“If he and Cyrus truly love us, this change won’t really matter, will it?” I ask, hoping my words are true.
“You don’t know how extensive the alterations will be, Iris. Your power will magnify beyond the levels of all other Cadogans. Not to mention the changes that will happen to your body. I’m not saying you will cease to be human, but you will be dramatically different.” Siri pauses, her voice lowering as she whispers, “And I don’t even want to think about what I will become.”
Siri’s halting explanations leave me with a sense of foreboding. She doesn’t want to describe any of it in detail. What will I become? A monster? “Siri—”
“You’re forgetting the most important thing, Iris,” Siri interrupts, smoke swirling around us as she sighs. “Cyrus hates the Vibría for what was done to him, remember? And you are willingly going to become the very thing he despises and fears most of all. Do you really think his feelings for you will be strong enough to endure a betrayal this deep?”
“It’s not a betrayal, Siri.”
“Isn’t it? You know how he feels. Cyrus doesn’t want you to become one of the Vibría. He wants to face the future by your side, and you are preparing to abandon him. He has made his wishes very clear, and it does not seem to matter to you.” Siri claws at the dirt, raising her head to stare out over the tall grass.
“He will be angry, but Cyrus will—”
“He is haunted, Iris. He hides it well, and he has improved, but the horrors he has faced are still present in his mind. If you become Vibría, Cyrus will look at you and see a reminder of the monster that hurt him.” Siri shakes her head, glancing up at the stars as she whispers, “If you do this, I fear you will lose him.”
“And if I don’t do this, he will die, Siri. So what choice do I really have?” I lament, my voice wavering as my body begins to shake. “Either way, our relationship is over before it’s really begun. At least this way, I know he will be alive. He’ll have a chance of finding happiness.”
“He’s happy now, but that doesn’t seem to matter to you,” Siri bites back, and I flinch at the sharpness of her tone. We sit in silence for a long while before Siri finally replies, “Let me go tell Suryc.”
“No,” I stop her, tears pouring down my cheeks. “If you tell him, Suryc will try to stop us. Or he’ll tell Cyrus, and that will be even worse.” My voice breaks as I choke on the sorrow in my soul. I know what I feel is a pittance to the sense of betrayal and hurt Cyrus will endure when he learns of what I’ve done. “Let’s just do this and slip away in the night. Let the rest of them enjoy their party; they’ll figure it all out soon enough.”
Siri whimpers, dropping down until her chin rests on the ground. “I love you, Iris.” Her soft, broken confession shatters my heart. “It’s ironic, isn’t it, that you who I love most will be the one to break my heart?”
“I love you too,” I cry, wrapping my arms around her as best I can. “This isn’t the end, Siri. We’ll always have each other.”
Siri lifts her neck, exposing the scales over her heart. Using her claws, she splits one scale, golden, ethereal blood oozing down her claws. “Hold out your hand, Iris,” she commands, her expression grim. She presses her claw into my palm, piercing through my rough calluses with ease. Her blood mingles with mine, and immediately it feels as if my body is on fire. “Don’t scream,” Siri demands, carefully placing her claws around me like a protective cage.
I writhe in agony as my body burns. Time ceases to exist in my mind. Every second is a thousand years, with no end to my pain in sight. My thoughts shatter as my blood boils, and I convulse on the ground under Siri’s claws.
In the shadows, I see a gleaming smile as Ekard approaches us. So, you’ve become the abomination, hmm? I wondered how long it would take. The crimson dragon slithers through the tall grass, his deep rumbling laugh causing the ground to shake. “I wasn’t sure how much longer we could continue feeding you these false visions. It’s been quite a drain on our powers.”
“False visions?” Siri wheels to face Ekard, baring her teeth in a rage, “So you’re to blame for all of this?”
“Healing powers,” I question feebly, recalling the day when Ekard and Drake saved my life.
“Drake’s gift, not mine. I’m the one who can toy with your visions. Didn’t you know that the strongest Ddraigs can have special abilities too? Oh, I guess you wouldn’t know that, would you—Siri doesn’t have one,” Ekard taunts, cackling in triumph. “But no matter. Once the rest of the Ddraigs find out that you are Vibría, they will disown you. I’ll challenge Suryc, but with his beloved exiled, he won’t be much of a fight. Then I will finally take control of the Ddraigs.”
“All for power,” I whimper through my clenched jaw, grinding my teeth so hard I worry that they will break.
“I have the nomads on my side. We have the numbers to fight. There’s no reason we can’t attack the border patrol station right now, but you’ve been too afraid to fight. You don’t have the skills to win this war; I do. It’s for the best interest of the Ddraigs that you just disappear,” Ekard explains, looking smug as he towers over Siri.
“Don’t hurt Suryc,” Siri pleads, flexing her long claws as if she’s fighting the urge to split open Ekard’s neck. “He’ll give up his right to rule as soon as he discovers—” Siri’s voice fades in and out as her body begins to shift. Light appears overhead, flickering in time with her heartbeat. My body trembles,
