AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Emric smirked, “Says the woman who can change into a literal tigress.”
John closed his book a moment, a book on Dra Skor’s history. “Our magic takes not only a color but also a form as it travels. We do not get to choose the color of our Enchantment nor the form.”
Amory turned to me. “On the balcony the night the first vial changed, yours had wings.”
I released my magic slowly, willing the raven to fly with a lazy breeze. Our magic was supposed to move as quickly as we thought it, so using magic this slowly took entirely more focus, almost as if I was pulling the reins back on it or digging in my heels.
While my magic continued leaving my pointer finger, John added, “Using our magic slowly takes discipline, our Enchantment is innately designed to intervene quickly.”
The raven slowly flew around the room before I had it increase in speed, a faint breeze winding around Amory, her hair moving slightly, while a strong one knocked Emric off his chair.
“Unnecessary,” Emric muttered. Then he sighed from his spot on the floor. “Okay. I can’t take it anymore, I must ask. While we are all learning about each other’s country and such.”
Amory looked to him with her eyebrows raised. “Ask what?”
“Can the shifters—” he paused. “Ah, reproduce—or even just take part in thoseacts—in their shifted forms?”
Thatwas the question he was dying to ask?
Amory’s lips twitched. “Could they? I suppose within the same species, they could. But it would not feel as it does in a human form. It would be entirely less pleasurable, so unless their mates are also the same species, most do not.”
“So for almost a decade, most of the shifters haven’t even....” Emric trailed off and gave a gesture.
“Most of the shifters have not gotten to experience anything human in nine years. That includes many things we enjoy as humans. Even eating is not the same in a shifted form. Likewise, they don’t feel urges like we do in our human forms. They long for their human forms to experience those different pleasures, absolutely, but it isn’t as if they are all walking around as sexually deprived creatures.”
“Tell that to Malachi,” I deadpanned.
Amory fought and failed to fight off a grin. “Our humors and wit most definitely stay intact.”
“Most unfortunate for Zaire then,” I mumbled, and John shot me a look while Amory just kept smiling.
Emric finally stood up off the ground. “So the shifters can’t have shifter babies while stuck in their shifted forms? So no lion and dragon combination?”
“No,” Amory stated. “Ligons cannot happen. Nor Drions. Or any other combination like you seem to be obsessed with, Emric.” She gave him a knowing stare.
He gave an innocent shrug. “Well, it would be fun.”
Amory smirked. “Much like your magic, we cannot choose our own forms either. It is simply genetic, though there are rare instances when a different form will be born after multiple generations, some sort of recessive shifter gene that finally breaks through. And the opposite, like with the dragons whose gene seems to be dominant. We do not question which form we are given, much like I assume you do not question the color of your magic.”
Her use of the wordmateearlier had me wondering. “Has Dra Skor seen an increase in soul bound pairings since my father’s death?”
She let out a long sigh and shook her head. “We haven’t had any. For nine years. And even kin bondings or heart bondings are rare other than a human form Enchanted to a regular civilian. There was a case of an Enchanted pairing who became heart bonded shortly after the disease, trying to strengthen their human forms and avoid thewarinessthe rest of us experience.”
“Did it work?” John asked.
She shrugged. “At first. Enough that four or five followed suit.” She paused. “We do not focus on our bonds as much here like you do in Wylan as it does not change or strengthen our individual magic. A dragon becoming soul bound with a wolf would not change the wolf to a dragon or the dragon to a wolf, it merely helps strengthen the instincts toward one another. So it’s mainly done in heart bound instances along with our marriage ceremony. However, a soul bound pairing would be the only way any of us could use telepathy in our human forms. We still have the utmost respect for the bonds. Or used to anyway.”
Her eyes went to mine and I let out a sigh. “Before my father ruined the entire realm.”
“Yes. That.” She laughed, and I realized how little we had heard laughter while in this castle. “I have been meaning to ask but didn’t want to that night.” Her eyes flicked to Emric and she smirked. “Don’t worry, this is a far less invasive question than that of dragon sex.”
“Do you really blame me for being curious though?” Emric defended.
Amory ignored him. “Whatever happened to the sword with your mother’s magic? Was it destroyed or did you find a way to get her magic released from it?”
My eyes went to John before they came back to Amory’s. “Though we may be friends now, please forgive me for not wanting to disclose all of Wylan’s secrets.” I paused. “Though if you come for a visit someday, I will personally show you.”
“Someday hopefully there is peace enough between our countries for that,” she smiled.
