by G. Bailey
“Soon,” I reply and stand up, freezing when I hear a branch snap somewhere near me. I don’t move, looking around as I open my senses. I jump to my right when a shadow of a man steps out from behind the trees, where my clothes are hidden. He walks into the clearing, pausing as he holds my clothes in his arms. His eyes widen, and quickly looking away. Shit, I’m naked and not the kinda naked I’d like to be with Dagan.
“Dagan,” I say his name carefully, very aware it’s unlikely he didn’t just see me shift into a dragon. He watches me, his black hair dripping rain water down his face, his blue eyes almost glowing in the darkness. His white shirt is wet, his jeans too and they stick to his impressive body, as he breathes deeply. It’s the only sign he is even alive, the movement of his chest. I hope he didn’t see me shift, but when he meets my eyes, the fear is too hard to just avoid. He knows, and how the hell do I explain that?
“What… the… hell?” he asks slowly, his usual calm voice is replaced with a nervous, gruff one. He keeps his eyes locked on my face, and not looking anywhere else. He doesn’t look scared, or even that shocked…but fearful. Which is understandable, I mean most people would just go running in the other direction, screaming.
“Can I have my clothes, and then explain?” I ask, and he nods, walking closer and handing me my clothes slowly before stepping away again. Its awkward as I quickly get dressed, sliding my boots, and coat on over my pyjamas. I squeeze my wet hair, the rain dripping on the floor before shaking it and pushing it out my face. He just wants the whole time, silent, unnerving to me.
“You’re a dragon?” he asks finally.
“Yes…” I say and he steps back, shaking his head.
“A…dragon…dragon,” he mutters, rubbing his lip ring between his lips and not really making much sense, “dragons aren’t real. Just damn fairy tales but that doesn’t explain what I just saw.”
“Do you want to sit down or something?” I ask, making him laugh. A sarcastic and mean laugh as he glares at me.
“No, I don’t want to sit down Isola! I want you to explain what you are! How dragons even exist?” he says, frustrated. “How one minutes this huge dragon flies out the sky, and the next white shit appears and you are there. Naked.”
“Technically, what we are,” I say, just needing to point that out, but regret it when his eyes widen in shock. I try to think back to the paranormal books where the main guy usually has to explain to the female main character how she is one of them. How did they do it?
“I’m not a dragon, I would have noticed that,” he huffs, waving a hand at his body.
“Erm, well you are, but a seer has blocked your dragon away in your mind. Made you forget who you are, and your past,” I say, and for a second I think he might believe me but then he steps back.
“You’re crazy,” he tries to walk away and I hold my hand out, making a wall of ice appear in front of him, and he stops walking just before he would have hit it. He turns, looking at my hand and back at the wall of ice.
“What the fuck?” he exclaims, stepping away from it, shaking his head.
“You need to believe me, I’m tired of trying to do things to make you remember who you are Dagan,” I say.
“Like what?”
“When I asked you about your parents? Your childhood, it was like a robot repeating a story with no details,” I say and he shakes his head.
“You’re mad,” he says.
“Nope, I’m not. So, Dagan, what was your favourite ice cream as a child? Where did you hide when you played hide and seek? Where did your parents take you when you did something good in school?” I ask, and he gives me a confused look.
“I…I,”
“You don’t know, because it’s not real. The real Dagan was brought up in a whore house, the bastard child of a fire guard and his mother was killed. I know this because your brother told me, because I met you as a child,” I say, and he glares, a glare that almost makes me want to run away from him. But I don’t, I hold my ground. I need him to see I’m telling him the truth. I need him to remember.
“I need to tell Elias and Korbin about this, about you,” he says and starts pacing. I stay silent for a while, letting him pace as my wall of ice melts slowly and the moon starts to come out. It’s getting dark quick, and we should get back home but Dagan is still pacing.
“They won’t believe it, and they are dragons too. Can you stop pacing and freaking out for a second?” I ask, placing my hands on my hips.
