He hadn’t known that she’d been sealed to Sid. Maybe she was still in love with him. Ever since Rowan got his mark, he couldn’t even fathom not loving her. And if he had to watch her with another man, forget it. Skye sure seemed supportive of Aspen.
“Aspen told me they were forever.”
Skye took a sip of her Coke. “Only if both people seal. Sid was smart enough to not seal himself to me.”
Rowan had planned to tell her about his own mark, but now he wouldn’t. It would be so embarrassing. She’d probably ask Everett to get rid of it. Or even worse, she’d help him herself. He didn’t want to give his up. He loved her too much. He’d feel empty if he had to give that up.
“You must’ve really loved him.”
Skye looked down into her drink. “I did. But I’m happy for him and Aspen. They are really good together.”
He took a bite of his bacon and contemplated her predicament. “Do you think you’ll fall in love again?”
Her face went hard. “No.”
Rowan’s stomach clenched. He waited for her to elaborate, but she didn’t. That bothered him a bit. She was so nonchalant about the whole thing. She would have such a lonely life. Not to mention that he wanted her to at least consider the idea that she might love him some day.
The waitress brought them their check, and Skye threw a few bills down on the table. Two one hundred dollar bills. She didn’t seem fazed. He shook his head. She had a lot to learn.
“You know, dinner was only twenty bucks.” He pointed to the check.
“So.” She shrugged.
“So, you left way too much.”
“Well, how much should I leave? I was instructed to leave a tip when I ate out.”
Rowan shook his head and picked up one of the hundreds. The waitress would be pleased with the tip, but he didn’t want to explain to Skye about tipping percentages and money in front of her. Though Skye was proving more and more that she needed him.
“I’ll explain later. Let’s get out of here.”
Rowan stood up and froze when he looked up at the television. His face was on it. He grabbed Skye’s arm and pointed to the screen. His face shouldn’t be there.
They both listened, the knot in his stomach growing. This couldn’t be good.
“A massive search has begun of Yellowstone National Park for Rowan Winters. He disappeared in the early hours of the morning, and his car was found on the side of the road. Authorities think he’s another victim of the dragon that has been plaguing these parts, but the Winters family believes he’s alive and lost in the woods.”
Skye tugged at his arm. “We need to get out of here before someone recognizes you.”
“Aspen didn’t get the message.” He stood rooted to the spot. He didn’t know what to think. The news thought he was dead, but his parents thought he was missing. He had to get word to them that he was okay. This was a mess.
Skye pulled him out the door, and he stumbled along. Then she grabbed his hand and sprinted across the street and into a wooded area. The news played over and over in his head. Rowan Winters. Dead.
Skye caught his eye, and he looked at her, still not sure what he was going to do.
“You need to go back so everyone doesn’t worry.”
His stomach plummeted. This was the worst possible solution. He wasn’t going back without her.
“No. I won’t. Not without you.”
She paced in front of him again, like she had in the bedroom. His family was worried about him, but Skye was more important. She was in danger. She needed him. Hell, he needed her.
She stopped her pacing and met his eyes. “Go. I don’t need you.”
Rowan shook his head. “We’ve been over this. We’re in this together. If I go home now, I’ll have to explain where I’ve been and why you’re no longer with me. How’s that going to work?” It was a weak argument; even he knew that. He stared at her, willing her to listen to him.
She stopped pacing again, but she talked as she walked. “You can come up with something. You’re smart. You don’t want your family worrying about you, do you?”
“No. But you need me worse than they do.” It was true, and all he needed to do was convince her.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“How much time are you going to spend as a human? You said no one can see your black scales. That means you’ll be human. How are you going to do that? You didn’t even know what a hotel was or how much money to leave for dinner. Tonight was okay because you overpaid, but what if you’d underpaid? You could get into a lot of trouble. I know how to navigate our world. You don’t.”
“I’ll manage. You need to go home to your family.”
He’d have to try harder. He wondered what she would do if he simply refused to leave her. His family would be fine. They didn’t need him. If he went home, he’d have to dodge a lot of questions and try to explain why he ran away with Skye. That wasn’t appealing in the least.
“Sorry. Not happening. You need me. Admit it. Besides, you can’t make me leave.” He rubbed his hands along his arms, trying to warm them up. This would’ve been easier if it had happened in July instead of the middle of January. He hated being cold. Maybe this Everett guy they were going to see lived in a warmer climate.
She sighed and glared at him. “Fine, but from now on, no showing your face. If this gets any bigger, we’ll have to dye your hair and lose the glasses. Come on, we’ve got a long flight.”
Skye changed into a dragon, and Rowan quickly climbed on her back. Mostly because she was warm and the air outside was freezing. Plus, he didn’t want to give her the chance to leave him behind. She wouldn’t put up with him for long. Perhaps it really was dangerous. Or maybe she just didn’t like him. No, she liked him. But not in the way he liked her. It was possible she knew how he felt about her. He hoped not. That would make this all so much worse. He wanted her to grow to like him, not do it out of pity.
