Page 119 of The Mating Claim
“Yes.”
“You told me you fear he’s stuck there forever. He told me, h-he told me the same, that if he ever returned there, it didn’t matter if he were immortal ‘cause he’d remain there, smothered by bitter memories andloneliness.”
She couldn’t look at Tristan now. Didn’t matter because tears blurred her eyes. “If you do this, give him my wings, he’ll know someone does love him and maybe it will give him the kick in the ass he needs to leave there and return to Tir Na-nog, his real home. He can’t be a dragon in there, but if he has my wings, he can fly out ofthere.”
“Are you certain?” Tristan’s voice was kind. “Once I remove your wings, I cannot put them back. A dragon’s wings are a gift from Danu. I may heal the wounds you will have when I cut them off, but you will be forevergrounded.”
“Do it. I’ll live as long as you heal me. I can’t bear the thought of Drust alone in there, lost for alleternity.”
Before she lost all her courage, she braced herself and called upon her magick. Lacey swiftly shapeshifted into her dragon form, deliberately making herself about the size of a large pick-up truck. Lacey stretched her wings out. Maybe one last flight… but no, if she did that, she’d change hermind.
A sword appeared in Tristan’s hands. Lacey turned, presented her back and clenched herjaw.
A whistling sounded in the air. Excruciating pain slammed into her. She roared, flames filling the sky as she stretched her neck in a dragon wail that was part anguish, part physical pain. Just as quickly the physical pain faded, replaced by soothingwarmth.
She turned, tried to flutter her wings with powerful shouldermuscles.
Nothing.
No use crying over lost wings. Lacey shifted back to her human form, clothed herself in a tank top and jeans and high tops with stars on the tips. She’d always loved soaring at night, looking up at the stars. That would not cease, only now she’d look down at her feet to ground herself inreality.
Feeling her shoulder blades, she felt only a slight scarring. As if she’d scraped her skin on a pavement. The scars would fadesoon.
“You’re still a dragon,” Tristan said gently. “You do not have to shift back to your humanform.”
Lacey shrugged. “What’s the point? Without wings I’m nothing more than a big, clumsy lizard, except I loathe eatingbugs.”
But her joke only made Tristan shake his head. Was that a tear in his own dark gaze? “No, you’re simply beautiful. You’re a remarkable shifter, Lacey McGuire. Thankyou.”
He looked down at the delicate, yet strong glittering green-scaled wings in his arms. They were the size of surfboards and glinted in the sunlight. “It always amazes and humbles me what women will do for the men they love. Your sacrifices are a testament to your strength andspirit.”
He placed a single kiss on her forehead. “Gorest.”
“I need to return to my old life. Can you thank Skylar, Sebastian, Alex and Emma for me? And transport me back to myshop?”
“Of course. I’ll give these to Drustimmediately.”
She felt herself hurling through space in a nanosecond and squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, she was in the store. But instead of the dark, musty shop she’d expected, the lights were on and people milled about, examining items. Tara and Danica were at the register, attending to a long line of customers waiting to checkout.
Danica spotted Lacey and waved. Tara glanced up, a wide smile on her face. “Take over for me,” she told herdaughter.
She followed Tara into the back storeroom, totally confused, wondering if Tristan had chopped off her head instead of her wings and she now existed in some kind of odd afterlife. One where she was a retail success instead of the near bankruptcy she’d faced in her mortallife.
But if this was the afterlife it wasn’t a bad one, for Lucky dozed on a soft dog bed near the door. Soon as she walked into the room, he raised his head, gave a happy woof, his tail beating the air as he raced towardher.
Lacey crouched down, enfolding her dog in a hug as he licked her face. “Gosh, I have missed you so much, boy. Did you missme?”
More face licks gave the answer. She buried her face into his fur. “I’m sorry I had to leave youbehind.”
“He didn’t eat for two days,” Tara said softly. “That’s how much he missed you. Until Danica coaxed him into it with a very smallspell.”
Lacey frowned. “She used witch magick on mydog?”
Tara spread her thumb and forefinger apart by an inch. “Just a titch. To stimulate his appetite. It worked, but he still wouldn’t eat until she placed the food here. And then we looked around at the shop, remembered the good this store did for witches, and we opened it up for business again. We paid the landlord extra to knock down part of a wall and have the two stores stream into eachother.”
Tara spread out her arms. “Coffee or tea and then potions and scented candles! They complement each other. Business has been terrific for usboth.”
Lacey offered a crooked smile. “Because you’re a good businesswoman, Tara. I’m not. It has nothing to do withme.”
