Healing Fire by Sean Michael

growled in response and bit the pad of his thumb. Jules pulled away, frightened and overwhelmed, his skin so small.
    “You have to let go, Jules. Let yourself be free.”
    “My skin doesn’t fit!”
    “You need to shift. Or to come,” Lem prompted.
    Jules roared again, his knees pulled up against his chest.
    “I’m right here. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
    He couldn’t. He didn’t know how. He didn’t want to. He felt like his flesh was splitting.
    Lem’s lips slid across his breastbone, tugging at his right nipple, and then his left.
    “Help me!” He stood, then crouched, desperate for air.
    Lem grabbed his hands, placing their palms together. “Look at me, Jules. Look at me and let me be your anchor.”
    His palms flared, and he winced, but Lem wasn’t burned. Wasn’t even singed.
    “Made for you, Jules.”
    “Lem.” His mouth didn’t work right, and his eyes saw everything. More than everything.
    Lem roared, the sound calling to him. Jules called back, his world spinning wildly. Lem had shifted, the big dragon beautiful and calling out to him again. Light filled his eyes, and he felt as if the air displaced. Lem stepped back, and the big dragon bowed, smoke coming out of his nose.
    Jules roared, the sound panicked and scared. He turned, trying to figure out why he was so close to the leaves of the trees.
    *Beautiful*
    The word was like a sound in his head.
    *Fierce*
    He looked around, confused. *Lem?*
    *Dragon Lord*
    He continued to look around, then down. He was leaner than Lem, his fingers curled with wicked talons. He was not silver like his Lem. Instead, his scales were bright purple.
    Lem bowed to him again and opened his great big wings. Wings.
    Did he have wings? Jules tried to see.
    Lem raised one clawed talon, and he could feel it moving along his back, spreading something out.
    Jules gasped, the wings on his back spreading impossibly wide. An approving sound rumbled from Lem, and he flapped his magnificent wings.
    Jules’ eyes went wide. That was him. Him.
    Lem flapped again, encouraging him to follow. But he didn’t know how to fly.
    *Wings!* Lem flapped, not going anywhere, just creating a great wind.
    Jules flapped in return, trying to make wind of his own. Lem seemed pleased by his progress, wings slowing their beat and wrapping around him. He pushed in, cuddled in close. It felt different, but the same, too. It was his Lem, even if their forms were different.
    Lem’s heartbeat was so loud, like the biggest music, the best song. Jules felt like he was in the safest place in the world. He groaned softly, the sound huge. He felt Lem’s happiness inside him, more than heard any sound from the big dragon.
    *Lem*
    Their muzzles rubbed together, the caress instinctual and right. A rumbling noise came from Lem, breath heated as it caressed him. He looked up at the stars, the light seeming to call to him, to draw him upward. Lem began to flap his wings again, and Jules felt the push to do the same, to leap into the air. His wings began to move, without his thought, as if it were natural as breathing.
    Lem rose slowly, his wings carrying him upward. Jules held Lem’s clawed hands, held the happy gaze, refusing to be left behind. They went up, Lem strong enough to carry them both. His wings worked hard, adding to Lem’s flight. Lem’s pleasure was clear, ringing in his head as they moved toward the stars.
    *Flying*
    He was flying.
    They were up past the tops of the trees, and Lem let go of his claws. He dipped, but only a bit, only for a second, then his body took over, the magic pouring through him.
    Lem flew around him, then went straight up, flying in a twirl above him. Show off.
    Jules laughed and pushed himself toward Lem, toward the magic.
    Lem twisted and turned midair, flying back to him. Lem was magnificent. Even more so looking at him through dragon eyes. He reached out, touched Lem’s hip, so careful. Lem flew closer, somehow not tangling up their wings
    *Flying*