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He looked at me, his eyes—bloodshot as they were—focusing and assessing. “I’m going to go out on a limb here and take a wild guess. You’re changing.” He leaned forward. “Tell me, Blake. Do your eyes go red when it happens?”

My back stiffened. Even though I’d planned to tell him, I hadn’t actually expected him to figure it out on his own. At least, not this quickly. “What makes you say that?”

He didn’t answer right away. Just studied me for a long moment. Giving me a look that said he knew. Knew. More than about just me.

“Well, shit,” I said finally.

“You know, back in the good old days—” he was clearly being sarcastic “—there were two kinds of dragons. The ones who were born,” he paused and I found myself holding my breath, “and the ones who were made.”

My throat went dry, even though I already knew where he was heading. “Made?”

“Blood,” he said simply. “The wrong kind. Or the right kind.” He shrugged. “Depends on your perspective, I suppose. Throw in a little light blood magic, and there you have it.”

I thought of Pendragon’s blood. The way it burned through me, filling me with a sense of power, making me feel invincible.

Dragonlike.

“For some, rider blood isn’t just powerful. It’s catalytic. Especially when you were already bound. Something inside you wanted to change.”

“I didn’t want this,” I said swiftly.

“But there are some perks,” Rodriguez said meaningfully.“Aren’t there?”

I wrinkled my nose. “Power?”

He nodded. “If you can get it under control, learn to work with Nyxaris …” For a moment, he looked almost optimistic.

For a moment, I let myself believe it was possible. Then I blanched. “Bloodmaiden … Am I going to have dragon babies?”

Rodriguez blinked at me, then laughed. No, full-on howled, his entire body shaking. “Oh, Blake,” he wheezed. “Not unless you’re planning on fucking another dragon.”

I scowled. The pickings were rather slim in that regard. “No, thanks.”

Rodriguez wiped his eyes, still chuckling. “I don’t think you need to worry about it, then.” He shook his head. “Fuck, I needed that.” He was still smiling.

“Glad I could be of service in stopping your existential spiral,” I muttered. Then I thought of something. “Wait. You said there were two kinds of dragons …”

Rodriguez’s smile turned grim.“That’s it. Put the pieces together.”

Part of me didn’t want to.

Rodriguez leaned forward, clasping his hands. “Blake, the answer is literally staring you right in the face.”

“Nyxaris, Molindra, the others …”

“Molindra hatched from an egg. We have her birth records.” He sighed, taking in my expression. “You don’t want to go there yet? Then, we won’t. So tell me, how’d you lose your eye?”

I didn’t answer. My mind was still tossing over the last revelation. I didn’t want to put the horror I was feeling into words. Didn’t want Rodriguez to confirm what I’d just guessed to be true. Because if it were true, then what were the implications for me?

“Viktor,” Rodriguez guessed. “I take it he didn’t offer any help on how to deal with your new … condition.” He shot me a look of admiration. “Of course, you didn’t exactly leave him unscathed. He looks like shit. Good for you.” He tilted his head. “Almost makes me pity Regan.”

“Don’t,” I snapped. “She got what she wanted. All she cares about is power and rising to the top. As for Viktor, he thinks I’m fucked. He couldn’t take me down, and I couldn’t kill him, so we’re at a standstill. For now. And the way things are going …” I shook my head. I wanted to destroy Viktor. But first I had to get control before I took another stab at it. “It’s not looking good. Either I’m going to lose control and wind up accidentally offing myself, go feral, or …”

“Or?”

My face hardened. “Or maybe it’ll all work out. I’ll become something powerful. But if Viktor manages to control me first …”

Thrallweave wouldn’t work if I was in dragon form. I suddenly wondered if the bond that Pendragon and I had offered me any similar protection. But based on how easily Viktor had managed to manipulate me the last time, it didn’t seem like it.