Book Three: Chapter 104

The sparks on her body grew smaller, creeping in through the pores of her skin. The fireball above them tripled in size, the warm fire casting eerie shadows across the cave. Ratu hissed again, her long tongue tasting the air. She looked down at Mike, her eyes more snake than human and her body aglow in blue light. Letting out a gasp, the scale pattern vanished, and her eyes went back to normal. She collapsed on him, holding him closely. They lay that way for several minutes, Mike’s heart beating fast in his chest. What had just happened?

“I totally would have gone with you to your sock hop,” she said, breaking the silence. “Whatever that is.”

“This was way more fun than a middle school dance,” he replied. He had gone to most of the dances, affairs where the boys and girls just looked at each other and drank all the soda that was provided, just to get out of the house.

More time passed in silence, and he felt her body shape shift above him. Rolling to his side, she