Page 66 of Soaring in Flames (Reborn 2)
My limbs hurt as a scream came from my throat.
Then, I caught on fire.
Something exploded from my chest and I was airborne, soaring up. I let out a strangled cry as pain soared through me paired with relief. In my peripheral, fire like wings sliced through the air as I pushed upwards past the cliff and into the night air. Smoke and sea salt clouded my nose as my body moved agilely. I dipped back down soaring over the water, a dart of flames.
Oh my.
I had shifted. The reality of what had happened hit me right in the chest and suddenly, I was soaring back up and flying over the cliff side where my father and Lorn were unconscious and bleeding. A dark dangerous looking wolf let out a bark as I circled over head and let out a responding sound.
I had done it!
I had shifted!
Joy filled me and washed away any negative thoughts from my father. I almost landed but then a roar sounded and everything lit up inside of me. I shot up as six massive forms zoomed above and around me. My eyes widened as I watched the dark scaled forms of my dragon mates fill the sky in a stunning pattern. I had no issue telling them apart, along with their confusion, then joy at my shift, before they realized that my father and Lorn were passed out.
I zoomed past Marco and Atlas, the latter dipping below me as Marco landed on the cliff, shifting immediately.
Croy shifted and I could feel the anger there...but it was hard to focus on it because I could fly. I was literally flying!
Ledger let out a low rumble as I zoomed around him, my wing brushing over his snout as Anani let out an amused huff from nearby. I continued to fly between the two of them as well as Sai, Henry nudging me with his snout as I started to glide. My wings felt sore and I could feel my energy dipping slightly. But still this was fantastic!
I could also feel the connection I had with the flight, some elements stronger than others because of the mating bites, but all very apparent. I could also feel the dragons that resided in their souls, thrilled to have the chance to take front seat to this moment. I couldn’t lie—it was pretty amazing.
When I finally landed on the cliff, my wings folded in as the others shifted back. I watched as Ledger sat down in front of me, running a hand over my feathers, the fire not hurting him in the least. “Come on, Firefly, shift back. I know you’re probably exhausted.”
I was. Letting out a small soft sound, my chest relaxed and I felt my form shimmer as I shifted back. The cold ocean air biting my skin covered in ash. A happy smile slipped onto my face as someone wrapped a jacket around my shoulders. Honestly, I could barely focus on the anger at my father and Lorn. I didn’t worry either. I knew they would handle it.
Sleep took over and for the first time, I knew exactly what that small flame in the center of my chest was.
***
Anani
“HOLY SHIT,” I MUMBLEDunder my breath as Maya’s small form, wrapped in my jacket, passed out in my brother’s arms. Fuck she was so beautiful, even exahusted and covered in ash. Her long lashes brushed across her gold cheeks and freckles. I was still amazed that I had just seen her shift to begin with. It had been...extraordinary.
No. That wasn’t a good enough word. I didn’t have a word for how absolutely perfect she’d been. My dragon and I could only stare at her in shock and quiet surprise. My heartbeat was loud in my ears. My brother shifted her into my arms as if he knew how much I needed to hold her.
Once her body was curled in my arms, the air around me settled slightly and the earth softened so that her body was more comfortable against me. I didn’t care how long we had to sit here as long as I got to hold her. My dragon let out a low rumble thrilled to have her so close and not wanting to do anything to risk her moving. It was why he was being so damn quiet. It was annoying because I hadn’t even realized the fucker could be so controlled when it came to her. Damn bastard.
Honestly, it didn’t surprise me completely that he was acting weird because I felt like my entire world had shifted seeing her in flames. Seeing her elegant frame soaring through the air, quieting any other emotions but awe. Which is saying something considering what exactly I’d been feeling, which was a lot of different shit. Intense shit that was probably unhealthy.
That wasn’t new though. Everything I felt for her was intense. I’d never had good luck being able to hide my emotions like Ledger could. Even after being beat often during our childhood. I never stopped crying as a kid. Mostly, because it never stopped hurting. When I came to Marco and the rest of the flight, I flinched a lot.
I didn’t flinch anymore, mostly because there wasn’t a lot I was afraid of. Except maybe Maya. I was a bit scared of her because she had my heart in her small delicate hands. I just hoped she wouldn’t crush it.
I think that was why I continued to collect stuff from her. I wanted to always have her things around me so even if she didn’t want me one day, I would have things that reminded me of her. Reminded me of when she did love me.
I mean, I couldn’t expect the woman to fall in love with me like I’d fallen in love with her. Hell, how did I even tell her or begin to tell her how I felt? Ledger said that she knew about me taking her stuff and how I felt. I wasn’t positive that I believed him. Yet, at the same time, I wanted to believe it. I wanted to believe her soft smiles and touches were representative of a future of us together. I didn’t want her to get tired of me. I wanted her love more than I had ever wanted any shit before. Well, besides of course, some of the stuff I collected from her. I loved collecting her shit. It was weird, I knew it.
I was weird.
Henry’s voice was getting louder and my arms tightened on her small frame, a pulse of fear hitting my chest. Now that she was in my arms, there was far less panic and fear, but not much better. I’d been terrified and furious when I’d been woken up, feeling odd as if something had shifted in the house. As if something had changed.
Then we realized Maya was no longer in the house. Atlas had essentially lost his shit, letting me know just how he felt about Maya because the man didn’t get very worked up. Sai kept saying he knew something was off.
I think we all knew Maya wouldn’t just leave the house like that. It wasn’t something she would do. Right? Croy had immediately shifted to scent her path and we followed above from the air, keeping an eye on his path. My stomach had bottomed out as we neared the edge of land and roar of the ocean.
Then I smelled Pastor Malcolm and Lorn. Fury had rolled over me and the urge, which had never hit me so strong before, flooded through me to snap both of their bodies in my jaw...but then, they didn’t matter nearly as much.