NOW, SKYE not only had to worry about someone seeing her as a dragon, but the humans searching for Rowan. Everything about this was falling apart. It would be easier to go at this alone, but Rowan was right. She did need him. She didn’t want to need him. That made her weak. She had no idea how much of her time she would have to spend as a human, and without someone to help her figure it out, she was lost. Plus, he made everything better. The thought of trying to find answers by herself filled her with fear.
You okay?
Skye dropped a couple of feet, and Rowan gripped her neck harder. She wasn’t used to him talking to her with his mind. His voice sounded different in her head. More confident. If they survived, Aspen was going to kill her for bringing him with. Though she wasn’t sure which was worse—death by murderous dragons or death by Aspen.
I’m fine. Why do you ask? No need to worry him unnecessarily.
He rubbed at the back of her neck. You seem pretty tense.
I’m not trying to ditch you.
She heard him laugh out loud. Then why do you keep telling me you need to go by yourself?
Because it would be safer. Easier really. But I don’t want you to leave. I feel better having you with me. But I like knowing that you’ll live. If you come with me, you might not.
He went quiet for a few minutes. Skye worried about what he was thinking. She listened instead to his feelings, his elevated anxiety was more than normal.
Did I scare you? Skye asked. Maybe he’d leave her anyway. It was unlikely, but she worried still.
What? No. I’m trying to figure out what you mean.
Skye rolled her eyes. Don’t read too much into that. You’re my best friend. You know that.
No, I didn’t. Not until now. I feel the same way about you.
She snorted, and two puffs of black smoke came out, startling her. They used to be blue. You feel a lot of things about me, but I highly doubt best friend is one of them.
You know how I feel about you?
Her stomach knotted, a
nd she knew that had come from him. She sighed. She’d said too much. Now she had to get herself out of this. He had no idea she knew he was in love with her. Both Aspen and Sid warned me not to break your heart. Maybe it’s wrong of me, because I do not like you like that, but I can’t stay away from you. It’s been a long time since I had someone I considered a best friend that I wasn’t romantically involved with, and I can’t ignore that.
He went quiet again. Skye hated it when he did that. He could be thinking a thousand different things, and he wouldn’t say a word to her. She’d rather he come out and tell her exactly what he felt instead of keeping it bottled up. If he talked to her, then it would be easier to manage. But the truth was she didn’t know how he felt. Not really. Did he just find her beautiful or was it deeper than that? She wanted to know what it was he liked about her.
Rowan, I’d feel better if you talked to me.
If I tell you, you’ll leave me.
I told you I wouldn’t. And she meant it. He could tell her he was sealed to her, and she would still keep him around. Though, if he was sealed to her, he’d done a damn good job hiding it. On second thought, if that was the case, she would ditch him. She didn’t need that kind of pressure.
Why would I do that when you made it painfully clear that anything other than friends wasn’t a possibility? I’m sorry. I’m not going to put myself in that position. I can handle being your best friend. I don’t need to tell you anymore.
She wasn’t expecting to make him mad. This was stupid. He had no reason to be angry with her. Before she could retort, he spoke again.
Where are we going?
She let him change the subject, not wanting him to be upset.
To the lake where I first found Everett. I’m hoping he’s there. He told me he spends as much time as he can there because it’s a quiet cabin. No people around to spot you either. She studied the ground, looking for the lake. Everywhere she looked was covered with tall pines and old-growth trees. A river wound through them, and a mountain rose up in front her. No lakes in sight. She found it quite by accident last time.
Everett had been the one who gave her a human form. He said he needed to in order to teach her some of the things he wanted her to learn. He was actually the one to suggest to Pearl that she take care of Obsidian. Maybe he knew more than he let on and had other reasons for her becoming human. Possibly because of the prophecy. Maybe he knew she was going to be a king. Everything about Everett was a mystery, and half of what he did confused her. If he knew she was going to be king, he should’ve told her.
Several hours later, just as the sun was rising, she spotted the deep blue lake. She landed by the edge. The beach was covered in pebbles. Tall pine trees completely surrounded the lake, and unless you flew over it, you would never know it was there.
She turned into a human and trekked up to the cabin through the trees where Everett spent his time when he wasn’t in his cave.
It was Everett’s sanctuary. He told her she was the first dragon who ever stepped foot inside it. It almost made up for the hole he put in her chest. He’d warned her about the hole, of course, but she’d asked for it anyway.
Rowan followed her silently. She suspected he was still angry with her. Part of her wanted to turn around and get to the bottom of his anger, but she was too anxious to get to Everett.
The cabin came into view, and she was disappointed that there was no smoke coming out of the chimney. That meant he probably wasn’t home, and she didn’t know where his cave was. She was looking forward to his quick smile and bushy white beard.
She fished around for the key under a rock and unlocked the door. The room was cold, and it looked like no one had been there in quite some time. Her breath caught when she noticed what was missing. The books were gone. When she’d been here before, it was hard to even find a place to sit because books covered every surface of the house.
It hadn’t been long since she’d been there, only a couple of months. Moving all those books would’ve been dang near impossible. Maybe he was afraid someone would find them that shouldn’t. She shivered. She was the only one who knew the books were there, so who would he hide them from? She stepped in a little farther, and Rowan shut the door behind her. Maybe there would a clue here about where he’d gone.
