So long as I didn't open my eyes, I was fine.
When I first laid eyes on Ashur, I never would have thought I'd be riding him naked.
Well.
Not like this anyway.
Chapter Sixteen
When we got back to Ashur's building, Enzi was waiting on the roof. His face was slack with shock as he watched us land. Guess he didn't see a naked woman riding the Dragon Lord every day. My mind immediately went to the gutter again. Was there no way to describe this without it sounding dirty?
And how was I supposed to get off Ashur while I was in my birthday suit and Enzi was staring? When I didn't slide off Ashur's back, he turned his head to look at me questioningly.
"Uh. Can I get something to wear?"
Ashur looked over at Enzi.
"Oh. Oh, yes!" he stammered, turning away and hurrying over to a small chest near the door. He opened it up and came back with a t-shirt and some sweatpants. I caught them when he threw them at me. He politely turned around before I could ask. Scooting off Ashur, I dressed quickly. Ashur changed back to his human form, completely at ease with his nudity. I wondered if I'd ever get to that point.
"You can turn around," Ashur called out after I was dressed.
Enzi turned, his cheeks a little pink tinged. He probably had exactly the right idea about what had been going on between Ashur and me. My cheeks were just as pink.
"The security team wanted to go over possible changes with you," he explained, very pointedly not looking at me. "When I couldn't find you, I was informed you'd flown away with an unknown dragon who'd adorned herself with feathers. Since you didn't alert anyone, I put two and two together and came up here to wait for you." He paused. "I didn't realize you'd be gone so long."
Adorned? "I didn't have a hot glue gun and feathers at the ready to 'adorn' myself."
Enzi smirked at that. "That was just what I heard."
Ashur nodded. "Thank you, Enzi. Tell them I'll be right there."
Enzi took his cue to leave.
An expectant silence descended. Oh boy. Did we have to have a talk now? I really hated talks. Talking about emotions might have been above heights on my list of things I didn't like.
"You better go take care of that," I said lamely, hoping to avoid the talk.
Ashur chuckled, walking closer and wrapping an arm around my waist. "You can't just ignore what happened between us."
The fact that he was still naked was really distracting. "Probably you should put some clothes on."
He flashed me a grin. And then gave me a hard kiss that left me dazed, leaning me back and pressing his thick thigh between my legs. He knew exactly what he was doing. Sneaky bastard. Stepping back after my heart rate was up, he gave me a sloppy salute.
"Something to think about. I'll talk to you later, Mia Hill."
And then he was gone. Kind of like Batman from those really old movies. I wondered if he'd show up if I shone a dragon spotlight in the sky. And, yes, I was definitely avoiding the issue.
Shaking my head at myself, I went inside and down to my room to shower and change. I needed to find Omari. Fully dressed and feeling more myself, I left the room.
It was a little odd not to have either Hathai or Enzi with me, watching my every move. And, for once, I wanted someone to point me in the right direction. Figured. I decided that going down to the lobby would at least ensure I could ask about Omari's whereabouts, so jogged over to the elevator.
When I stepped inside and the doors closed, I got a good look at myself. Wow. I drew closer to the shiny doors. I looked . . . really good. Like I'd had the world's best night's sleep or indulged in a week's worth of spa treatments or something. Huh. It must have been related to the change.
I was still puzzling over that when the doors opened to reveal the lobby. Wait. Was that food? I immediately turned towards the smell, my feet carrying me that way on autopilot. Only then did I realize exactly how hungry I was.
I followed the sounds of glassware and cutlery down a hall to the side. A pair of double doors were wide open at the end. As I got closer, I realized the doors led to what amounted to a mess hall. Dozens of people were sitting at the family-style tables, food laid out in the center of each.
As I walked in, a slight hush fell over the room as people turned to stare.
Okaaay.
Did I have something on my face? Or could they tell what I'd been up to? That would be really embarrassing.
"Mia!"
