Page 39 of Storm of Blood and Shadow

I’m inhaling. Exhaling. Once I’ve done it several times, I let my body take over the task automatically, and I try moving my limbs. Myarms. I have human arms, human hands. I place one hand over Jessiva’s fingers—her silky, slender, perfect little fingers.

Instantly my heart swells with unbearable joy and I let out a sob, my chest heaving under our joined hands.

“How did this happen?” Jessiva whispers. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.” My mouth doesn’t work the same way, so I try again. This time I manage to pronounce the words correctly. “I did nothing.”

“I kissed you,” she says. “And then you changed. That’s not possible. That’s… that’s the stuff of legends, old stories…”

“The witch.” I form the words carefully.

“You’re saying the sorceress did this? The one who was supposed to change us women into dragons? You think she turned you human instead?” A disbelieving laugh escapes her. “I wonder if she did this toallthe dragons, or just you.”

“I do not know.” Talking is becoming easier. I trace my new tongue over my mouth, then touch it with my fingers. My lips feel soft and full.

Jessiva stares, watching me touch my mouth. “If the witch did this… fuck her for making you handsome.”

She rises abruptly and walks away toward the cave mouth.

I struggle for a moment before figuring out how to use my arms to push myself upright, into a sitting position.

“Handsome?” I ask.

“It means beautiful. Pleasing to the eye,” she snaps.

Something white slides over my shoulder, and I cry out, startled, trying to jerk away. “Fuck, what is that?”

She whirls around, then shakes her head. “It’s your hair, idiot.”

Reassured, I touch the long locks. My hair is pure white, luminous in the gloom. My skin is light brown, flawless and smooth. I probe the swell of muscle in my upper arm and trace a fingertip around each one of the little buds on my chest. My belly is still ridged, but differently than before—rows of muscle beneath warm skin. Between my legs is a cluster of soft white curls, and below that, something small and floppy.

“What is this?” I poke it doubtfully.

Jessiva has been sneaking glances at me, but when I ask the question, she takes a longer look. “That’s your cock.”

My heart sinks. “No. My cock is big and glorious. You’ve seen it. This is not a cock. This iswrong.”

“It’s normal.” Frustration and confusion edge her tone. “You’ve seen naked men before, right? Along the beach, as you mentioned, or perhaps when you were with the Vohrainian army?”

“We did not roost with the human soldiers,” I say. “I did see a few naked men when I was younger, but their cocks were bigger than this.”

“Maybe they were erect. As a dragon, your cock increases in size when you’re aroused, right? It’s the same for human males. Look.”

She crouches at my side and bites her lip, as if she’s debating something. Then she reaches up and pulls down her dress to reveal her breasts.

As the two beautiful round globes are exposed to my sight, a wild rush of desire traces along my new spine, through every nerve of my human form. Heat pools between my legs, rushing into my cock. It lengthens immediately, increasing slightly in girth as well.

I measure it against my hand. From root to end, it’s slightly longer than the distance from my wrist to the tip of my middle finger.

“It’s too small,” I mutter.

“It’s quite a decent size, actually. Not the largest I’ve seen, but above average.” Jessiva pulls her clothing into place and walks away again, pressing both hands to her cheeks. “Just when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder…”

“I will admit, it is strange.” But delight glows in my chest, surging and brightening with every passing moment. Excitement thrums through my legs, my arms, my very soul. “And yet… it is also fucking amazing.” I laugh, and the sound is lighter than my dragon laugh, more musical.

Jessiva must enjoy my new laugh as well, because she spins around to look at me again, and this time, she doesn’t look away.

I attempt to stand, then think better of it and crawl to the side of the cave, using the rocky wall to pull myself up. It takes me a few minutes to figure out how to position my knees and ankles, how to brace myself correctly, but I manage it.

---