Page 44 of Hex and Scales

Her hands shook as she typed back:I think it was a hallucination. I’m okay.

His response was immediate:On my way.

“He’s coming, isn’t he?” Romi helped her to her feet. “Good. Because that was scary as hell, and you’re still pale as a ghost.”

“I think I saw how Ren’s mate died.” The words came out in a whisper. “She was fighting alongside him—alongside his dragon form. They were so powerful together, but then...” Her hand pressed against her birthmark which still throbbed with phantom pain. Was that really Shiara? Why did she look exactly like Sabine?

“Oh, honey.” Romi hugged her tight. “No wonder you turned the place into a winter wonderland. Just...” She glanced around at the frost-covered room. “Maybe try not to freeze any customers until Ren gets here?”

The shop’s bell chimed as if on cue. Heavy footsteps crossed the front room, then Ren appeared in the doorway, magic crackling around him like barely contained lightning. His eyes found Sabine immediately, scanning her for injury.

“I’m okay,” she said before he could ask. “Just shaken.”

He crossed to her in two long strides, one hand cupping her face while the other settled on her hip, drawing her close. “What did you see?”

Romi quietly slipped out front, giving them privacy. Once they were alone, Sabine described the vision, feeling Ren tense at the mention of the battlefield. When she got to the part about fighting alongside the dragon, his hand tightened on her hip.

“The woman—I think it was your mate—in the vision,” she said softly. “You moved like you’d fought together a thousand times. Like you knew exactly what the other would do.”

“We did.” His voice was rough. “Shiara and I trained together for decades. In battle, we were perfectly matched.”

“The magic felt familiar too. The way it combined...” She pressed her hand to her birthmark. “But…I don’t understand. Why am I seeing this?”

“I think I know why, but I’m not sure you’re ready to hear it.” Ren’s eyes blazed gold.

“Come on, Ren. I’ve been having dreams for the past five years with a faceless man that suddenly became you from the moment I first saw you.”

His eyes widened in shock. “What? You’ve been dreaming about me?”

“Yeah. For a long time.”

“Have there been other dreams?”

THIRTY-EIGHT

Sabine nodded, unsure if she should disclose everything, but at this point, she might as well. “Yes. Every night. They don’t feel like dreams. Sometimes I remember a little, sometimes nothing, and other times it’s a mess of pieces.”

“Just now, you saw the scene with me and Shiara. Did you feel anything?”

She gulped. “Pain. Like I was dying.”

He sucked in a harsh breath and held her tight before looking at her with shock. “You’re…You’re remembering your past life.”

She stared at him, her jaw hanging. “Come again?”

“I don’t know how else to explain it. I’m almost certain that’s what it is.”

“It sounds crazy but it feels really possible.”

He brushed his lips over her forehead, and their magic responded instantly. Warmth blazed between them, melting the frost from the nearest shelves. Crystalline patterns formed in the air, catching the light like diamonds.

“I couldn’t save you,” he whispered against her skin. “Last time, I wasn’t fast enough.”

“Hey.” She pulled back enough to meet his gaze. “That wasn’t your fault. From what I saw in the vision, we were overwhelmed. Those shadow creatures...”

“There was so many of them.”

“They were controlled by George.” The name spilled from her lips without conscious thought. Her birthmark flared with phantom pain, and she gasped.

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