Page 111 of The Mating Quest

Using the crutch Caderyn had fashioned for him, he hobbled to the mirror and turned, staring inwonder.

Two small green dragon wings sprouted from hisback.

“They’re retractable, so you can sleep. All you have to do is imagine yourself in Skin and they’ll vanish. But now you don’t have to walk. You can fly and they should make you feelstronger.”

Gideon hobbled over to Lacey, gently pulling down the back of her gown. A white bandage rested on each shoulder blade. Emotion tightened his throat as he started to unwrap it. She made a protesting sound, which heignored.

As he suspected, the skin was pinkish, healing from a terriblewound.

Lacey’s mouth worked as he rewrapped the bandage. “It’s not a big deal. It really isn’t anything. Drust did it to me when I was in dragonform.”

He could only imagine how much pain it had caused her, and for Drust as well to take the knife and slice her scalesoff.

“Drust kept asking if I was certain and I said yes, anything I could do tohelp.”

Eyes shining with tears, she looked him straight in the eye. “It hurt worse to see how it anguished him to do it. So do us a favor, and test out your newwings.”

“Lacey…” He swallowed hard. “I don’t know what to say, to you, Drust or you, Nikita. Thankyou.”

“We’re family,” Nikita said, touching his hand. “Alia is like a sister to me and you’re like abrother.”

“Yes we are, so stop wasting time. Go fly!” Lacey smiled and wiped hereyes.

He hugged them both. “Come, let’s test out my newwings.”

Outside, Lacey gave him advice as Gideon used the wings to float above theground.

“You’re on a roll, like a hover board,” Lacey criedout.

It was a novel sensation, and he had new respect for the fairies who were hischarges.

After a while, he sat on the ground,resting.

“Xavier is working on a potion to help you. It should be ready soon. We must leave now.” Lacey kissed hischeek.

When the women left, he was alone with his thoughts, and they were notgood.

Dark.

Feeling a presence, he turned and saw the Shadow Wizard. Caderyn held out a vial of darkliquid.

“Tis a potion Xavier concocted. It will not stop the process of draining your magick, but it will create a barrier that will slowit.”

Gideon drank the potion and shuddered. He handed the vial back to the Shadow Wizard. “Tell him thankyou.”

Caderyn sat across from him, his gray gaze burning. Waiting. Gideon sighed. One could not hide much from the powerful ShadowWizard.

“How the hell did you get into this mess, Gideon?” Caderyn asked almostconversationally.

Gideon sighed. “I fucked up, as some would say. Cormac was a Dark Fae in the Winter Kingdom. His magick was tainted but weak. He craved power and acceptance. I was fond of him for I knew his struggles. He begged me for help. I asked the Winter King to appoint him a position in court as hisaide.”

“It was not enough. He wanted more power,” Caderynsurmised.

Gideon looked at his one remaining hand. “I blamed myself for him turningevil.”

Caderyn put a hand on his arm. “You are not responsible for the actions nor the decisions of your charges, Gideon. Each must cleave to their own destiny or reject it if they are strong and courageous enough to forge their ownpath.

“But you are responsible for not following through and vaporizing him. Instead you gave him a Fae burial in theearth.”