“What do you suggest I do? Just act like you don’t turn into a massive blue ice dragon, and you’re not telling me I’m one?” he asks me sarcastically.
“That would be great, yes,” I say, nodding and he gives me a nasty look.
“Look it’s getting dark, and I’m worn out from flying all day. Let’s go back home, and you can freak all you want there. Go ahead, and tell anyone you want, no one will believe you,” I say walking past him, and pausing before I get to the trees.
“When you want the real truth of who you are, you know where I am,” I tell him, thinking I’ve heard that in a book somewhere and it’s good advice. I walk off into the woods after one more look, seeing the angry look crossing over his face as he stares. After walking for a while, trying to avoid logs and rocks, I hear Dagan stalking behind me. I turn to see him looking at the floor, clearly, he is thinking but likely doesn’t want to talk to me yet. I guess it’s a big shock. I turn back, walking to the light from the house in the distance and when we get there, Dagan walks past me through the front door and straight up the stairs. I shut the door, sighing against it for a moment until Korbin walks out the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn.
“Long day?” he asks, eyeing my dirt covered clothes and messy hair, and then to Dagan walking up the stairs.
“I went for a hike, Dagan came too,” I explain and his eyes narrow.
“Right, I see how it is,” he says, accusing me of something I haven’t even done.
“Kor-” I get out but he cuts me off, pissing me off.
“Don’t,” he says, walking up the stairs and I just close my eyes, wondering if this day could get any worse. The house phone starts ringing, and I run over, picking it up.
“Hello?” I ask in a tired voice, I just want to go to sleep and pray this day couldn’t get worse.
“Hello, is this the home of Jules Donald?” a man asks, the sound of beeping and people talking filling the background.
“Yes, I don’t know if she is in as I’ve just got home, but I can take a message,” I say, picking the pen up off the side and going to grab the paper when the man speaks.
“Madam, Miss Donald is in hospital and I would like you, or her next of kin, to come in. She asked for an Isola Dragice,” he says, making my heart pound against my chest. This can’t be happening, not Jules.
“That’s me, I'll be right there, is she okay?” I ask.
“I can’t tell you anymore on the phone. Please don’t worry and come in,” he says and I say goodbye before putting the phone down. I run up the stairs, knocking on Elias door and waiting. He opens it up a few moments later, looking like I just woke him up, with his messy hair, and just his pyjama shorts on.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“Jules is in hospital, and I need a ride there. Dagan and Korbin aren’t talking to me, so could you please take me?” I ask and he nods, reaching for a hoodie off the back of the door and pulling it over his head, hiding the body I can’t even focus on because I’m so worried about Jules.
“Yeah, anything you for you, princess. Is she okay? What happened?” he asks, and walks past me out the door.
“I don’t know,” I admit, and he slides his hand into mine, squeezing once before letting go. I wait for him to get his coat, and some keys off the side.
“I’m sure Korbin won’t mind us borrowing his car,” Elias smirks, holding the keys up in the air.
“I’m pretty sure he will,” I say, remembering how angry he looked, how he judged the situation wrong, and walked aw
ay. I walk up to the car, waiting for Elias to unlock it and then getting in. Elias gets in, doing his seatbelt at the same time as me before starting the car.
“So, what happened to Jules to get her in the hospital?” he asks.
“I don’t know, they didn’t tell me much, just that she asked for me. I’m all they had to call. She basically brought me up, so she is all family I have in a way,” I explain and he nods, not taking his eyes off the road. Thankfully it’s only twenty minutes’ drive to the hospital, and there’s no traffic around.
“Okay, another question. What happened with Korbin and Dagan?” Elias asks, and I look out the window.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I mutter.
“Come on princess, you can trust me,” he says cheekily, and I shake my head, hating how he can make me smile.
