He studied her with his quiet, intent gaze. “Since my father’s the king, I should sit on my ass and do nothing? Let other people take the risk even though I have the ability and gift? As if my life is more important just because of my lineage?”
When she pictured him grappling with Evander, slamming into the brick wall… Envisioned the scar on his shoulder that had once been a vicious wound, her soul screamed yes! But if he had succumbed to that kind of egotism, Nicolai wouldn’t be the winged warrior and lover she’d come to know in her dreams.
Brave. Selfless. Tender. A protector.
“I think,” she said, “that even after all of this is over, I will worry about you.” She lifted her arm, hesitated, then gave in to the need to cup his jaw and stroke her thumb over the patch of skin beneath his full lower lip.
His pupils contracted, enlarged until the iris disappeared, swallowed by the wide dark-purple center. Gazing into the unblinking stare, Tamar no longer peered into the eyes of the man, but the hippogryph.
A new, scary desire pounded in her chest. One she refused to back down from.
Her heart took up a rapid air-stealing tattoo as she shifted away several steps. Her arm dropped to her side but their eyes remained connected—woman to beast. This was the other side of him. The animal that terrified and fascinated her. But both were Nicolai. And in her heart, she knew neither would harm a hated curl on her head.
Inhaling, she gathered her courage in her trembling fingers and poked her hand in the proverbial lion’s cage.
“Show me,” she whispered. “Change for me.”
His head cocked to the side and there was nothing human in the sharp gesture. “Are you sure?” he murmured.
Excitement raced through her veins, pounded in her blood. “Yes.”
He continued to scrutinize her. Then, as if something he saw convinced him of her certainty, he nodded and moved back, increasing the space between them.
The change occurred in a second—but that second lasted an eon.
It was straight out of a horror movie…and a fairy tale.
Bone popped, jutting and bulging under his skin before caving in on itself to stretch and contort. His body bent. The strong line of his spine lengthened, curved. His head lowered, rounded and an explosion of brown burst behind the crown, a lion’s mane of feathers. Her breath caught in her lungs, trapped, as her gaze traveled the creamy white that stretched over the hippogryph’s breast and the underside of its wings. A rich chocolate-brown covered the rest of its body—the head, neck, flight feathers. Even its equestrian back, hind legs and tail shared the luxuriant color. The only exceptions were its powerful bright-yellow forelegs and talons.
It was frightening.
Strange.
Majestic.
Beautiful.
Awed, she crossed the distance that separated them. The last time she’d seen him in this form he’d been planted in the middle of a street, blocking her escape. She’d been on edge and intimidated. But now…
With trembling fingers, she reached out and then halted inches from its sleek head, hesitant to touch something so powerful. It seemed almost…blasphemous.
The hippogryph bowed its regal head. And observed her out of Nicolai’s intelligent eyes.
She gasped. Of course she realized man and beast were one and the same. But to meet his beautiful eyes in the face of the eagle. It supplied her with the courage to stroke the smooth, glossy head. To ruffle the splendid crest. Tunnel her fingers through the thick, downy plumage of its—his—breast.
And the wings…God. She sighed. They easily spanned the width of the path, touching the trees bordering the trail. Their beauty was awe-inspiring and intimidating at once. A smile broke free, straight from her heart, as she brushed the chocolate-dipped-in-cream feathers. She recognized them instantly. They’d cradled her close, sheltered her.
“You’re so gorgeous,” she murmured and chuckled softly as he settled back on his hind legs and seemed to preen under her compliment.
He shuffled back and the small movement caused a stream of wind to swirl around her. Wow. She pushed her hair back from her face with both hands. Being around him must’ve been something like standing downwind from a helicopter’s propellers.
He kneeled and his head bent in the imitation of a bow. His great wings spread wide on the forest floor—as huge as those of a plane.
Lavender eyes met hers and, with a slight jerk of his head, he gestured for her to come nearer. To climb up on his lowered back.
A fierce yearning seized her. It clutched her chest, twisted her stomach. She could see herself stepping onto his wing and hoisting onto his back, digging her fingers into that grand mane. Excitement raced through her blood as if even now he rose in the air, soared into the blue sky above with her holding on, taking the ride of a lifetime. Tamar stepped forward…then stopped. Terrifying pain-filled images bombarded her. A black rumbling sky, horrible shaking, the wail of air and whine of failing engines. Awful stygian darkness. Pain. Such pain.