given more time to find a friend. Between you and me, I believe she may be imaginary.”

“She’s not imaginary,” Hailey snapped.

“Ok then.” Glendale shot me a look as if looking for commiseration.

“You will go back for them, right?”

“Yes.” He yawned. “Unfortunately, I will.”

“How is helping someone ever unfortunate?” Hailey’s brows knit together.

“Because it pulls me away from doing what I actually want to do.”

“Why are you helping us then if you have more important things to do?” I still hadn’t figured that part out yet. I trusted him—perhaps more than I should have— but at the moment I was desperate for any allies we could find.

“Aligning with a power couple like you two is wise. Besides, I kind of like you.”

“Where are the others?” It was taking far too long for them to show up.

“They are absolutely fine. I have plenty of these places to use for times like these.”

“Glendale…” Hailey leaned forward.

“I swear it. They are safe. This time I really did it.”

“How do we know?” Hailey crossed her arms. “Why should we believe you?”

“Your Pixie friend said to tell you she thinks I’m trustworthy.” Glendale grinned like a Cheshire cat. Before meeting Glendale I’d never seen a cat with that kind of grin.

“Why not bring them here now?” I was positive the cat had his reasons.

“Because we need to talk first.” He swished his tail back and forth.

“What do we need to talk about?” Hailey relaxed slightly. Maybe she could believe the Pixie would have said what Glendale reported.

“I want to know what you plan to do with all of your new power.” He purred out the p’s in plan and power.

“New power…” I studied the cat. “I assume you are referring to Hailey with that one.”

“I am referring to both of you.”

“I have no new power, and now I’m doubtful I have any power at all. At least not unless Veronica is pulling the strings.” And I sincerely hoped she’d never be pulling the strings again. I’d never been so terrified as when I was under the Scarber’s control.

“Of course you have power. And that means you have the power to sever the strings. Especially if you work with Hailey.”

“How?” That had my attention. I’d do anything to make sure that happened.

“Do I really have to tell you everything?” He rolled onto his back, all four paws sticking up.

“Not everything. But more than you’ve told us so far.” Hailey pulled her knees up to her chest. “The sooner we get Wyatt out from under the control of Veronica the better.”

“You’re a Lightness, Hailey. You can do a lot with that light.” Glendale swatted at something invisible.

“Meaning…”

Glendale rolled onto his side. “I know you’re a smart girl.”

She stared him down. “Pretend I’m not.”

“Hailey. Hailey.” His ears twitched.

“I barely know how my powers work. Are you saying I should be able to focus on Wyatt enough to figure out where the so-called strings are and get rid of them?” Skepticism dripped from her voice.

“Yes. That is exactly what I mean. Glad you figured it out. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

“You know how to do that?” I turned to Hailey. I hoped I didn’t sound doubtful. I had full confidence in her, but I had absolutely no idea what kind of magic Veronica was using on me. Without understanding that, I wasn’t sure how Hailey could be expected to get rid of it.

“No,” she readily admitted. “But I did make a hole in a glass wall no one could break down. Not once, but twice.”

“Impressive.” Everything about Hailey was impressive. I was blown away by how she was handling the newest twists and turns in our situation. She hadn’t batted an eye when she realized I was a dragon. She never lost sight that it was me.

“I’d been desperate, and I think that’s part of it. But it did start to get easier. Plus, if I get really worked up emotionally it can also help.”

“You need to get worked up emotionally?” Glendale extended his back claws. “Focus on what’s going to happen to Wyatt if Veronica gets her hands on him again. That should get you emotional.”

Hailey’s expression darkened. “Yes. That does get me upset.”

I chose my words carefully, not wanting her to think I doubted her resolve or strength. “Hailey, this isn’t worth you hurting yourself. There are other ways.”

She jumped to her feet and glared down at me. “Not worth it? Don’t ever try to tell me saving you isn’t worth it. I don’t want to live in a world without you. Ok?”

I grinned, once again amazed by this incredible woman. “Understand it loud and clear.”