“Do you know how to start a fire?” she asked Rowan. Even if there were no clues, they’d have to hide out until nightfall.
“My parents are park rangers. I sure hope so.” He gave her a crooked grin.
“Okay, if you start the fire, I’ll turn on the electricity and see if there is any food.”
She left Rowan in the living room and found the fuse box. Her fingers shook as she flipped on the main breaker and the kitchen lit up. It was so cold.
Again, the kitchen was missing all the familiar books. She looked at the table and wished that Everett sat in the rickety chair at the head surrounded by a million books. Instead, there was a thick layer of dust on the table and an envelope.
She approached it carefully, unsure of what she would find. On the front of the envelope was her name. He’d been waiting for her. Her hands trembled as she reached for it. It felt heavy.
“What’s that?” Rowan asked. She squeaked and dropped the envelope.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that.” She was being snotty, but she didn’t care. She picked it up again.
He plopped himself down in a chair, unperturbed. “Sorry. Fire’s going. It’s warmer in the living room. Did you find food?”
She wouldn’t look at him. This letter could hold all her answers. Everett always seemed to know exactly what was going on.
Rowan rummaged around the cupboards behind her.
“There’s SpaghettiOs. It’s not much, but it’s food.” The stove clicked, and she turned and saw him putting a pot on, a flame already going.
“Thanks for taking care of dinner. I’m going to read this.” Under normal circumstances she’d be fighting him for the stove, but this was more important.
“What is that anyway?”
“A letter from Everett, I think. I’d like to read it alone first, and then I’ll share it with you.”
He nodded and waved a wooden spoon toward the stove. “This won’t take long to cook.”
She left the kitchen and sank down on the couch and tried to slide her finger along the seal of the envelope to open it, but she couldn’t get her finger inside. Then she tried to tear the corner, but it wouldn’t rip. She tried the other side, but it was like plastic. She huffed and went into the kitchen. Rowan was pulling out two bowls. She peered into the pan.
“Are you sure that’s edible? It doesn’t smell very good.”
He pointed the spoon at her. “I ate plenty of your meals that didn’t smell very good, so you can eat spaghetti out of a can.”
She blushed. Cooking was one of her favorite things to do. But it had taken her a few weeks to become decent at it. Rowan ate everything she’d made without question. Her heart warmed. She felt so much affection for this boy. She wished she could take back what Everett did to her. Then she could love Rowan.
She was glad he couldn’t read her thoughts. He’d take them to mean more than she wanted him to.
“True. Hey did you see a knife when you were rummaging around in the drawers.”
He backed up a few steps. “Why? What’d I do?”
She sighed and held up the letter. “Not for you. For the envelope.”
He gave her a grin. She was surprised to see him in a good mood given the circumstances.
“Okay, then sure. Here.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a small knife.
She tried to stick it into the corner, but it wouldn’t go in. She set the envelope down on the table and reached back and stabbed at it in frustration, but the knife bounced off.
Rowan pried the knife out of her fingers. “You okay?”
“No. It won’t open.” She made a grab for the knife, but he dodged her.
“May I?” he asked, gently picking th
e letter up off the table. For the first time since she’d known him, he felt calmer than she did. She kind of hated him for it because she wanted him to be angry too.
“Be my guest. It won’t open.” She crossed her arms and glared at the envelope. She was scared of what it contained, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to read it. Everett was an asshole.
Rowan tried all the same things but had no luck. He didn’t get angry with the letter though and didn’t resort to stabbing it. “I don’t know what to tell you. We could try to burn it.”
“No way.” She snatched it from him. “Why won’t it open?”
He shrugged and pointed to the food. “We should eat before this gets cold.”
She flipped the envelope over and stared at it.
Rowan looked over her shoulder. “Hey, that’s my name. When did that happen?”
“I don’t know.” The letter now had both their names.
“Maybe it’s magical, and whoever touches it, their name will appear.”
“My name was on it before I touched it.” This felt ominous. Like maybe Rowan wasn’t supposed to be a part of what was going on, but now that he was here, he had no choice but to continue. Or maybe she was just telling herself that because she wanted him to stay.
“Didn’t you say Everett has magic? Maybe he left it for you.”
Skye pushed the letter away. Everett always left puzzles like this for her. She took a bite of the canned spaghetti. The noodles were chewy and tasted vaguely of tomatoes. Edible, but not great. She’d have to see what else she could find to make after getting some sleep. She had no plan, no way to find Everett, and her only clue was a sealed envelope that couldn’t be opened.
“So what’s next?” Rowan asked.
“No idea. I was hoping he’d be here. We’ll have to do some snooping to see if we can find any information on where he might be.”
“If that letter is any indication of what he’s capable of, then he didn’t leave any clues.”
Skye tapped her chin and thought. Rowan sat there staring at his food. His hair fell into his eyes. She wished he’d brush it out so she could see them.
Skye: The Dragon Kings Book 4 Page 4
