Flying. She was actually flying—without a plane or any kind of flying device. It was harder to accept than it was that her body was no longer human and was in fact a fire-breathing dragon. The whole thing was kind of surreal.

Warrick had been right in that flying was mostly instinctual but more than that, it felt as if she’d been doing this all of her life. Catching the updrafts and gliding along the air currents was as natural to her as breathing. The whole shifting thing was weirdly fascinating. It didn’t hurt; in fact, it didn’t feel like anything at all. She’d just noticed parts of her were no longer human. What had been amazing was that there was no cracking of bones or splitting of skin—just one minute she was human and the next she was dragon.

It might have been a bit more nerve-wracking if she’d been up here on her own, but she wasn’t. She understood that she would never be truly alone again. Warrick could reach her through their bonding link and vice versa. To know she would always be connected to him was deeply satisfying and comforting.

She would need to remember to tell Kessily the whole cocoon thing was, in Dani’s opinion, vastly overrated. It had felt like sinking into one of those uber expensive warm mud baths. Dani had worried she’d feel like she was being suffocated, but it hadn’t felt that way at all. More, she’d been drowsy and then had been asleep. It had probably helped that Warrick had been with her, and she could feel his protective and soothing presence the entire time.

“So, my clothes are gone, huh?” she asked as they circled Dragonwyk.

“Yes. Some of us try to ensure that we’re never wearing something that’s a favorite, but some just remove their clothes to start with.”

“And they don’t come back when we shift back? Where do they go?”

“It’s one of the unanswered mysteries of being a shifter.”

“Just so you know, I’m not inclined to shift back in that central landing pad. I don’t know that I’d feel comfortable being naked among all your brothers.”

“There is no need for modesty. You are extraordinarily beautiful, and there are always robes to change into right there, but there are also more private places to shift back. And I can always shift first and have something for you to cover up with right there.”

“So how do I land? You said it could be kind of tricky.”

Warrick chuckled. “There are two basic ways of doing it. One is to hover in a vertical position and then just set down. Hovering, though, takes a bit of practice and some core conditioning. While it’s easy to sit up on your haunches once you are on the ground, you are sitting at that point and your tail helps you to balance and to keep from falling over backwards.”

“Kind of like a kickstand,” she said.

“Correct, but when you try to hover vertically, your tail can get in the way.”

“Okay so the hovering and setting down gracefully is more the advanced method. What’s the other?”

“In the same way taking off is easier with a running start, so is landing, but you have to be careful not to trip or you will face plant into the dirt and somersault yourself. Rarely do you do any damage, but it can be embarrassing.”

“Okay, so soft landing away from prying eyes so I don’t make a fool of myself.”

“Never worry that other dragons will tease you. All of us has had at least one awkward landing, if not more. You are the first drakaina of your kind—a transitioned warrior who will be a part of the Phantom Fire.”

“Kessily was here first…”

“But she is not yet drakaina. In the past when a member of the Phantom Fire took a mate, it was only if he found his eternal flame and then he left the brotherhood. You are my eternal flame, as Kessily is Falkor’s, and neither of us has left, nor is there any plan for us to do so.”

“How is that going to go over with the other dragon clans or the Ruling Council?”

“The opinion of others is not important to those within the Phantom Fire. We have always been separate. It is why we are uniquely suited for rooting out the evil behind the Shadow League.”

“We’ll find whoever it is. I’m rather good at ferreting out things.”

“You are indeed, and your abilities as a detective will be well utilized in our fight against the evil that is being contemplated.”

“I’m surprised you don’t think having shifters being in charge isn’t a good thing. As you said, we humans haven’t done such a good job.”

“Neither did shifters when they were the apex species. We can, as you have seen, be quite arrogant and humans were often persecuted and made only to serve. In many ways, shifters and humans aren’t so different. There are those of us who are worthy of respect and admiration, and just as many who aren’t.”

They flew together in companionable silence as Warrick led them away from Dragonwyk and down towards the ravine that the Wind River had carved out thousands of years ago. He dropped down to fly just above the water’s surface.

“Is it easier to land in water?” she asked.

“No, because usually you can’t see the bottom. But the soft sand of the riverbank might be a first good landing spot. Just remember when you touch down to keep your feet moving until you don’t feel as though you’re being pushed.”

“Okay, let’s give it a go.”

Dani approached the beach but realized she’d overshot the length of the riverbank that looked inviting and as though it had more soft sand than rock. She used her wings to gain some altitude, circled around and tried again. The second time, she wasn’t angled right but realized she was just putting off the inevitable. She knew Warrick might chuckle, but not in a mean-spirited way. He seemed, even when he was annoyed with her, to always be on her side.

“Once you have all four feet on the ground, fold your wings, but keep running,” he said, encouragingly.

The third time she circled around, Dani came in low and placed her front feet on the ground first, followed by her back feet and the folding of her wings.

Just as she thought she’d managed to land, if not overly gracefully, then at least without a faceplant, the sand gave way a bit too much in the front and she crashed into it face first, her forward propulsion causing her knees to give way. She tucked her head and neck to keep from injuring herself and managed to somersault several times before ending up on her butt, her tail out behind her. Warrick had been right about that too, as it kept her from falling backward.

She could hear Warrick chuckling and feel the sound reverberating down the link and skittering across her scales. It was a good feeling. Graceful landing or not, her mate loved her and at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

Next time, she’d do it better.