A few seconds passed, ticking into minutes, before the concept of time slowly blurred from his grasp as he sank into meditation.
Finally, after a few hours, his eyes snapped open. He sensed a change since Tara began merging with her new talent.
The swirling fire energy that had once encapsulated her frame had now hardened into a shell. And as he looked closer, he could see microfractures racing across its surface.
Before finally, with a cracking sound, it all shattered to reveal the figure within.
"Huh…" Ulric breathed, his eyes widening slightly. She had changed. A lot.
Her once raven-dark hair was now streaked with red. A rosy flush colored her pale face, while her skin seemed softer and more supple. Even her figure had become more defined.
Exhaling softly, trails of fire seeped out of her nostrils. Before her eyes snapped open, revealing two orange orbs that stared back into his crimson gaze.