I turned at the familiar voice, smiling as Omari ran over to me, a giant smile on his face. I crouched down to catch him in a hug, something in me finally relaxing at finding out he was all right. He pulled back after a moment, his face indignant.
"They wouldn't let me see you! They said you were sick and couldn't see anyone!" He paused for a breath and stared at me. "You don't look like you're sick," he accused.
I laughed. He was right.
"I was sick," I said, holding his hands. "But I'm much better now. Have you been doing okay without me? Playing with your friends?"
His face lit up at mention of his friends. "Yes! Cara and I went outside with Hathai and we helped pick up some of the rocks from the fight!"
It took me a second to figure out that he probably meant the rubble from the buildings.
"Ah. It was nice of you to help. What else did you do?"
"Oh, we went on the swings and..."
I let his happy chatter fill me as I stood up. I looked around, meeting eyes as people stared. I wasn't really one to let that kind of thing go. If they had something to say, they could come out and say it. But they didn't. Everyone slowly went back to their conversations. I'd have to figure out what that was about later.
Omari led me over to where he'd been eating with the other kids, and I sat down next to him, answering when he had a question, but otherwise just listening. I took an empty plate and filled it up, digging in as I kept up my side of the conversation. He finally got everything he wanted to say out and sat there. Seeing an opening, I pointed at his plate.
"Eat."
I didn't have to tell him twice. He loved to eat. Kid after my own heart. As I stuffed myself, my thoughts went back to why I was here in the first place. To take Omari to his family in the phoenix territory.
At least, I was assuming it was his family who'd hired me.
But now, with everything that happened... I didn't know if that was the best course of action anymore. There was a lot to consider. As I sat next to Omari while he happily chatted about his new friends, I thought about what would have happened had I died. Or even not recovered from those severe burns.
Yes, Ashur kept telling me taking Omari to the phoenix territory wasn't a good idea. But would Omari have had a place here? As welcoming as everyone was being right now, what would happen when he got older? If he was able to change into a phoenix?
Prejudice didn't just go away. Especially not the kind steeped in history and deliberately stoked throughout the years.
If he didn't have a place here or in the human city domes, where would he have gone? Who would have taken him in and cared for him? If he had family who cared enough about him to hire me to bring him to them, I needed to follow through for Omari's sake.
The idea of not always having the chatterbox next to me sent a pang through my heart. I needed to remember he wasn't mine to keep.
By the time we finished the meal, it was time to head up for bed. Ashur and I had spent the whole day away and I couldn't regret it. Even if it stirred up emotions that weren't helpful at all. The Dragon Lord wasn't mine to keep either.
Shaking my head at myself, I tuned back in to the present.
"Come on, Omari," I said, standing up from the table. "Time for bed."
He didn't argue with me, waving goodbye to some people and sliding his hand into mine. We got on the elevator alone. Now was as good a time to tell him as any. We'd been here too long at this point anyway.
"We're leaving to go to the phoenix territory tomorrow morning
," I told Omari, glancing down at him.
"Tomorrow?" he asked, biting his lip. "Can't we stay a little longer?"
This was what I was afraid of. I shook my head, crouching down so I could look him in the eye.
"I'm sure you'll make new friends," I reassured him, smiling. "And there will be people there who care about you."
He shook his head and stepped close to wrap his arms around my neck.
"I want to stay with you," he whispered. "Can I?"
My heart almost broke as I wrapped my arms around him, closing my eyes. I swallowed past the knot in my throat. I really wanted to say yes but that wasn't the responsible thing to do. And I owed it to Omari to be responsible.
"How about this," I offered. "We go. I wait, to make sure you feel comfortable there. And if you don't, I take you back with me. How does that sound?"
"You won't leave me if I want to stay with you instead?" he asked hopefully, pulling back so he could see my face. "You promise?"
"I promise," I said solemnly. And really hoped I could keep it.
"Okay."
