“You don’t know what I am,” she said softly, almost to herself. “Most creatures fear my kind. They should. Sirens lure them to their deaths.”
Jabir blinked, startled, then looked down at her hand resting on her knee—delicate, webbed between the fingers. He reached out slowly and cupped it, feeling that electric jolt flash up his arm again. Her pupils dilated; he knew she’d felt it too, but she didn’t pull away.
His thumb brushed along the soft webbing, marveling at it. “You’re… beautiful,” he murmured, then added, “So… are you going to lure me to my death?”
That broke the spell. She tried to pull her hand free, a flicker of hurt—or was it shame?—passing across her face.
He felt a pang and tightened his hold gently, lifting her hand instead and brushing a tentative kiss across the back of it. “It’s okay,” he said, shrugging like it was nothing even though his heart hammered. “I’m not going to run screaming in terror.”
She stiffened, glaring at him with those striking green eyes. “You’re a strange little boy,” she said, her voice sharp.
The words stung more than he expected. His fingers loosened. He dropped her hand and started to rise, heat flooding his cheeks. “I’ll leave you be.”
Her fingers slid down his arm as he moved, catching his wrist. “Wait.” The word was soft, almost breaking. “Stay.” Her grip tightened on his hand. “I… am sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
He stood there frozen, his muscles tight. His dragon murmured in his mind: Stay. She special. But the familiar ache of not-enough gnawed at him—too small, too soft, too nice—he would never be who people wanted.
It was only when Jewel squeezed his hand again—this time gently—and he looked down into her pleading eyes that something inside him cracked. The self-doubt eased, just a little. She looked frightened… but also hopeful.
He released a long sigh, gave a stiff nod, and lowered himself back onto the rock beside her. Their knees brushed. The lake whispered against the stones. She didn’t pull her hand away this time.
Jabir stared at their intertwined fingers, then at the shimmer of sunlight on her damp hair. His heart felt like it was beating in the wrong place—high in his throat, in his fingertips, in the space between them.
“What’s it like,” he asked quietly, “living under the water?”
Jewel tilted her head, a slow smile curving her lips now, softer, truer. “Beautiful,” she said. “Lonely sometimes. Cold. But… beautiful.”
Jabir smiled back, shy but brighter this time. “I would love to see it.”
She shook her head, a sad look reflected in her eyes. “It would be too dangerous. If my mother or sisters discovered you?—”
“It would be worth it—to spend more time with you,” he said.
She turned to look at him. “I like that you aren’t afraid of me.”
“Would you… would you be afraid of me if you knew I was a dragon-shifter?”
Her eyes widened, and she looked from him to the sky and back again. “You can fly? In the air like a bird?”
“Yes. Would you like to fly with me?” he asked.
Her lips parted in wonder, and she looked at the sky again. Jabir wanted to reach out and brush her hair back when the breeze caught the silky strands. His dragon waited anxiously for her response.
“To fly… To have such freedom,” she murmured, her voice filled with longing.
“Come on,” he encouraged, rising to his feet and pulling her with him.
She glanced back at the lake, worrying her bottom lip, before looking up at him with yearning. A trembling smile curled her lips.
“Alright, but… I cannot be gone long. If mother or my sisters discovered what I’ve done?—”
Jabir grinned. “We won’t be gone long,” he promised.
He helped her over the boulders, steadying her when she swayed. He realized that while she had legs, she wasn’t used to using them. Jewel smiled excitedly back at him as he gripped her around her waist and lowered her to the ground.
“You are very strong,” she said with a shy laugh.
“You are very light,” he teased, reluctantly releasing her so he could shift. “Once I’ve shifted, climb onto my back.”
