“No way!” I blurted, not wanting it to be true. I should have known. It was sort of staring me in the face with Kory showing up at Mack’s to warn Blake about the bug, and Mack and Blake’s friendship that seemed to come out of nowhere. It all made sense and yet, shock still left me speechless. Why didn’t Mack say something to me either? He saw me at the dance with my wings.
Blake nodded. “Mack and I go way back. I met him not long after I’d saved you.”
I held my hand up. “Wait, wait… I can’t… I need… give me a second.” I knew I was stuttering, but my brain felt overloaded. This was just too much information at once for me to process.
Blake cocked his head to the side and then pulled out his cell phone. He didn’t say anything as he sent off a text. When he’d finished, he turned to face me.
“Want me to take you home?” he asked.
“What? No… I just can’t believe all this, that’s all. You just told me one of my best friends is like us. When did that happen? And I don’t understand why he didn’t say anything to me. He could have told me too, you know.”
“Yeah, well, he wanted to. But we both agreed we would wait—”
“Wait?” I interrupted, “Wait for what? For me to get killed? To fly around like an idiot, not knowing how to do the camo even? What the heck, Blake!” It infuriated me that the two boys I trusted most in my life had both lied to me. My hands curled into balls, the sting from my nails piercing my palms empowering. I’d felt this feeling before, when my mom had been upset with me for keeping information from her. It felt like something had taken over. Is it the damsel in me? At the moment, I didn’t care either way. I wanted to revel in the fury. I wanted to hurl myself against the boy who sat next to me. So calm. So sure of himself. Lying to me. Keeping things from me. Saying it was for my own good. Like I needed to be handled with kid gloves.
I glared at Blake, his eyes searching mine.
“Sammy?” he said slowly, it coming out like a question.
My rage was momentarily derailed by him not calling me Sam. Not that any of that mattered right now. Still, it was enough for me to take a deep breath.
“I’m just frustrated right now. I don’t understand why you and Mack waited,” I grumbled.
Blake reached over and gingerly touched my hand. When I didn’t resist or move away, he took my hand in his, his warm fingers sending a shock through me, like an electric jolt. My breathing became deeper, faster, and my heart began throbbing. It was like the tide had come in and sucked my anger away from me, leaving me exposed, like a naked crab clawing at the wet sand for comfort and safety. Now the only thing swimming were my eyes.
Great. Guess having damsel-amped hormones means I’m going to feel like I have PMS for the rest of my life. Ugh.
“Sam, I can’t tell you how sorry I am. Mack was nervous on how you’d handle knowing about us. We both were. It killed me, watching you fumble through it all. But we never left you unprotected. If I wasn’t there watching you, then Mack was, like when I went to California. That night Kory came was one of the few times you were alone. And, just my luck, he used the opportunity to turn you against me. I guess I still can’t trust him.” Blake muttered the last words.
I glanced down at his hand holding mine. Our fingers were blurry through the unshed tears. I sniffed and blinked hard, letting them spill down my cheeks. I needed them gone.
“I’m fine. Or will be. I’m stronger than you give me credit for.” I hoped I sounded a lot more confident than I felt.
He looked me over and then gave me a crooked grin. “I always knew you were a strong girl. Never once doubted it. If I could go back and do this whole thing over, trust me, I would, Sam. I still can’t believe someone actually did this to you. I mean, like Kory told you, everyone knew I watched over you. It took gall to even go near you.”
It felt strangely comforting to see Blake’s cocky confidence returning. Even if it still irritated me to no end, this was familiar territory. This was us again.
I snickered. “Oh really? You’re that tough, huh?”
His eyes widened, and his grin spread. “Well yeah. I’m sure Kory at least alluded to my physical prowess.”
His words triggered the question that had been nagging at me.
“He did actually.”
Blake grinned. “You know, Kory isn’t half bad after all.”
As glad as I was to see his playful side, I needed to know what this ‘bug’ Kory had mentioned was.
“He said he needed your help destroying an ancient dragon bug.”
Blake’s smile turned into a grimace. “Yeah, he fed me the same lies too. Sam, that’s what got me to leave for Tonbo Island and Mack to be out searching, so Kory could get you alone. Don’t you see?”
“No, I don’t. You were going to the island before you knew Kory was even back.”
“Well yeah, I was. When you told me everything at the dance, saying you got a special blend, I knew I needed to get to the island right away. Not everyone has access to Tonbo’s latest serums. I wanted to find out who could’ve gotten it and truthfully, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t Tonbo himself who had orchestrated it all.”
“What? Why would he have? He’s never even met me.”
Blake sighed. “Because he wanted me to be happy.”
I stared at him, lost for words.
“Tonbo’s dying; he won’t be here much longer,” Blake explained. “He needs an heir, someone to take over the island and manage the Dragon Fae when he’s gone.”
“I still don’t understand. What does that have to do with changing me?”
“Because for whatever reason, Tonbo took Kory and me under his wings, treating us like the sons he’d never had. When we got older and he saw how reckless Kory was, Tonbo decided I’d be the one who inherited the island. He felt I understood what it meant, the responsibilities that came with it.”
