Page 26 of Hex and Scales

“Please. You’re practically floating.” Romi handed her one of the mugs. “Pumpkin spice chai, extra cinnamon. You’ll need the caffeine boost after all that late-night texting.”

“How did you?—”

“Clover saw the notifications lighting up your phone at dinner. We have a betting pool on when you’ll finally admit you’re perfect for each other.”

Sabine rolled her eyes, but her protest died in her throat as they reached the shop. Something felt wrong. The early morning shadows seemed too thick, clinging to the windows like oil. Her tigress stirred uneasily, hackles rising.

“Romi.” Sabine thrust her mug back at her cousin. “Get Clover. Something’s not right.”

“What—”

“Now. Please.”

The bell’s cheerful jingle grated against Sabine’s nerves as she entered. Display shelves rattled, their protective wards flickering like dying fireflies. The air felt heavy, oppressive, tasting of metal and old magic.

“Hello?” Her voice echoed strangely. Magical artifacts hummed with restless energy—crystal balls vibrating in their stands, enchanted jewelry boxes rattling, prime examples of why Ylan always said they needed better security spells.

A discordant note pierced the silence.

Sabine whirled toward the sound. Near the register sat an ornate music box she’d marked for special handling yesterday. Dark wood, brass fittings, labeled with three separate “Caution” tags because something about its magic signature felt unstable. Now its lid creaked open, releasing a tune that set her teeth on edge.

Black mist coiled from its depths like ink in water.

“Oh, that’s definitely not good.” Sabine backed away, channeling magic into a defensive ward. The mist writhed, condensing into a creature of shadow and spite. Red eyes opened—dozens of them—and hunger rolled off it in waves.

It struck faster than thought.

Sabine’s ward shattered like glass. The impact sent her flying into a display case of enchanted mirrors. Pain exploded across her back as shards sliced deep. She hit the ground hard, head cracking against the floor.

Blood soaked her shirt as she scrambled up. The creature’s next strike caught her shoulder, claws raking through muscle. Sabine screamed. Her tigress roared to life, golden power blazing from her hands, but the shadow-thing absorbed each blast like a black hole devouring stars.

“Playing hard to get?” Sabine spat blood, forcing herself to stand. “Fine. Let’s dance.”

She shifted partially, letting tiger strength flow into her human form. Claws extended from her fingers. Her vision sharpened, pupils slitting. But before she could strike, darkness wrapped around her throat, lifting her off her feet.

Can’t breathe. Her lungs burned. Spots danced in her vision. This is bad, this is bad, this is?—

Dragon fire filled the room.

The shadow creature shrieked as scorching light met darkness. Through blurring vision, Sabine saw Ren burst through the door, power radiating off him in waves. His eyes blazed solid gold, scales shimmering beneath his skin.

The thing dropped her. She crumpled, gasping, as Ren’s magic reached for hers. Their powers recognized each other, weaving together in perfect synchronization. The resulting blast obliterated the shadow creature in a spectacular flash that shook the building’s foundations.

Silence fell. Broken artifacts clattered to the floor. Sabine tried to push herself up, but her mangled shoulder gave out. Blood pooled beneath her, too much blood, and the room started spinning...

“Sabine!”

Strong arms caught her before she hit the ground. Ren’s face swam into focus, his usual stoic mask shattered by raw fear. “Stay with me, little tiger. Stay with me.”

“Not... going anywhere.” She coughed wetly. “Just need a minute.”

His hands shook as he examined her wounds. “These are deep. Why did you come in alone? Why didn’t you call me?”

“Phone’s... in my pocket. Bit busy getting thrown around to make social calls.”

“This isn’t funny.” But his voice cracked on the words. Dragon fire sparked at his fingertips as he pressed them to her worst cuts. Heat sank into her muscles, accelerating her natural healing. “You shouldn’t handle these things alone?—”

He cut himself off, jaw clenching. Before Sabine could question that slip, footsteps approached.

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