Page 136 of The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash #6)

Seraphena smiled at that. “Jadis would’ve felt it when you tried last time, but she was likely…afraid and didn’t understand what she was feeling.” She closed her eyes. “She’s awake.”

Reaver’s head lifted as I looked at her. “How do you know?”

“I can feel it through the notam ,” she explained. “Place your hand beside mine and summon the essence.”

I did as she instructed and put my hand beside Jadis’s wing. Closing my eyes, I willed the essence to the surface. It responded at once in a heady rush and flooded my veins.

“Jadis, baby,” Seraphena called softly. “Come back to us.”

I could feel Reaver shifting his weight toward us when nothing happened. “Sera,” he said, his voice hoarse.

“Give it time,” Sera whispered.

Panic began to swell as desperation filled me once more. I pushed harder, my heart pounding. If this didn’t work, would she ever return to them? I didn’t—

I jerked as the stone beneath my hand heated. My heart leapt. I felt the vibration of a faint tremor. “Something is happening.”

“What?” Reaver exclaimed. “I don’t see any—”

Stone cracked like thunder, silencing him. I pulled my hand back as a chunk of it fell away from her talons, revealing worn-down black claws with dull edges.

Thin fissures appeared along her torso, spreading over her wings, limbs, and head.

Her stone form shuddered at the same instant I felt Casteel’s arm around my waist. Lifting me onto my feet, he drew me away as Seraphena leaned back.

Reaver had frozen, his mouth open as if still caught in the middle of what he had been saying.

Sections of stone slid to the ground, revealing thin, leathery wings.

They drooped at her sides, one hanging at an unnatural angle.

Greenish-brown scales appeared along her tail, her torso, and across her slender neck.

A serpentine head lifted a few inches as she drew her head back.

Her horns—oh, gods. They had been sheared off, cut in the middle, leaving ragged stumps behind.

Jadis turned her head past Seraphena, past me—

A fine layer of stone slipped from the side of her face as she opened her eyes. Vibrant blue eyes locked on Reaver, and he…gods, he dropped to his knees. Or fell, losing his grip on the torch. Snapping forward, Casteel caught it.

Reaver pitched forward and barely caught himself with his hands.

A wave of shimmering, silver light swept over the draken as Jadis shifted, becoming even smaller.

Her wings retracted, and her tail disappeared.

The scales along her hind limbs gave way to legs that were a shade of copper tinged in gray and without the luster of her father’s coloring.

Her skin was stretched tight over bone and riddled with…

scars left behind by claws and teeth—like the marks left on my body. Wounds that hadn’t healed properly.

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat as Casteel turned his head away.

The bones of her hips jutted out as if they sought to break free of the skin. Her stomach was sunken, and her arms were no bigger than twigs. Tangled strands of black hair streaked with crimson covered her face and chest.

She was so…godsdamn thin, emaciated, her arms trembling under the weight of holding her upper body up.

“Jadis,” Reaver rasped.

I clasped my hand over my mouth as the female draken scrambled back against the wall, her feet slipping on the ground. She pulled her knees to her chest, and a noise escaped her: the dry, hoarse, unintelligible croak of unused vocal cords.

“Jade,” he whispered.

She twisted away suddenly, pressing her hands against the sides of her head as the noise scratching from her throat grew louder and louder until I realized it was just a single word, repeated over and over.

“No. No,” she cried, tugging at her hair with her dirty hands. “No. No.”

Even without being able to sense Jadis’s emotions, the anguish and terror she experienced were palpable. I desperately wanted to ease her suffering as tears welled up in my eyes.

“It’s okay, Jadis.” Seraphena scuttled forward on her knees. “I’m here. It’s okay now.”

Jadis shifted toward the sound of Seraphena’s voice, quieting.

“You’re safe.” Seraphena spoke softly and carefully as she continued inching closer to the draken. “You’re free, and we’re here with you.” Reaching her side, she slowly curled her fingers around Jadis’s fragile wrists. “You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.”

Bony fingers loosened around her hair, and she lifted her head. I caught a glimpse of hollow cheeks and pale, chapped lips. “S-Sera?”

