Juno had overdone it. Jake could tell as soon as they reached the clearing. She sagged and dropped into the grass with a hard thud. He felt Rome’s worry before he even started to shift.
Once he was dressed again, Jake walked over to where Juno still lay. He didn’t want to push her, even as the sky grew darker around them. Instead, he sat beside her, leaning into her slightly so he could run his fingers through her fur. She turned her head to look at him, but he said nothing.
They sat like that for a while, Jake leaning into her and staring up through the branches at the stars winking in the sky. He thought Juno might have fallen asleep until he felt the tug of a mindlink.
She’s not sure she can shift, Lyra said in his head.
I figured, he replied. I can wait until she’s ready.
She feel
