by Mandi Oyster
I shrugged. “If it gets done, it gets done. All we can do is our best.”
“I’d be so stressed.” Samantha’s face paled at the thought. Grades were more important to her than they were to me these days. In high school, I would’ve gone crazy at the thought of getting less than an A on any assignment, but now, I was more concerned about surviving and keeping my friends safe and saving the world. Grades had slipped several notches on my list of priorities.
Cassandra flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Don’t give her more to worry about. She’s got enough.”
“Oh.” Samantha’s cheeks reddened. “I don’t mean it like that.”
“It’s okay.” Dan grinned at her. “I’m sure Dacia understands.”
As soon as I swallowed the bite in my mouth, I said, “I do. I used to obsess about grades, too. Now, I’ve got dragons, demons, and Nephilim to worry about.”
“Dragons?” Bryce stopped with his sandwich halfway to his mouth.
“Yeah.” Mentally, I slapped my forehead. “I forgot you didn’t know.”
“There are dragons here, and you weren’t going to tell us?” Cassandra practically yelled.
Samantha held her finger up to her lips, but Cassandra wasn’t paying any attention to her.
I pushed my plate forward, doubting I’d have a chance to eat any more. “They were more of a concern last year when they were under Draconian’s control. Now—” I shrugged. I didn’t know what I should say.
Malcolm stood up, came to our table, and held his hand out to Cassandra. “We won’t even eat you.” He flashed his fangs at her and allowed his pupils to turn to slits.
She leaned away but placed her hand in his. “All of you.”
“All of us.” Cash turned in his seat and smiled at her, and the others waved. “Dacia freed us. Now we’re here to protect her.”
“So, what are Nephilim?” Bryce asked.
I nodded toward Diana and Olivia. “Half angel and half human.”
Cash growled, and Samantha, Dan, Bryce, and Cassandra all backed away from him. The last Samantha and Dan knew I’d been terrified of Cash. They didn’t know that he’d been one of my protectors, and I couldn’t really tell them in case I had to leave again. I couldn’t risk one of the other creatures reading their minds and finding out. As far as I knew, only Cody, Malcolm, and Aurelia knew the truth.
“Sorry.” He breathed in deeply and grinned at me. “They get under my skin.”
I shook my head, but I couldn’t blame him, and after what he’d done for me, I couldn’t be mad at him for having a little fun.
“So, your bodyguards are dragons in human form?” Amazement filled Bryce’s voice. “Will we ever see you as dragons?”
“We have.” Dan pointed his fork at Samantha, Cody, and I. “We were even dragged off by them. I’d say we had the scars to prove it, but Dacia and Aurelia healed them.”
Cassandra’s mouth hung open slightly as she looked from each of our faces. “You’re kidding, right?”
“They’re not.” Malcolm lowered his head. “We were under the control of a madman and had no choice but to do his bidding. Unlike the demon, we weren’t strong enough to rebel.”
I grabbed hold of his hand. “You were under his control much longer than Mavros was. You also didn’t care about me.”
“You’re right.” Malcolm pulled away and wiped his hands over his face. “But we should have. We knew Draconian was evil. We just didn’t care. We thought all humans with magic would be like him.”
“Live and learn.” Cody shrugged. “We survived.”
Samantha drank the last of her tea, stood, and picked up her tray. “And now we have new friends.” She turned toward Cody and me. “You want to get to class early. Don’t you?”
“I suppose we better.” I grabbed my tray and stood. “See you in class,” I said to Bryce and Cassandra.
The dragons walked amongst us, not surrounding us like they had in the past. Olivia and Diana followed us, keeping further away, not watching us quite so closely.
Dr. Cedar wasn’t in the classroom when we got there. We took our usual seats in the back and waited for class to begin. As soon as he entered the room, he started talking about Psyche and Eros. For once, I actually managed to listen and take notes.
