Adrenaline thrummed through her blood, and her wings tore through the monsoon clouds as Eve flew toward Reunion Island in search of her sister.

Hope was on a mission to rescue the shifter who’d been kidnapped by the Elysians. She should be able to hold her own with Aaron by her side—after all, they were both seasoned warriors.

But the Elysians were a dangerous psychic collective and stronger than anyone they’d ever met.

A thread of fear Eve couldn’t banish had her racing to help.

As she neared the island, a complex of buildings came into view. Her attention was drawn to an oil rig in its center. A woman was sprawled on the platform. Eve recognized her sister’s figure.

Fear jolted through Eve.

Hope was hurt.

Eve folded her wings and dived, just as Aaron flung himself at a stranger who was dressed in a formal pants and shirt.

Aaron hit an invisible barrier and was thrown back. His body arced through the air. He hit the ground next to Hope, who hadn’t moved all this while. Was she still alive?

Eve had to stop the Elysian before he attacked again.

Her insides churned. It was her duty to protect her clan. A strange calm gripped her.

She narrowed her gaze in on the Elysian male.

Dropping into the violet energy of her dragon, she drew from it. Power throbbed through her veins. Every pore of her skin popped. A tendril of fire licked over her wings as they unfurled, catching the air and allowing her to sail over the figures.

With a screech that bounced off the waves, Eve soared toward the stranger. She opened her jaws and unleashed a stream of flames.

The Elysian man jerked his head in her direction. He lifted his arm.

She sensed the force of his telekinetic power gathering. He was pulling energy from the surroundings.

Eve’s wings wobbled. Catching an air current, she steadied herself and circled the scene.

The Elysian flung his hand out, and the telekinetic force folded into a vortex.

She dived at them just as the Elysian's telekinetic force smashed into her. The impact ripped through her scales, shredding the tendons that held up her wings.

Eve screamed, and her body hurtled toward the ground.

The wind tore at her eyes, screaming past her eardrums, which burst with the sudden loss in altitude.

Hitting the oil rig, she plowed through the platform and crashed into a raised tower.

Her body bounced.

She managed to angle herself so her claws dug into the ground. Her thigh muscles screamed with agony, but she held on, slowing her speed. She skidded to a stop at the very edge, one wing bent and hanging over the side.

The entire rig vibrated. Pieces of rubble rained around her, on her.

A tremor tore through her body. The oxygen was sucked out of her lungs.

Her dragon screamed and her energy faltered.

Eve's cells changed shape.

Her skin shrank and drew into itself. Her claws retracted. Violet and gold sparked and she transformed back into her human self.

Red-hot flashes of agony racked her body. The force of it arced her chest off the ground and knocked her back to the surface.

Above her she sensed Aaron rise to his feet, followed by Hope. The platform shook as they raced toward the stranger.

Something smashed into the ground next to her. The rig shuddered.

She managed to turn her head, enough to see the fallen body of the Elysian. They had taken him down.

The air surrounding his body shimmered. A portal formed, and a woman in a jumpsuit appeared. She dropped to her knees, gathering the fallen Elysian to her chest. Her gaze locked with Eve’s.

Those black eyes flared with anger and something more. Revenge?

The woman teleported out, her arms locked around the Elysian man.

No one could penetrate the shields of a dragon shifter. How had the Elysian managed to find a weakness? Had he used her own power to attack her?

White pain streaked up her sides. It was as if she’d been caught in a massive shredder that had torn out her insides.

Eve scented copper, found the ground beneath her hand was wet. She was bleeding out.

She heard footsteps running toward her.

Hope’s face came into view. She leaned over her, her features pale.

Relief sagged through Eve’s shoulders, making it pinch painfully. “You’re safe?” Goosebumps rose on her skin. She was so cold, as if she’d been plunged into a sea of ice.

Hope’s chin trembled. “You came at just the right time. How did you find us?”

Eve’s chest tightened. “I followed you. I wouldn’t have sent you off without backup, would I? Not that you needed my help.” Her lungs burned. She locked her gaze on Aaron’s face. “You had an Ascendant warrior watching out for you.” She coughed, the thick taste of blood clogging her throat.

“Don’t talk.” Hope gripped her hand. “Save your energy.”

Sweat trickled down Eve’s forehead. A shiver jolted her body. “Take care of her, Aaron.” Her throat felt scratchy and her limbs trembled.

Aaron’s jaw firmed. On his face the resolve to never let anything harm Hope was apparent.

The stress drained out of her, and numbness gripped her. She felt weightless as if she was floating.

She was a dominant dragon shifter. She’d never found a mate who could rival her strength of will, who would be her equal.

She was going to die as she’d come into this world. Alone. A sob caught in her throat as her vision blurred. The world seemed to slow.

The violet energy of her dragon blew out.