Page 70 of Feathers and Scales

A shiver raked down her frame, and her human body moved. Thoughts of her research on his blood flew from her mind. He was distracting her again. “Thank you for the update. You can leave now.”

“I thought you could use a break,” he said, glancing back at her.

“And if I need one, I’ll take one.”

His eyes gleamed. “Is that beautiful blush of yours for me?”

She touched her cheeks. They were warm.How am I blushing?

“Any number of emotions can cause adrenaline to flush the cheeks,” she said. “I won’t deny there is attraction here, but I know the role phenylethylamine plays as it triggers a release of dopamine and norepinephrine, stimulating infatuation. Simple deduction: my body is betraying me because of chemical reactions I cannot control.”

“Your body is betraying you?” His few strides brought him so close that, with a twitch of her finger, she could’ve touched his arm.

Warmth radiated all the way to her ears. Her breath hitched, and his gaze locked hers into place. His dragon seemed to swim in the shifting molten bronze of his eyes.

“Doesn’t it feel good?” he asked. “Make you invigorated? Get your head out of the molecules, Izzy. Come have fun with me. Or would you rather feel nothing at all?”

She swallowed and took a step back from this man who turned her insides around. She’d tried to settle her thoughts all day, but he blew them away with just one look. His gaze lingered on her lips, unsettling her even more.

He stood waiting as she regained her composure.

“If I go, can I stay in this form?” she asked.

The look he cast caused her spirit to smolder. She recalled the words he’d told her on the plane—I could teach you to love your body.

“Wouldn’t you rather enjoy feeling the sun on your skin? Taste the mountain air on your tongue?”

Longing pulled at her to return to her human body. “Daxton…”

He caressed her cheek. “We don’t have to go anywhere if you don’t want to . But all I’m asking is to get to know you better.”

Her heart stuttered at the raw look in his eyes. Despite Fotios’s words, she wanted to learn about him too.She touched her human neck and transferred to it in a flash of light.

She woke and stood, the soreness in her spirit dissipating. Unable to meet his gaze, she waved her hands, prompting him to move.

She followed him out of the greenhouse. With her lungs full of excitement, she walked out into the hot afternoon sun. She glanced around, shielding her eyes from the glare. A few people were walking toward the barracks.

“Head to the forest to your right—behind the library,” Daxton said, guiding her with a hand on her back.

She took a deep breath, pine air filling her nostrils, then headed in that direction. “Keiran didn’t make any demands about me walking around Pentros?”

“Only that someone had to accompany you.”

When they breached the forest edge, Daxton took the lead. Deep in the foliage, peace wrapped around her. After being in the library for so long, the sun and fresh cool air felt energizing. They reached a worn rock path. The bright colors of moss, ferns, and conifers dazzled in the sunny atmosphere. Her mind worked as she gazed around, naming the trees and plants.Picea rubens, Abies balsamea, Cornus canadensis…

The sunlight warmed her face, and she breathed clarity into her mind. “It’s such a beautiful day.”

Daxton grinned. “You wouldn’t happen to be enjoying your human body, now, would you?”

Her jaw locked as she tried to keep her smile to herself. “Don’t push it.”

His laughter sounded magical. The smell of earth and woods overloaded her senses. She wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the experience while in her spirit body. Everything would’ve been muted—a grayscale film, not full HD. Yes, she had to admit: she enjoyed being in her human body.

Daxton took the lead again. Her lethargic muscles screamed. To distract herself, she watched the powerful man in front of her. The back of his short-cropped hair glistened with a slight dampness.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“It’s a surprise.” He smirked.