When class was over, Russ and Arianna left with Samantha and Dan. The other dragons stood back and watched Cody and me while we talked to Dr. Cedar. “Dacia, Cody,” he said. “I hope everything is all right.”
“Yeah, it worked out.” I hefted my backpack up, resituating it on my shoulders.
He rubbed his jaw. “Good, good, good. I trust you can get a copy of the notes from Samantha?”
“Yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem,” I said.
His eyes darted toward the dragons. “Her notes are probably more detailed than mine, and the two of you probably know as much about creatures of myth as I do.”
My eyebrows drew together, and I turned toward Cody. His expression looked as confused as mine felt. At the same time, we both turned back toward Dr. Cedar.
“Oh, I know your guards are more than they seem, and your watchers are, too.” He waved his hand. “No need to confirm or deny. Just look at your syllabus and turn in the assignments you missed by a week from Thursday. Be careful out there.” He picked up a pen and started jotting notes down for himself.
“Well, that was weird,” I said to Cody when we walked out into the hall.
He slid his hand into mine. “Figured he’d be one to know.”
We walked to Sarah’s office with the dragons and Nephilim trailing us. The sidewalks were covered in a fresh layer of snow. I pulled the collar of my coat up to help protect my face from the stinging wind.
When we got to Sarah’s office, I stomped my feet on the rug, getting as much snow off of them as possible before walking to her receptionist. Alicia sat behind the desk. Her spiky hair was dyed hot pink. She drummed her manicured fingernails on the desk as she took in me and my entourage. “All of you going up?”
“I don’t know about them.” I pointed to Diana and Olivia. “The rest of us need to see Dean Aspen if she’s available.”
She lifted a slender eyebrow and pointed to the chairs. “Have a seat.”
Cody and I sat in front of the fireplace, stretching our hands out to warm them. I stared out the window. The distant mountains were hidden behind blowing snow.
A few minutes after we sat down, Alicia said, “Go on up. She’ll see you now.”
The six of us strode up the open staircase while Diana and Olivia watched us. Sarah’s door was open, and she waved at us. “Come in. Come in. I’m so glad to see you.” She rushed over and hugged both Cody and me. “I’ve been worried about you. Next time, you should let me know before you disappear.”
“I’m sorry.” I tugged my hand through my hair. “I really couldn’t. I couldn’t let the dragons or Nephilim in on our plan.”
She looked at my bodyguards with disapproval. “I understand.”
“We have orders that we have to follow.” Malcolm lowered his eyes to the ground. “We have no choice, unless we want to face the elder council.”
“Aurelia explained that to me.” She waved at the couches, and we sat. “Where is Aurelia?”
“She is searching for Argentum.” I didn’t know what her role with the elder council was, but she seemed to play a significant part. She was always off somewhere doing something for them anymore. I understood, but I also missed having her around.
Sarah sat on the coffee table in front of me. Her eyes softened. “I am sorry for all you’ve been through.”
“Thanks.” I pictured Mavros’ smile just before I returned him to the Abyss. Maybe he was okay. Maybe he’d get to go back to that realm and sit on the beach. Maybe it really was what he’d
wanted. “Hopefully, they find Argentum before he comes after me again.”
All of the dragons growled. The sound would spark fear in anyone with a pulse, but none of the dragons took the time to enjoy the scent.
Sarah looked at them. Her eyebrows drew together. “Do you not want him caught?”
“He broke a solemn vow.” Cash’s irises expanded until the scleras were barely visible. “He needs to be punished.”
“Did he make the same vow as you?” Sarah asked.
“We don’t know what he said for sure, but Dacia freed us.” Arianna’s soft, lyrical voice was hardened. “She is our ally, and he should’ve stood by her no matter what.”
Chapter 32
Never Saw It Coming
Mavros stands in front of me. His eyes are soft. A genuine smile spreads over his lips. “Send me back, Dacia.”
“I can’t. I can’t do that to you after you helped me.” I look down at my hands. “What kind of person would that make me?”
