I didn't understand what was happening to me. I knew I was no longer fully human, but how much of me had changed? I stumbled back, my chest growing tight as my breathing intensified. Grabbing for the mantle of the fireplace, I steady myself as the room began to spin. James leaped to my side and wrapped an arm around my waist, trying to hold me up.

"Help me to the chair," I said.

My feet felt as though they weighed as much as Draco.

"What's happening to you?" he asked.

I shook my head as I stared down at my hands. "I don't know, but look."

I held them up for him to see. Scales slowly appeared down to my knuckles. They shimmered in the firelight. They were going to pose a problem in the future if we didn't get things under control.

"I have wings, scales, and talons. I'm turning into a monster."

"You are not a monster."

"Look at me!" I yelled.

A burning sensation grew in the bottom of my belly. At first, it tingled a little bit but as the moments went by it got hotter and more uncomfortable. I grabbed my stomach and doubled over, dropping to my knees.

"What?" James asked.

"My stomach."

I yelled out as the pain grew too much to bear. As I did, fire shot from my mouth, singing the rug in front of me.

"Where is Draco?" I groaned, pulling myself to the window. "He can help."

I couldn't make it. I stopped just an arm's length away, collapsing onto the cold stone floor beneath me. My body grew hotter and hotter. I could feel myself being drug across the stone and lifted up.

"Draco!" James shouted, holding me in place.

His voice seemed to be growing more and more distant. I should be fine. Why am I not fine?

I could feel the low rumble of Draco's voice as he spoke.

Who is he speaking to? James? Why can't I hear him? Why am I like this again?

The coldness of Draco's talons wrapped around my body, pulling me from the window and into the cool night air. The feeling of wind blew my hair about as I could feel myself being lifted higher and higher. The burning heat began to subside as did the heaviness. I opened my eyes to see Draco focused on the horizon.

"What is happening?" I asked.

"You're going through your changes."

"I know that, but why am I feeling like this?"

"These changes aren't going to be easy on you. There are a lot of differences between mortal humans and dragons."

"Obviously."

"Your body is trying to adjust to being half human and half dragon."

"It seems that the dragon is taking over most of me."

"Dragons are a very aggressive species." He lowered himself to a cliff that sat a ways off from shore.

The water sprayed up as the wind howled. It felt good.

I ripped at the dress that constricted everything and let my wings out. The breeze caught the feathers and billowed them out. The force jerked me back slightly, causing me to dig my talons into the stone. I felt so strong. So much stronger than I ever had.

"It feels good, doesn't it?"

"What?"

"Stretching your wings and not trying to hide them."

"Yes, but I am also naked."

"Are you?"

"What?"

"Look at your body, Ellie."

I glanced down where the pale skin I once had been and saw shimmering white and blue. It was gone. All of it except my fingers. I reached up to feel my face and felt the smoothness of my skin.

"I don't look naked?"

Draco shook his head. "Do I?"

"Well, you're a dragon."

"As are you, your majesty."

Keeping my talons dug into the stone, I sunk to my butt and hugged my knees. "What am I going to tell my children when they're older?"

"That you're special. That you sacrificed everything to bring them into the world. And that they are half dragon as you are."

"This is not how I envisioned my life."

"No, but you have the ability to defeat the Guild now."

"The Guild. I had forgotten about them. They are a bit of a thorn in my side, aren't they?"

"Yes. And once you are healed and able to fight, we should."

"It is a long time coming. Do you suppose they know?" I asked.

"They must or at least some things. They have spies everywhere."

"Unfortunately, this I know. I'm sure since my last visit they've moved their home."

"Yes," Draco said, "They're not longer there. They have moved a bit further away. Across the ocean to a land that nobody knows about."

"Where?"

"It has no name. No one from here has ever been there before the Guild."

"I see. I guess it will take a while for us to get there?" I questioned him.

"Yes. If you plan on taking an army, even longer."

"What if we only take two other people?"

"A few hours of flying could get us there," he said.

"Okay, then that's what we do. Minimal people."

"Do you think it wise to take anyone with us?" he queried.

"We're going to have to take someone else with us. We can't fight the Guild and the assassins on our own."

"Why not? We're immortal."

"Unless one of us is mortally wounded in such a way that even we can't heal from it. Then we both die."

Draco nodded his large head. "I suppose that is true. Do we take James?"

"Yes. He is quite handy with a sword."

"And your mother?"

I groaned and shook my head. "No. Not my mother."

"She knows the Guild better than anyone else. She is an assassin after all."

"Not anymore. She's a queen who hasn't had to fight in decades."

"That is not true. She goes on campaign with your father all the time and has fought at his side during all wars your home country is involved in."

I sighed heavily. "Yes. I suppose she has."

"She will prove to be a great warrior when the time comes."

"Fine. Okay, mother comes."

Draco nodded his head. "Shall we return? Are you feeling well?"

"I am a bit."

"We wait then."

I stood and focused on my wings. It felt so very odd. Almost as though I had two more arms that were much longer and much stronger.

"How do you control them so well?"

"Practice."

"Not helpful."

"Focus on them. They are a part of you. AN extension of who you are. Know them."

"Okay."

I closed my eyes and focused on the feathered protrusions. I stretched out my arms, having my wings follow. I slowly moved my shoulders up and down, getting a better feel for them. Connecting with them.

Who would have thought I would have to learn how to use a new extension of my body?

The wings flapped in the wind. Slowly at first as I learned how to control them more and more. As I got a feel for them, I moved them faster and faster. My feet lifted from the ground a few inches.

"Good. Now stop flapping them about and let the wind catch you.

"Okay."

I opened the feathers fully and let the wind take hold, pulling me from the ground very quickly. I drifted in the sky as the wind blew me higher and higher. Draco took off from his perch and followed.

"Good. Now, slow and steady flaps. You want to glide."

I nodded and tried to flap slowly. Instead, it felt like repeated slaps against the wind. Which sent me hurtling toward the ground below.

"No. Not like that!" he called after me followed by chuckling.

"Not helping!" I shouted, tumbling head over tail.

"Slow and steady girl. Open those feathers back up."

I did as he said and pushed my wings open, allowing the wind to capture me and push me back up.

"Good, now slow and steady!" he shouted.

"Yeah, yeah. Slow and steady," I said. "Says the dragon who has been flying for hundreds of years."

I meticulously moved my wings. Focusing on slow and steady. It worked!

I glided through the air, a bit shakily, but forward. We flew through the sky, side by side. Dragon and, well, whatever I was. Friends. Partners.