My legs were weak, my hands shaking as I dug through the bag, then stepped back to rub the sudden crop of goose bumps that rose on my arms. The experience I’d just shared with Gabriel was still strong in my mind, too strong. “It wasn’t me,” I told the mirror that did not contain my reflection. “I’m not a dragon; I’m not.”

I looked down at my gold-dusted torso and shuddered. I was being consumed by the dragon shard. I was changing, turning into a dragon, and that scared me to the tips of my toenails.

What if Gabriel preferred me as a dragon? What if he’d prefer to have a dragon mate, someone who understood his emotions, his needs, the things that drove him? How could I possibly begin to explain to him the fear that I was losing myself?

The door opened. I clutched at a piece of clothing in an attempt to cover myself, but it was just Gabriel. He marched over to a large shower and yanked the faucet so that the three showerheads burst to life. “I wish I had time to wash the gold off you in a manner that would please us both, but we do not have time, little bird.”

He held open the shower door for me, following me as I entered. “What’s wrong? Who was that at the door?”

“Jian.” He gave me an earthy-smelling soap and a loofah, taking another for himself.

I dutifully scrubbed the gold dust off myself, my feelings conflicted—part of me wanted to shove away the sea sponge he was using and lather him up with my hands, stroking the entire length of his wet, soapy body, the other part of me shying away from the thought of another lovemaking session that would end with me losing yet another piece of myself to the dragon shard. I dragged my mind back from that subject to more important matters. “The red wyvern’s bodyguard? What’s he doing here?”

He tossed his sponge to the side, stepping out of the shower, grabbing a towel to briskly dry himself. “He wants our help.”

“Our help with what?” I asked, hurriedly rinsing off, following Gabriel out of the shower. I accepted the towel he tossed my way, going to the door as he strode out into his bedroom, heading for a bank of closets that lined one wall.

“He wants us to rescue his mother.”

A chill swept over me that had nothing to do with the balmy ocean air striking my wet flesh.

Gabriel’s mouth was grim as he grabbed a shirt. “He wants us to bring Chuan Ren back from Abaddon.”

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

He came to me in the shadow world.