The Formula

Chapter 13

"Celia," Felix muttered. Not a moment later, he collapsed.

Alarmed, Celia jumped to his side, and nuzzled him with her new dragon snout. The whole experience was exhilarating, but she didn't have time to drink it in. The moment she had heard the explosions and the change washed over her, instinct had kicked in. It was almost as if she had been in the body of another being altogether, simply there for the ride. The long scarlet muzzle before her eyes only added to her bewilderment. But as she saw him lying there, her human intuition kicked back in.

"Felix!" she cried. Her new voice surprised her. "Felix!"

Instinct kicked back as she heard someone approaching from the far end, where she had killed the soldiers. To her relief, Van de Sande came stepping over the bodies, carrying an electric torch. He froze seeing Celia and the other end and uttered a curse under his breath—Celia was amazed that she could hear it from so far away.

"Marleen," he announced over a radio, "I found them."

He lit a flare and rushed over to where Felix lay, but stopped just behind his tail, cautious of Celia. She backed away, letting him inspect Felix's wounds. She sensed his apprehension around her, as if he was afraid she would suddenly snap and attack for no given reason, even though he and Marleen had both been there when she first changed.

After a tense moment of silence, Marleen finally found them. She gasped seeing Felix lying there, but her eyes remained on Celia.

"How is this possible?" she wondered aloud.

"We'll worry about that later," Celia snapped. "How's Felix?"

Van de Sande sighed. "I can't take him back to the sick bay—this base is crawling with rebels. We all have to get out and get somewhere safer. Then I can make a better assessment. Maybe we can regroup with the others."

"We can't move him like this," Marleen stated.

Celia crouched lower, nudging him with her snout again. His eye flittered open and he stirred. Marleen and Van de Sande stepped back.

"Felix," she cooed, "you're injured. We need to get you to safety."

He tried to stand, but couldn't. She pressed her forehead against his. "No, no. Change back, Felix. We'll move you." She sighed. "It's my turn to save you."

He fell limp again, but managed to obey. His wings and tail melted away and his scales shifted to clothing. Shaking his head, Van de Sande tore his clothing, quickly wrapping Felix's wounds.

"One of these days," he groaned, hefting Felix over his shoulders, "we won't have to carry one of you two out of a dangerous place."

"Lead the way," Marleen instructed Celia. "We'll tell you where to go. We've got Felix."

She nodded as set off, with the hybrids in tow. They were surprisingly fast now that she was a dragon and they didn't have to wait for her. Celia still wasn't quite sure where she was—the place looked like retrofitted catacombs of some sort—but true to their word, the steered her as they dashed through the dark corridors.

She had cut some wires with her talons, which were incredibly sharp, so it was dark underground. She kept her jaws partially open, breathing a continuous flame that illuminated just enough space in front of her to navigate and her companions to follow. It played to her advantage, as soldiers still roaming the tunnels used flashlights that could be easily avoided by choosing another route.

By the time they found an exit, she felt as though the walls were ready to squeeze in around her. She hadn't considered herself a claustrophobe before, but the catacombs were simply endless. Even the sewers had been more inviting—the stench aside.