Tahir’s stubborn refusal to transform didn’t make sense to me. What did he mean by saying he was not doing this on Popescu’s terms? I didn’t understand what was happening and it was extremely frustrating. I was sure that Tahir could end this if he would just shift into his dragon form, but there was clearly a reason that he wouldn’t.

I felt helpless as I watched the two men fight. Even with a weapon in my hand, I was useless. I couldn’t figure out how to use the ...