Page 68 of Phoenix Falling
“Our women don’t change shape,” Lyris explained, moving closer, her voice softer. “They have psychic gifts, not physical ones.”
“Why?”
“Who can understand the wonders of evolution?” she said. “Maybe it is how our unique DNA interacted with the female chromosome. We don’t know for certain. Our males”—she jerked her head to indicate the rest of the room—“change physical shape, but our females create changes in their brains, giving them each a unique psychic gift.” Her eyes narrowed on me. “Your gift is glamours.”
I drew my Risk persona back around me, a familiar, comforting cloak. The place where I felt most comfortable, the place where I could hide. That was answer enough.
The room gasped again at the change, all except Lyris. She smiled. “Yes. You’re definitely one of us.”
“When were you triggered?” Sun asked. His voice was still more bark than anything, but I didn’t get the sense that he was going to kill me with his next breath anymore.
“Triggered?”
Lyris cut in. “Bitten.”
“The first time?”
Sun winced. “You’ve been bitten more than once? By whom?”
I shook my head. Not gonna admit that one. “About fifty years ago.”
“Who was it?” Lyris asked. When I hesitated, she pointed out, “We gave you information. Now you give us some. That’s how this stays friendly.”
“And if I don’t?”
Sun growled, the sound a mix of human and animal. His eyes flashed silver.
“Save it, Bird.”
“What?” Grim choked out.
Sun stayed silent, but for a minute I swore, from the returning rage on his face, that he was going to tear out my throat.
And of course I couldn’t help making it worse. “Here’s a piece of information: I followed you one night after you dropped me off and saw you change. Nice wings, by the way.”
Sun exploded. Surging forward, he slammed me back with a big hand gripping my throat, cutting off my air till I could barely breathe. Silver took over his eyes, drilling into me, and then I felt a presence, sharp as a knife, pierce my brain.
“Sun!”
I couldn’t identify the voice that time; all I knew was the agony taking over my head. I fought Sun’s invasion, fought to keep my mind safe, but Sun had no mercy, rifling through my memories, my thoughts like a deck of cards. I could feel him there, his fury, his disgust as he worked his way backward till he found my changing. I screamed in fury, felt something tear deep in my brain—
“Break it off!” Grim’s words. I could hear them above the rushing sound of white noise in my ears. “Break it off, Sun, or I’ll do it for you!”
Sun probed harder, stabbing deep—and then he was gone and I was alone again, my mind scarred, my heart ripped to pieces. If I’d had any doubts—and there’d been plenty—that Sun loved me, they were gone now. He couldn’t love me and do what he’d just done.
I sagged against the wall, trusting it to hold me up, unlike the creatures in this room. My hands slipped to my knees, then my knees hit the floor, and I slumped there, bent over, watching drops of blood gather into a puddle beneath me. When I brought my hand up, I felt the sticky trails leaking from my eyes. When I squeezed them shut tight, hoping to stop the incessant drip, drip, drip, my body began a long slide to one side.
Feminine hands gripped my arms. Instinct had me fighting the hold until Lyris whispered urgently in my ear, “Easy. It’s all right. I’ve got you.”
“No—” I choked off a sob as pain continued to surge through me in waves. “Stay away from me.”
“Shh.” She settled me fully on the cold floor. “I won’t let him hurt you again.”
I chuckled at that. “Sure. Whatever.”
“Get him the hell out of here.” Grim again. I didn’t look up. I didn’t want to know. I simply wanted out. Away.
“She goes in a cell, Grim. Nowhere else. Do you understand me?”