He still didn't sound happy about it, but I'd take the acceptance. When the elevator doors opened again, we were both quiet as we walked down the hall to our room. Neither of us were thrilled with this decision, but I had to be strong. It was the right thing to do.
When we turned the corner, I was distracted from my musings. Someone was waiting for us.
Ashur straightened from where he'd been leaning against the wall in front of our door.
"Hi Ashur!" Omari chirped, happy to see him. "Mia says it's time for bed."
Ashur smiled. "Looks like it is," he said, squeezing Omari's shoulder.
"Omari, why don't you go in and brush your teeth?" I said, opening the door to the room. "I'll be right there."
He looked between me and Ashur. "Okay," he said, walking inside without argument.
Sometimes I got the disconcerting impression Omari understood more than I thought another child would. I closed the door most of the way and turned to Ashur.
I needed to tell him too. Needed to know if he was still keeping us prisoner.
"We're leaving for the phoenix territory in the morning," I said, meeting his eyes. "Omari might have people there who care about him. I can't justify not following through and finding out if that's the case."
Ashur's jaw clenched and he looked away. He took a moment to speak. "You shouldn’t go," he said in a quiet voice. "It isn't safe." He turned back to me, his expression imploring. "I don't trust whoever hired you."
Well, him and me both.
"I have to go see," I said just as quietly, not wanting Omari to overhear. "Be sure I'm making the best decision for Omari."
He sighed, shaking his head. "You're making a mistake. And not a small one."
"It's mine to make."
He nodded, taking a step closer. I tilted my head back to keep the eye contact as his hand came up to cup the side of my face.
"That it is," he said, his eyes dropping to my lips. "But I'm not done with you, Mia."
Before I could respond, his mouth came down on mine in a soft, gentle, lingering kiss. My eyes were half closed by the time he pulled back. He walked away. I touched my lips as he disappeared down the hall. They tingled from that light touch.
The Dragon Lord packed a punch.
But it didn't change my decision to leave. It couldn't. Sighing, I went into our room and closed the door.
Couldn't anything be simple?
Chapter Seventeen
As I got ready the next morning, I tried to shake off the glum mood that wanted to take hold of me. We needed to leave. Omari needed to be taken to his people.
I knew that.
My life was even more messed up than it had been just a week ago. No matter what Omari wanted or how much I cared about him, going to the phoenix territory was the right thing to do.
It didn't help that when I wasn't worrying about Omari, I was thinking about Ashur. Which was just as futile, really. I couldn't stay here either. My life was back in the city dome. And it wasn't as if we had any kind of commitment to each other. We'd fooled around once. That did not a relationship make. And Ashur might want me now, but I couldn't stay on the off chance it might become something more.
"Ready?" I asked Omari as I stood up with my bag.
The bow I'd used during the attack was beyond repair from the blast of fire I'd taken, so I'd had to throw it away. Luckily I had the backup in the car.
"Yes," Omari said, still a little glum.
"Come on," I said, smiling as I took his hand. "It'll be fine. Everybody loves you here—I'm sure everyone will love you there too."
He nodded. But he didn't look any more convinced than I was. Still, we both wore our brave faces. When we walked out into the hall, there still wasn't a guard there. I guess they'd given up on watching us.
We walked down the hall and to the elevator. This was the last time I'd do that. It made me sad, though I wasn't usually so sentimental. I needed to focus. This wasn't a vacation. I was on a job. It would be best if I kept that in mind.
I wasn't some naive schoolgirl with stars in my eyes either.
We made it down to the first floor, and Omari immediately spotted his group of tiny friends.
"Can I go say bye?" he asked wistfully, his eyes on the group.
How I could I say no to that? He was running over before the “yes” had completely left my mouth.
"They're going to miss him too." I looked up to see Enzi and Hathai walking up to me.