“Fine. Korbin thinks something happened between me and Dagan today, when it didn’t,” I say, still cross about how angry he got without talking to me. I hate being judged for something I hadn’t done. I can’t say I hadn’t thought about doing it, but yeah… I hadn’t.
“Okay, have you ever heard the term reverse harem?” he asks me, surprising me a little.
“I read a lot, and my favourite is a series about demons,” I say, “but you can’t be suggesting? And how do you even know about reverse harems?” I blurt out, feeling my cheeks getting red.
“I read, and it’s something I’m interested in, with the right people,” he says, shocking me silent.
“It wouldn’t work, you guys are all too possessive,” I say, knowing dragons are naturally possessive about those they consider theirs. They see their mates like treasures, and they don’t like to share those. Like my dragon seems to think they are all hers, and I know she would lose her shit on me if I tried to date anyone else. I never got why she put a claim to them in the first place, why she calls them mine. I want to ask her, but I can’t with Elias watching me so closely.
“Yeah, I am. I don’t know why, but the idea of anyone touching you…It’s not good, princess,” he admits, tightening his hands on the steering wheel. “Then I think about you and Korbin, and Dagan...I wouldn't hurt them for loving you.”
“You wouldn’t?” I ask, curious.
“No. But I know you’re not ready to be with us all, and to be honest, none of us are even close to figuring out what is between us,” he tells me, and honestly, as I meet his blue eyes, I know he is right.
Chapter 17
Isola
What did the doctor say?” Elias says, using his shoulder to open the door as he carries two hot teas in his hands. The door shuts behind him as I look at Jules on the bed, plugged into dozens of wires, and looking as pale as the bedsheets. I wipe a tear away, numbly repeating what the human doctor told me.
“Jules had a heart attack and fell over, banging her head. They said they have her in a medically induced coma to stop the swelling on her brain before waking her up,” I say, struggling with the worry I feel for Jules.
“Here, a cup of tea always helps everything. Or that’s what Jules told me two days ago,” he says, making me chuckle.
“Yeah, she is British through and through, thinking a cup of tea fixes everything,” I mutter, but he hears me.
“I never really liked it,” he says, slipping his drink and pulling a face.
“Shhh, don’t let her hear you say that,” I say, smiling. Elias always knows how to make me smile somehow. I drink my tea, still holding onto her hand with mine. I knew I’d see her die one day, as a human her lifespan is so much shorter than mine. It still hurts, it still crushes me to know she will be gone, and every connection to a massive part of my life is just gone with her. I stand up, putting the cup down, and walking out the room, not really thinking or looking where I’m going.
“Isola, wait!” I hear Elias shout, but I can’t listen as I start running and going down corridor, after corridor until I find some stairs. I open the door, running up the stairs and getting to the very top, and to the emergency only door. I pull it open, running out onto the roof and just stopping. The view is amazing up here, hills, trees and lit up houses for miles to see. The stars above making a beautiful backdrop but all I can think about is how much pain happened in this world because I don’t belong here. I can feel it, I always felt it. This isn’t my world and I feel trapped here. Haunted by ghosts.
“Isola…” I hear Elias say behind me, the sound of the door shutting behind me makes me jump. I turn, seeing him standing a few steps away from me. There’s such tension between us, so many unanswered questions running across his eyes, such passion. I want to run to him, let him hold me like I know he would. But I don’t, instead I take a step back, protecting myself from doing anything I know I might regret. Not that I would regret being in his arms, but I would regret the curse taking any price for any of my actions. I have already risked Korbin, and I know him hating me now is only a slight fraction of what he will feel when he remembers.
“Tell me, what is it you’re hiding? What are you running from?” he asks me, his deep and seductive voice making me close my eyes.
“You will be the one running if I tell you what I am,” I say, meaning every word.
