Page 31 of Hex and Scales

Before Sabine could ask what she meant, the elder witch’s twin materialized beside them. Neve’s expression mirrored her sister’s enigmatic smile.

“The archives await,” Neve reminded them. “Though I suspect today’s research may prove more illuminating than expected.”

The sisters shared one of their silent looks—the kind that made Sabine certain they knew far more than they were saying. But when she opened her mouth to question them, they’d already glided away, leaving only the scent of sage in their wake.

The archives’ heavy oak doors creaked open at her touch, releasing the familiar perfume of old books and ancient magic. Towering shelves stretched toward the vaulted ceiling, their contents humming with power that raised goose bumps along her arms. Somewhere in these depths lay answers about dragon mates—if she could only find them.

“Good morning, Miss Katz.” Otis materialized between the stacks. Today he wore a vest embroidered with tiny magical symbols that shifted and rearranged themselves when she wasn’t looking directly at them. “I’ve gathered the texts you requested about dragon mate bonds. Fascinating subject, really. Did you know that true mates often experience synchronized magical resonance even before they consciously recognize each other?”

“I didn’t,” Sabine said carefully, wondering if everyone in town had somehow coordinated their cryptic hints about herconnection to Ren. “Though, lately, it seems like everyone knows more about it than I do.”

Otis adjusted his glasses with a small smile. “Knowledge comes to those who seek it. The dragon mate texts are on the back table, along with some supplementary volumes about recognition patterns. Purely for context, of course.”

She navigated the maze of shelves to find a cozy reading nook tucked away in the archives’ depths. Leather-bound volumes waited in neat stacks, their spines embossed with symbols that seemed to ripple when she looked too long at them. The chair’s worn velvet cushions welcomed her as she settled in with the first book.

The pages crackled as she opened them, releasing a scent like woodsmoke and pine. Words about dragon magic swam before her eyes, and suddenly?—

Blood on stone. Dragon fire illuminating the night. A sword’s edge gleaming with poison. The taste of copper in her mouth as she tried to warn?—

Sabine gasped as the vision released her so abruptly, she nearly fell from her chair. Several artifacts on nearby shelves began to glow, responding to her turbulent magic. A crystal paperweight spun like a top. Books rattled on their shelves.

“Miss Katz?” Otis’s voice carried a note of concern.

“I’m fine, just...” Another wave hit. The room spun as ancient voices echoed in her mind, speaking words she almost recognized. Her magic surged outward, and artifacts throughout the archives burst to life. Books flew from shelves, pages fluttering like startled birds. Crystals pulsed with rainbow light. A mechanical phoenix spread metal wings and screeched, its ruby eyes tracking her movements.

TWENTY-SIX

“Oh cats, oh whiskers—” Sabine grabbed for the nearest shelf to steady herself. A massive tome slipped from her grasp, falling open to a page marked with an intricate symbol. The words “Binding Mark” caught her eye before white-hot pain blazed across her birthmark. She doubled over with a gasp, the book tumbling from nerveless fingers.

“Here!” Otis’s steady hands guided her to a chair. Together, they wove containment spells to calm the magical chaos. Pages fluttered back to their shelves like chastened children. The mechanical phoenix folded its wings with an indignant chirp.

“Perhaps we should—” Otis began, but darkness swept through the room. New power crackled against Sabine’s senses as Felix, Madame Zephyrine, and Neve rushed in.

“Another surge?” Felix’s voice carried over the growing magical disturbance. His usual sparkle had been replaced by focused intensity.

“Everything’s activating at once!” Sabine’s own magic responded instinctively, reaching out to help contain the chaos. The archives hummed with combined power as they worked to stabilize the surging energy.

The door burst open. Ren stood framed in the entrance, golden eyes scanning for threats. He carried two coffee cups, which he set aside with careful precision before striding toward her. The moment he stepped inside, Sabine’s magic amplified. Artifacts settled more quickly, responding to their united presence.

“I felt the surge from three blocks away,” he said, his hand settling warm and steady against her lower back. The touch sent tingles of awareness through her entire body. “Are you all right?”

The elders exchanged meaningful looks. Madame Zephyrine’s eyes sparkled with something that might have been satisfaction. “My, my. What remarkable synchronicity.”

“Indeed,” Neve agreed, studying them both with unveiled interest. “Perhaps this is an opportunity.”

Felix bounced on his toes, practically vibrating with suppressed excitement. “Oh, absolutely! We should have them practice protection spells together. Their combined magic could?—”

“Felix,” Madame Zephyrine cut in smoothly, “let’s not overwhelm them.” But her smile held volumes of unspoken meaning.

An hour later, Sabine sat cross-legged on her cottage floor, surrounded by herbs and crystals. Ren knelt beside her, close enough that his thigh pressed warm against hers. They’d been crafting protection charms—his dragon fire merging with her natural magic to create powerfully enchanted tokens.

“These are stronger than anything I’ve made before,” she admitted, turning a finished charm over in her hands. Its surface gleamed with their merged magic, creating patterns like rainbows trapped in crystal.

“The dragon approves of working together.” His voice carried a hint of humor that made her smile. His arm had settled around her waist some time ago, and she’d gradually leaned into himuntil her head rested against his shoulder. The position felt natural, as if they’d sat this way a thousand times before.

Their fingers brushed as she passed him another crystal. Magic sparked between them, and suddenly?—

A battlefield stretched before them. Dragons wheeled overhead, their shadows dancing across blood-stained earth. A familiar voice cried out in warning?—

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