“One who wants to live.”
I woke up with tears in my eyes and Cody staring at me. He didn’t say anything, just held me while I cried.
L
Wednesday’s classes were much the same. The teachers all asked if everything was okay. They gave me assignments and notes, giving me a week to get everything done.
The walk back from Shakespeare was a tense one. Malcolm strode behind me, keeping my pace from dawdling. The dragons’ apprehension rubbed off on me, making me jerk at every noise and snap my head toward every movement.
Tye slowed, lifting his head to the sky, scenting the air. “He’s here.” Without hesitation, he grabbed hold of my shoulder and teleported away with me.
Before my body solidified, the smell of death and decay assaulted my nostrils. Darkness surrounded me. I lifted my hand to light a fire in my palm, but he pressed it down. Not yet. He spoke into my mind. Let me make sure it’s safe.
I transformed my eyes, making them dragon-like. I was in a cave. Bones and animal carcasses lay scattered over the floor. Water ran down one wall, filling a vast underground lake. Waves rippled along the surface, moving quickly toward us.
A sense of foreboding crept over me. A haze clouded my vision. Then darkness swallowed me up. Unable to see, I tried to teleport out.
Nothing happened.
Reaching for my powers, I found a vast chasm in their place.
Several torches flared to life.
“What’s going on?” I held my hand over my eyes, blocking the unexpected light. I turned toward Tye to find him in his dragon form. He was about half the size of the others with brown and green scales.
He nodded his horned head toward the water. “My massster is coming. We mussst wait for him.”
“Why?” Every kind word Tye had said, every time he’d been nice to me played through my memories. How could he betray me?
“Draconian never controlled me.” He stalked toward me. His finned tail swished through the air. “He gave me a home, a purpose, power. I couldn’t let the othersss know, so I had to pretend like you’d freed me, too. Then thisss opportunity arose. It wasss too good to be true.”
I stepped back from him, but that put me closer to the water’s edge and whatever sped through it. “Why not just kill me?”
“Where’sss the fun in that?” He laughed. “Thisss time it wasss my turn to be the trickssster.”
I tried again to call on my power, to bind it to me, and make it mine, but nothing answered.
His head snaked along the floor as he prowled toward me. “It wasss much better ssseeing you fall apart and debate becoming a caged beassst.”
I needed to keep him talking while I figured out how to get away. “Why’d you pretend to like me?”
He chuckled. “That was a niccce touch. Wasn’t it? You’re so easssy to fool. You never once thought to look at my memoriesss, to sssee if I would betray you. Acting like your friend kept me off your radar. If I’d have acted hateful like Cash, you would’ve sussspected me all along.” He stepped closer to me. “No, I just needed to bide my time. I knew I’d get the chance to bring you here eventually.”
“Did you?” I took another step away from him.
“I wasss a little worried when you disssappeared with the boy.” He grinned at me, showing his fangs. “I planned to kidnap your friendsss if necccessary.”
Something lifted out of the water behind me. If the splash was any indication, it was massive. The ground trembled, and I nearly fell over. I turned to the side so I could keep one eye on Tye and one on whatever emerged from the water.
A massive silver dragon stepped out, and water sluiced off its body. Tye lowered his front legs to the ground, bowing to the ancient beast.
I staggered back. “Taipan, return my powers to me.”
He turned toward me, and for a moment, I thought it had worked. “You think you can control me when Draconian couldn’t?” He stepped closer to me. His finned tail swished angrily behind him. “I’m smaller than the othersss but ssstronger in different ways. Unlike them, I’ve been able to shield my true name.”
My heart plummeted. I couldn’t see a way out of this. I stumbled and stretched my arm out behind me to catch myself. A rock sliced through my hand, and both of the dragons lifted their snouts, breathing in the scent of my blood.
“Well done.” Argentum’s voice was like the rumble of boulders sliding against each other. “Her power will sustain me for centuries.”