“I don’t run, I will never run from you,” he says, a promise laced into his words. I pull my coat off, chuckling it on the floor and kicking my boots off as he gives me a confused look. I laugh, a long laugh as I call my dragon, and shift. He stumbles back when I land on the roof as my dragon stretches out her wings. She turns her head to the side, seeing the ice dripping off each little spike on her wings, before turning back to Elias. I watch him, fully expecting him to run from me, but he doesn’t. He stands up, and walks slowly to my dragon, each step full of a confidence I would expect the old Elias to have. When he gets closer, he holds a hand out and my dragon pushes her nose into his hand, a purr vibrating through her.
“Mine,” she whispers and I don’t disagree with her, because it feels wrong to say she isn’t right. My dragon steps back, feeling my need to shift and I close my eyes, pulling my human form back. I look up, my long hair falling around me as Elias stands utterly still. I pick my coat up, seeing my torn clothes on the floor but once my coat is done up, it’s good enough. Only a little bit cold.
“You’re a dragon? A shifter, or whatever you call yourself?” he asks and I nod, not wanting to tell him he is one too as that didn’t work so well with Dagan.
“What else can you do?” he asks, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cigarettes. He puts one in his mouth, lighting it with a lighter, and then resting against the door.
“Ice and snow,” I say, holding my hands into the air and closing my eyes. I focus on the clouds above, freezing them slowly and then open my eyes.
“I don’t see anything…” he drawls.
“Just wait,” I chuckle, just as it starts to snow. Slow at first, and the wind starts blowing it around us.
“Amazing,” he says, his voice full of wonder and he keeps smoking. We are both silent, both us getting to freeze until he finishes his cigarette and puts it out under his boot. He walks over, stopping right in front of me.
“Any more secrets you want to tell me?” he asks, and he watches me so closely for my reaction that it hurts when the lie slips from my mouth.
“Maybe, but not yet,” I answer, and he nods.
“You don’t trust me,” he says, and for the first time, hurt appears in his eyes. I can see it and he steps back, walking to the door.
“Eli, it’s–”
“You don’t trust me, and I’m not going to make you, princess,” he says and opens the door, slamming it closed behind him. I look up at the star filled skies, the dark clouds and the snow falling slowly. I mess everything up, and I don’t know how to stop doing it.
Chapter 18
Isola
So why are the sexy guys annoyed with you?” Hallie asks me as I open my packet of crisps and lean back in my seat, following her gaze to Dagan, Korbin and Elias who are sat on anot
her table. Each one of them have ignored me since the weekend, but all for different reasons. Korbin thinks I’m sleeping with Dagan, and clearly can’t deal with me. Dagan knows I’m a dragon and overall looks freaked out by me. And Elias…well I think is just working out what I’m still hiding from him, but at least he isn’t freaked out like Dagan is. I’m actually not sure about Elias at the moment, what he is thinking anyway, but I don’t tell Hallie any of this.
“I don’t know, they are just moody,” I say, and then stuff my face with food, and hope it makes me feel better. It doesn’t, but hey, the chocolate buttons are just amazing.
“How is Jules?” Hallie asks.
“She woke up two days ago and is a little groggy, she will need a lot of medical care, but they think she will make a full recovery,” I tell her.
“I’m glad, I know how much you care for her,” she tells me and I nod, not really wanting to speak about Jules. I know I have to return to Dragca, so I can’t look after her long term like I wish I could. Like she deserves. Instead, I had to use the stupid amount of human money in my account to buy her a place in a nursing home for when she gets out of hospital. I hate that it’s all I can do.
“Hey sexy Issy,” Michael says, sliding into the seat next to me, and in some ways, I’m thankful for the distraction from my own thoughts and stuff I can’t change. Hallie just rolls her eyes, stabbing her fork into her pie. I mentally groan as I turn to face him. He slides his giant arm around my shoulder, pulling me into a side hug. I try to pull away, but he doesn’t let for me for a while, making me super uncomfortable.
“Michael, you’re hurting me,” I say, when he doesn’t let go, squeezing me too tight and he does straight away, grinning as he pushes his blonde hair out the way of his eyes.