Hathai nodded in greeting. "All the kids love Omari," she confirmed, her face more impassive than Enzi's. She took in the bag slung over my shoulder and my holstered weapons. "Leaving?"
I nodded.
"I need to get Omari back to his people. Are you here to stop me?" I'd have to come up with a different way out if they were. But both of them shook their heads, a strange smile on Enzi's face. "No. Just wanted to wish you luck on your journey." Hmm. I narrowed my eyes at him. Something was off.
"Thanks," I said cautiously.
Omari ran back to me. "Bye Hathai! Bye Enzi!"
Both of their faces softened and they returned his enthusiastic hugs.
"Come on, Omari," I called, walking towards the open doors. "Time to hit the road."
Nobody else stopped us as we walked out onto the street and turned towards the parking garage. I firmly squashed my disappointment that Ashur hadn't at least come to say goodbye. It was for the best. I might have made a fool of myself if he had.
"How long will it take to get there?" Omari asked as we entered the dimmer garage area.
"Well..."
I trailed off and came to a stop as I discovered what was waiting for us by the car. Or, rather, who was waiting.
"Ashur!" Omari exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement. "Are you coming with us?"
Ashur smiled, straightening from where he'd been leaning on the car. "Yes." He looked at me. "Someone has to watch out for you guys out there."
I stared at him.
"Omari, get in the car," I ordered, unlocking the door.
"But—"
"Now."
"Okay," he said, letting out a put upon sigh as he climbed in. "I never get to hear anything good." He closed the door with a little more force than necessary.
As soon as he was safely out of earshot, I turned to Ashur again. "What are you doing?" I hissed, trying to keep my voice down. "You can't come with us!"
"Sure I can," he said in an infuriatingly calm voice. "I can't let you two go out there alone—who knows what you could run into? Look at what happened when you ventured out here—we caught you immediately."
True. But it still burned, damn it.
"You'll just make it harder for us," I tried. "The phoenixes won't be happy to see me bringing a dragon with me. Especially a Dragon Lord!"
"I won't cross over the boundary," he reasoned. "No reason for them to be angry if I don't trespass."
"What about y
our people? Don't you need to be here to run things?"
"I have a close-knit group of trusted people who can handle anything that could happen while I'm gone." He took a step closer, his eyes scanning my face. "You don't have to like it or even agree," he murmured. "Hell, you can even pretend I'm not there at all since I'm planning on flying above you so I can keep watch."
I was at a loss. I didn't know what to say. This was more than I expected. More than I wanted to expect. I didn't want to start depending on him. That was the road to disappointment. And I already had enough of that in my life.
"Ashur-- " I started.
"I'm not letting you go alone," he said firmly, his eyes flinty now. "Deal with it."
With one last look at me, he turned and strode out of the garage. Probably to climb onto a roof and change.
I stood, watching him leave. He was always walking away from me. What did this mean? Did he feel obligated? Did he feel like we were now his responsibility? Or was there more to it? Did he actually care?
"Mia?"
I turned to see Omari sticking his head out the open door.
"Are we leaving?"
I sighed. It didn't matter why. I couldn't control Ashur. Whether he came or didn't, we needed to leave.
"Yes. We're leaving."
I got into the car. It was odd, like I hadn't driven it in months though it had only been days. So much had happened since we first sat inside. Shaking off the disconcerting feeling, I maneuvered the car out of the garage. I'd taken a look at the map this morning, so I already knew where I needed to go.
As we drove out onto the street, the people drifted to the sides to let us through, watching our progress. The farther we drove from the center of the bustling city, the fewer people we came across. Then the buildings abruptly turned from beautiful and glimmering to old and dilapidated. Shells of old cars lined the sides of the streets, stacked on top of sidewalks like the dragons had come through and picked them up from the middle to make the road usable. Broken windows peered out at us, the rooms inside dark even during the daytime.
And it was quiet. Eerily so.
Dragon Lord (Dragons & Phoenixes Book 1) Page 12