“Yes, sweet girl. It’s me.” Seraphena smiled, but it looked like it hurt her to do so. “I’m here.”

Jadis’s hands shook as she held them out in front of her. “Is…t-this real?”

Gods.

“Do you feel my touch? That’s real,” Seraphena assured her. “This is real.”

Jadis clamored forward and clutched at Seraphena’s blouse and hair. “I’m sorry,” she whimpered. “I’m sorry—”

“No, no, sweet girl.” Seraphena wrapped her arms around Jadis, and I blinked back tears. Holding Jadis tightly against her, Seraphena smoothed her hand over the back of her head. “You don’t need to apologize for anything. Okay?”

The breath I took went nowhere as Jadis’s response, broken by sobs, was hard to decipher. I couldn’t look anymore. I turned away as Seraphena worked to calm the draken.

Reaver remained on his knees, his features stark as he stared at them. I could tell he wanted to go to her but was holding himself back. I went to his side and placed my hand on his shoulder. The ridges of his scales were sharp. He didn’t react—not a single flicker of movement or breath.

The soft thud of leather straps and swords hitting the ground drew my attention. I looked over to see Casteel straightening. He pulled his shirt over his head and quietly and slowly approached. “Here,” he said, his voice low.

Seraphena glanced back and took the shirt. “Thank you.”

Casteel silently moved back as she returned to Jadis. He picked up the straps and swords he’d left on the ground. It took a bit of time for Seraphena to get the shirt on Jadis, and I didn’t think she liked the smell of Casteel—or anyone but Seraphena.

“We’re going to get you home to your daddy,” Seraphena said as Jadis huddled against her, swallowed by the shirt. “He’s waiting for you.” Running her palms over Jadis’s arms, Seraphena said, “Reaver is going to take you home—”

Jadis shook her head wildly. “No. No—”

“It’s okay,” Seraphena said, her tone soothing. “You don’t need to shift. I’ll open the realm for you two. But I can’t return yet.”

Jadis continued to shake her head as she clutched at Seraphena. “No. S-stay with me.”

“I can’t, sweet girl. I can’t return yet,” Seraphena told her as Reaver stood. “But I won’t be long.”

Reaver inhaled deeply, his features contorting with anguish before smoothing out. “I want to take you home,” he said, taking a step toward them. “Okay? I—”

“No!” Jadis shouted, and I winced at the pained sound she made as Seraphena gasped. “I don’t w-want to be here.”

“We’re going to take you home.” Seraphena shifted onto her knees. “You’re not going to stay—”

“I didn’t w-want to wake!” she screamed. And, dear gods, my heart truly broke then. “I d-don’t want to be h-here anymore.”

Casteel inhaled sharply, his jaw flexing as Reaver…gods. Reaver’s normally sandy-hued flesh paled, and the outline of scales on his skin became more visible. He looked like he’d taken a dagger to the chest.

Seraphena held the draken to her, her eyes closed as she cradled Jadis. “But we want you here. We need you here with us. We love you so very much,” she whispered. “So very much, Jadis.”

Jadis’s hoarse cries shook her and Seraphena. I stepped back. Casteel did the same, and I knew he felt the same as I did. We didn’t belong here. We shouldn’t be witnessing this.

As Seraphena spoke quietly to Jadis, my gaze went to Reaver.

He remained where he stood, his brow furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line, and hands clenched into fists at his sides. His chest rose with ragged, uneven breaths that bled agony into the air with every exhale.

“Reaver,” Seraphena called, her voice thick with barely suppressed emotion. “I summoned Aurelia. She will be here shortly to take Jadis home.”

The unspoken message was clear. She was asking Reaver to leave.

He looked like he would argue for a moment but then bowed his head, his hair falling forward and shielding his face. With a nod, he turned on his heel. Chest aching, I watched him leave the chamber.

Seraphena’s gaze flicked to us as she rocked the too-small draken pressed against her. She didn’t need to vocalize what she needed. Taking my hand, Casteel led me out, but it felt like some part of me would remain there, with all the parts of Jadis I knew would also stay.