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“Hell yes,” Emric said with a fist in the air.
“Even I, as non-violent a life as I promise to maintain, would like the opportunity to swing a sword at these two,” John offered.
“Calm down, Mind Seducer,” Emric barked.
“From hugs to weapons,” I grinned as I reached out to pat Malachi as we began walking again.
Malachi snorted.Welcome to Dra Skor.
CHAPTER23
It took us a while to fetch our weapons, change, gather up the guards, and head to the area Malachi intended for us to use. It was an arena, circular in shape, with raised seating around it. John immediately started walking around marveling at the structure of it.
We historically brawled here in our shifted forms. We have to train both our human bodies and in our other forms.
“I want to see that,” Emric said wistfully.
Malachi trotted around the outer edge of the arena.I hate being cooped up in the castle. And all the damn stairs.
Malachi seemed healthier than a lot of the Dra Skor Enchanted, both in his general attitude and even in the shine to his coat, but I knew better. “How are you truly doing, Malachi? I know all too well what wearing a mask for too long can do to you.”
Malachi let out a long breath and slowed to a walk as he came back over to us.I am... maintaining. I am here. I try to focus on one day at a time. But none of us are truly okay. It feels as if I had a limb cut off. Even all these years later, I keep feeling the need to shift, but just cannot.
“I am sorry,” I offered. I held up a hand, knowing he was going to tell me it wasn’t my fault just like Esta always did. “Not that you need my sympathies, but I cannot get over this tragedy which has befallen you all.”
Malachi brushed against my chest.Thankfully, my brother and sister and parents are all in their human forms. So they can continue on, though they are like Amory, stuck and unable to fully find peace without access to their other form.
I understood there was an immense amount of pain, no matter which form they were trapped in. However, it seemed because of size constraints alone, not to mention the effort of having to communicate telepathically, it was just a different variety of hell for the shifted Enchanted.
Malachi looked toward the castle in thought.When we all became trapped, it was right before an event. A celebration of Queen Estalena’s twentieth birthday.He paused.She and a few others were flying a patrol the morning before the party, making sure everything was good to go. We were all looking forward to a night of celebration. Those not invited to the castle, because it’s just not feasible for all of Dra Skor to fit, were having smaller parties in each of our cities. There was an air of excitement across all of Dra Skor.
I swallowed hard. Esta had become stuck on her birthday? She was a few years older than I was, too. I hadn’t really ever considered her age.
And as the sun reached its peak that morning, it all went to hell. Excitement turned to terror in mere minutes.He paused again.We were supposed to have fireworks that night across the entire country, lighting up the night sky. Instead, the sounds of mourning from the shifters who were trying to shift back but couldn’t filled the sky. I will never forget the sounds of the next few days. The blow had been delivered, zero warning, and Dra Skor was bleeding out. There was nothing any of us could do.
“Damn,” Emric muttered.
I am fortunate,Malachi offered. I had no wife or family of my own yet. And my family loves me and has loved me through this, so I am not isolated. Others have not been as fortunate. Not that I would call any of this easy.
“So what about Amory?” Emric asked with a grin.
Malachi’s head snapped his direction, and I could have sworn he squinted.What about her?
“Does she know that you watch her as if not being in her presence pains you?” Emric asked, oddly polite.
Maybe those sea shanties had turned him into a damn poet.
Malachi gave his head a slow shake. “No. And she cannot know. Not now anyway.”
“Understood,” Emric said with a hand in the air. “She’s great. Truly. So are you.”
To feel the urge of a man to touch her, yet be unable to do more than push against her with my nose is... exasperating.
“I will do everything I can to help,” I told him. “I give you my word.”
I know. Now. Who should I bet on?
“Do you even have to ask?” Emric said as he puffed out his chest.
