Page 61 of Rejected By Dragons

The Shadow Queen's Bracer is a pretty serious statement piece, I guess.

Amy approaches, and I try not to flinch as she reaches out to touch the black metal. In my eyes, it's practically glowing with power.

"Far out," she murmurs, brushing her fingertips across the surface. She glances up at me.

I swallow. "You like?"

"I love." Her gaze darts back to the bracer, and her brows draw together. "Though..."

My breathing goes shallow. "Yeah?"

"Nothing. Just. It--uh, reminds me of my mom."

"That's because I gave it to her," Rhiannon says.

I struggle again not to flinch as I glance back at Amy's mom. She looks extra, super not-threatening in a bathrobe and pajamas, but now that I know she's a Shadow Dragon, I can't help the way my heart races.

Amy looks from me to her mom and back again. With her skills in magic, I'm shocked she can't feel the power the bracer is giving off. Hell--she might not know it, but she's half Shadow Dragon. This thing should be screaming Shadow Magic at her in all caps.

She seems utterly unfazed by it, though. I don't have time to wonder why.

She grins at her mom. "Great taste." Then her attention is back on me. She lets go of my arm to lift her hand. "And your hair. When did you even have time to do this?"

I swallow my instinct to ask Do what? I reach up and pull a still-damp strand out so I can see it.

And it's....

The same. It's my hair, only darker. And... I squint.

Purple?

I glance around frantically until I find my reflection in the mirror by the door. It's subtle but undeniable. There are two wide, purple streaks in my hair.

They look great, I'm not going to lie. But my appearance isn't the issue here. It's that I didn't put them in there. Which means...

I meet Rhiannon's gaze, and she casts a meaningful glance at the bracer. Right, okay. The Shadow Queen's Bracer decided I needed a makeover. That isn't weird at all.

Based on my reflection, it may have also cleared up a couple of blemishes I may or may not have been dealing with in my T-zone. And deepened the color on my lips. Not enough to make it look like I'm really made up or anything. It's subtle, for sure, but it freaks me out all the same.

Amy's still staring at me expectantly, and I find the presence of mind to finish combing my fingers through my hair and force a smile. "Oh, just, uh. Couldn't sleep last night." That's not a lie. "I'd been thinking about doing it for a while, and you know. No time like the present."

That's not a lie, either. I always wanted to do something cool and funky to my hair. Some fresh color was high on my list of options, only I never went through with it. I didn't need anything else making me stand out in Wynrath Crest.

"Well, bravo," Amy says, finally stepping away. She reclaims her cereal bowl and takes a big slurping bite. "It looks totally professional."

"Thanks." My voice only wobbles a little.

What else has the Shadow Queen's Bracer changed about me? Is it all just cosmetic?

Or are there more, deeper, more dangerous surprises to come?

Chapter Sixteen

EMBER

I want to say I keep my guard up, my entire being on high alert, looking for any possible effects the bracer might be having on me. But let's be honest. The peace summit between the Fire and Stone Kingdoms starts tomorrow, and I'm one of Freya's right-hand women, tasked with making sure it all goes off without a hitch. I barely have time to eat lunch, much less think about dark magic. Fortunately, neither Freya nor Jett nor any of the other dragons scurrying around with last minute preparations casts a second glance at the Shadow Bracer--though I do get a few more compliments on my hair, so that's cool.

Finally, everything is done. We share an exhausted family dinner at Rhiannon's house, where Amy alone has the energy to keep up conversation. But even she seems to be lagging. As soon as everyone's finished eating, Freya and Jett take their leave. I help clean up, then excuse myself to bed.

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