“You can’t be defined?” The idea was horrifying. Her captivity had left her feeling vulnerable and helpless. He would do everything in his power to protect her, but he wanted her to feel less…powerless.
Before he could react to the dismal concept, she smiled. “Don’t look so devastated. The counteragent will finalize my definition, but it’s up to me how many animal natures I absorb before I take it.”
“What?” He scrubbed a hand over his face as he struggled with his astonishment. “You can absorb multiple animal natures? They’ve made you an Omni Prime?”
“If I want to risk it. And that’s one colossal if. The cautious path is to absorb one nature and then take the counteragent. That will basically nullify the changes they made and allow my body to return to normal.”
Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. He could feel tiny pulses of her excitement, so she obviously understood the extraordinary potential. But was it safe? The backers were willing to damage and kill their test subjects without remorse. He would not allow Devon to be so careless with her health and safety.
“What do you want to do?”
“I haven’t decided yet. The possibility of commanding more than one animal nature is thrilling, but I don’t trust the backers.”
“For very good reason.” He set down his fork and rubbed the back of his neck. He wanted to be encouraging and supportive, but his protective instincts would not be silenced. “I think we should take one step at a time. Absorb one nature and see how smoothly your body adjusts to the transformation. If all goes well, then you can decide if you want to try again or leave well enough alone.”
“But that’s so sensible.” Her smile broadened for a moment then faded as she returned her attention to her wine.
They lapsed into companionable silence as he worked his way through a second bowl of stew. She sipped her wine and watched him, her gaze gleaming with secrets.
“What inspired that look?”
She set down the wineglass and shifted to the side so she could cross her legs. “Tell me about the Guardian of the Ancients.”
He stilled. Payne was the only one still alive who knew about the Guardian. “Where did you hear that phrase?”
“My mother is the Historian. Do you really need to ask?”
Though her approach was casual, Ian tensed. “Erin has never mentioned it to me. I didn’t think she knew.”
Devon shrugged as if she hadn’t just mentioned a secret he’d protected his entire life. “All Mom knows is the phrase and that your family is connected to the mystery. For a long time she thought it was just another name for the Historians. The Historians guard the secrets of the ancient bloodline. It sort of made sense. But there’s obviously more to it than that. Are you allowed to tell?”
He pushed his bowl aside and took a long swig of beer. If their attraction was the mating pull—which he was convinced it was—Devon would have to know the truth before she could make her final decision. Still, he’d kept the secret for so long. It felt wrong to share it with anyone.
“Guardians of the Ancients have been around almost as long as the Omni Prime.” He sighed and pushed back his chair. “I don’t know where to start.”
“The beginning is always a good choice.” She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “I’ve never seen you nervous before. Whatever you tell me won’t leave this room.”
He wasn’t worried about her spreading the tale. He was worried about her reaction to it. There was so much pain associated with the tale, so much darkness. “My ancestors were chosen to protect the Omni Prime and her descendants, so we were empowered by the most powerful predator on earth.”
“The golden eagle?”
Her confusion was understandable, so he didn’t take offense. “I’m a Therian raptor by birth. I choose to manifest as a golden eagle, but that is one of many shapes I can summon.”
“All right, I’ll bite. What is the most powerful predator on earth?”
“The dragon.”
Her mouth gaped for a moment before she shook away the shock. “You’re a dragon-shifter? Seriously?”
He smiled. “Why would I lie about something like this?”
“You can still do it, shift into a dragon?”
“Modern life has made it a little impractical, but yes. I can still do it.”
“How big are you? Can you breathe fire?”
She was fixating on the dragon and that revelation was a small part of what he needed to explain. “In dragon form, I’m roughly the size of your mother’s house and yes I can breathe fire. I’ll show you the next time we’re at my cabin, but there is a lot more you need to understand.”