Page 108 of The Fifth Heir

“Could prolonged contact with the Prism have altered her skin?”

“The fifth beam lasted less than five minutes.”

“That was prolonged compared with the elemental selections.”

The healer looked at me. “Have you experienced any other physical changes?”

“No.”

“Heat beneath the skin?”

“Only during the assessment and Trial.”

“Pain along your spine?”

“No.”

“Changes in vision, hearing, appetite, or sleep?”

I thought about waking after three hours and going directly to the study.

“I haven’t slept much.”

Torren made a quiet sound.

I kept my attention on the healer.

“That may be stress,” she said. “Any pressure in the jaw or shoulder blades?”

“My shoulder is bruised.”

“The other one.”

“No.”

She released my wrist and took a measuring cord from her case.

Malcolm remained close enough that his mantle brushed the table. “When a dragon begins a first shift, scales normally appear in clusters.”

“Yes,” the healer said.

“Not one isolated formation.”

“Usually not.”

“I am standing here,” I reminded them.

The healer looked at me immediately. Malcolm did not.

“Does this mean I’m beginning to shift?” I asked.

“It may be a precursor.”

“Does that mean more scales will appear one at a time?”

“No.” She answered firmly enough to ease a fear I had not admitted. “A first shift is a complete transformation. Early manifestations can include isolated scales, changes in the eyes, talon formation, heat, or instinctive elemental discharge. They usually appear hours before the shift, sometimes days.”

“I’m twenty-four.”