“What?!” Surprise made my voice high pitched.
He lowered his head, looking at me with one rheumy eye. “You are far too powerful to live, so instead of sending you with the Nephilim as I’d originally planned, I am going to consume your flesh. It will strengthen me for centuries, maybe millennia.”
Tye’s eyes widened, and he stared at Argentum. “That wasssn’t our agreement.”
“The terms changed.” Argentum pulled his other foot out of the water, sending waves crashing against the rocks. “You fulfilled your end of the bargain. Now be gone.”
As Tye disappeared, my powers settled back into place.
Argentum roared. The sound was deafening as it bounced around the cave. I slammed my hands over my ears. Blood dripped from the palm of my hand down the side of my face.
My powers slipped out of reach again. “You are mine!”
Argentum’s lip lifted into a snarl, and flames rolled through his fangs. “No dragon will ever be yours. I will not let another human control us.”
“I don’t want to control another creature.” I scooted away from him, trying to get my feet under me.
Two massive steps shook the earth and he stood over me. “Then why did you say I was yours?” His forked tongue shot out, sliding up my neck and along the side of my face. His hot breath blasted my face.
My stomach heaved, and I turned away in disgust. I willed my pinky to turn invisible and thought I might sob in relief when it worked. “I didn’t claim you.” I wiped my injured palm across the ground, spreading my blood over the rocks, spilling it into the cracks. “I claimed my powers,” I said as I teleported to my room.
Five dragons and three humans stared at me when I arrived.
“What happened?” Malcolm’s voice was barely human.
I walked to the sink and washed my face and neck. I cringed when soap seeped into my cut, but I washed that, too. The dragons were too agitated to deal with my blood. Wrapping a towel around my hand, I turned toward them. “Tye was never under Draconian’s control, and he was working with Argentum.”
“I’m gonna kill him.” Russ’ amber eyes flashed with anger, and low growls filled my room.
Pulling the towel off my hand, I held my palm up. “I fell. Before I left, I wiped it on the cave floor.” I covered the wound back up. “I thought maybe Malcolm could tra
ck my blood.”
“Why can’t you just take them there?” Samantha tilted her head, studying me.
“I don’t know if I should go back.” I chewed on my bottom lip. Nobody in the room was going to take what I had to say very well.
Malcolm strode toward me. “Why?”
I lowered my eyes to the floor. My shoes were filthy, and the smell of Argentum’s lair lingered on me. “Argentum wants to eat me.”
“What?!” White scales covered Arianna’s arms. Her face elongated, and smoke rolled out of her nostrils.
“He believes my power will sustain him forever.” My legs wobbled like a newborn foal’s. I staggered to the couch and sat next to Samantha.
Cody stared at me from Cookie Monster. His unreadable mask was in place. If it wasn’t for the bulging tendons in his neck, I wouldn’t be able to tell how angry he was. “I liked Tye.” His voice was dull.
One side of my mouth pulled up. “So did I. He said he acted like my friend because if he’d acted like Cash I would’ve been leery of him.”
Cash dropped his chin to his chest.
“He said that since he was nice to me, it never occurred to me to read his memories, and Taipan is not his true name.”
Val knelt down in front of me and nuzzled his head against my uninjured hand. “Read my aura, Dacia. Trust me.”
I looked in his azure eyes. Images of Val as a juvenile dragon being beaten by Draconian flashed through my mind. Then I saw him whipped as an adult. I felt his desire to be wanted and loved and his devotion to me. If Draconian would have shown him just one ounce of tenderness, Val would’ve been loyal to him forever. I blinked, and the images of his torture disappeared. “Thank you, Val.”
He petted the back of my hand as he stood up. “Thank you for being kind.”
Swallowing over the lump in my throat, I nodded at him. Arianna looked at the others, then took her place in front of me. “You saved my friends,” I said. “I trusted you before any of the others.”
