Page 35 of Hex and Scales

Ren knelt beside one of the dark runes, careful not to touch the malevolent symbols. Dragon sight revealed layers of complex spellwork designed specifically to trap shifters in their human form. A muscle ticked in his jaw. This was far beyond simple sabotage.

“Can you break it?” Sabine emerged from the shop once Eiji dismantled enough of the barrier to let her through. Power sparked at her fingertips, her tiger essence still straining against its magical cage. “I couldn’t shift, couldn’t even summon half my strength?—”

“These aren’t modern spells.” Ren’s voice carried echoes of his dragon’s fury. The need to shelter her from this darkness, to wrap her in his protection, surged through him. “This is forbidden magic from a darker age.”

“Like, suspiciously archaic?” Her fingers brushed his torn sleeve, lingering near the already-healing gashes. The simple touch sent awareness dancing across his skin. “The kind that shouldn’t exist anymore?”

“Precisely.” Ren forced himself to step back before he gave in to the dragon’s demand to gather her close. “Someone wants you vulnerable. Powerless.”

Her eyes flashed amber, tiger spirit visible despite the binding. “I’m never powerless.”

“I know.” His thumb traced small circles on her wrist, an unconscious gesture of comfort. “That’s not why?—”

“Quite the spectacle.” Linus’s voice cut through the morning air. He materialized at the edge of the scorched pavement, pristine in his tailored suit despite the destruction around him. His gaze lingered on the dark runes with an ancient hunger that set Ren’s teeth on edge. “A dragon unleashed in town. How... primitive.”

Dragon essence stirred beneath Ren’s skin, too close to the surface. Every protective instinct roared to life at the way Linus studied Sabine—like a predator assessing its prey.

“Such a shame about your shifter abilities, Miss Katz.” Linus’s smile held too many teeth. “These old magics can be so unpredictable. Almost as if they were crafted for a specific purpose.”

“The situation is handled.” Ren moved between them, voice carrying thunder.

“For now.” Linus’s attention flickered between the dark runes and Sabine. “But binding spells have a way of growing stronger. Of taking root. History does love its patterns, doesn’t it? Though sometimes—” his lips curved with cruel satisfaction, “—the players change roles.”

Before Ren could respond, his phone buzzed. A text from Kaito:Emergency meeting. Your sanctuary. Now.

“Eiji, stay with Sabine.” Ren squeezed her wrist once before releasing it. “I’ll be back soon.”

“But—”

“Please.” He met her eyes, letting her see past his walls to the fear beneath. “Trust me.”

Her expression softened. “I do.”

THIRTY

Twenty minutes later, Ren prowled his mountain sanctuary while Kaito examined tracings of the dark runes. Rook and Lux crowded around the massive table where Eiji had spread their evidence. The hearth fire responded to Ren’s agitation, flames leaping higher with each turn.

“These binding spells.” Kaito’s finger traced one particularly complex symbol. “They’re not just ancient—they’re specific. Designed to target shifter abilities at their core. The same technique George used...”

“To trap his victims before killing them.” The memory of helplessness, of watching Shiara die, threatened to overwhelm him.

“The magical signature matches?” Rook radiated alpha authority as he studied the tracings. “You’re certain?”

“Similar enough to raise serious concerns.” Kaito’s quiet voice carried weight. “The shadow beasts, the binding runes—they mirror George’s exact patterns. No one else mastered that particular corruption of shifting magic.”

“But you said George died.” Lux’s brow furrowed. “How could Linus?—”

“Unless heisGeorge.” Kaito met Ren’s eyes. “Illusion magic can hide many things, cousin. Even death itself.”

The implications hit like a physical blow. If George had survived, had been watching all these centuries, planning his revenge...

“He’s targeting Sabine.” The words tasted like ash. “He knows what she means to me.”

“Then we protect her.” Rook’s voice held no doubt. “My pride, my resources—whatever you need.”

“We all stand with you.” Lux nodded. “But we need proof before we move against him. If we’re wrong...”

“We’re not.” For the first time in centuries, Ren’s dragon and human sides aligned perfectly. “I won’t let him hurt her.” His voice carried steel and fire. “Not while I draw breath.”

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