“Wow, that’s incredible, Blake.”
“I told Tonbo no.”
“Why? I thought you’d want to be in charge.”
“Kory wants to be in charge. He threw a holy tantrum when Tonbo told him he wouldn’t be the next leader. He left the island and caused a lot of trouble on his way out. I tried my best to clean up Kory’s mess, but a lot of dragons and damsels followed him. Kory’s charismatic; he knows how to talk and make people listen. His group feels they shouldn’t have to be governed by Tonbo’s rules anymore. They feel that Dragon Fae are the superior race now, and we shouldn’t have to hide it from the world.”
“It is so X-men,” I said, remembering how I’d thought the same thing with Kory.
“I’m down with being Wolverine.” Blake chuckled, and then glanced at me. “I’m not a leader, Sam. I don’t want to tell people how to live. And the last thing I want to be doing is overseeing scientists making up new concoctions, blending DNAs to see what new monster we can come up with. I’m grateful to Tonbo for saving my life and that will never change, but I don’t want to lead the island. It’s too much—”
I offered, “Responsibility?”
“Power,” he finished.
I nodded, hoping I understood it all. “So why would changing me help you want to lead the island?”
“Well, Tonbo knew how I felt about you. I went to see if he changed you so that I would have you there, you know, by my side while I took over. So I wouldn’t be alone anymore.”
“I guess that makes sense. But you don’t think it was Tonbo, do you?”
“No, I trust Tonbo. He told me there had been break-ins lately. Serums had gone missing. And to his knowledge, there hadn’t been any major changes done to the latest treatments. He thought someone had snuck it off and made their own modifications.”
“Do you think it was Kory then?”
Blake grunted. “Not sure. When Mack met us at the bridge, telling me Kory was back in town, I knew I had to get to him fast before he took off. I felt bad driving you home not explaining myself, but I decided once I knew more and got back fro
m the island, I would tell you everything. Plus, at the moment, all I could think about was beating Kory’s smug face in.”
“So did you?”
“Oh I confronted him. And he swore up and down he’d been hunting for a bug’s scent he’d picked up on. He went into so much disgusting detail about where he’d been for the last few months and all the proof that this bug actually exists, it got me… well, believing him. When I’d searched for you while you were in the cabin, I’d never once caught a trace of Kory’s scent. I figured he’d told me the truth. Kory’s ruse worked and I left for the island, convinced that there were bugs still alive, even though Tonbo swore they’d all been destroyed years ago. Mack stayed here to search for the bug and to keep you safe. He left you for a bit right before I got home. That’s probably when Kory came. I thought I smelled him when I got to your window that night, but I hoped I imagined it.”
“So you were there that night?” I asked, remembering Blake’s scent I’d picked up on after Kory had left. At the time, I’d been freaked out because Kory had painted Blake as a stalker. Now, I knew the truth.
“Yeah, I stayed all night. If Kory spoke even a half truth and there is a chance there’s a bug in Durango, I’m not leaving your side.”
Our eyes met, my heart thumping audible. His words made so much sense. All the missing holes in Kory’s story were filling in, and this time, Blake wasn’t the bad guy. I felt my face warming, realizing we still held hands, and I was no longer afraid of Blake. I’d been so engrossed in his explanations, so ready with the next question, that this pause caught me unaware and left me gazing into his eyes.
His voice turned soft. “I couldn’t figure out why you cried all night… and when you wouldn’t see me yesterday… I got scared.”
In that moment, all I could see was a ten-year-old boy leaning over me, terrified I wouldn’t wake from my near drowning. He’s still just as terrified of losing me.
The lump lodged in my throat made it impossible to speak. Instead, I squeezed his hand, hoping he’d understand my feelings for him. His eyes darted between mine. He moved fast, his hand cradling my neck, bringing my face closer to him. There were no secrets between us now. He loved me. And I believe him. He’s not the monster.
My moment of elation was shattered by a resounding thump on the roof. I yelped in surprise. Something had landed on top of the car, but Blake didn’t remove his hand or even jump.
Instead, he growled, “Perfect timing again, Mack.”
“Mack?” I gasped, aware that our mouths were still inches apart. I was half tempted to plant one on Blake right then and there, even if Mack was on the roof.
Blake let me go, slowly sitting back, grinning.
“Yep, and so help me, Mack, if you dented my car with your grand entrance, there will be hell to pay,” he hollered up at the ceiling.
I heard muffled laughing from above, and then Mack plopped down on the ground beside Blake’s window.
“How did Mack know we were here?” I asked quietly. “Did you send some sort of secret dragon signal to him, or did he track us with our scents?”
Blake grinned and held up his phone. “Nope. Sent him a text.”
“Oh.” I’d forgotten about the text Blake had shot off earlier. He must’ve told him to come because I’d been so upset about Mack being a dragon too. Speaking of which…
I jumped out of the car and marched around to Mack. He grinned back at me, his wings spanning out on either side. Where Blake’s had flecks of greens and blues in their iridescence, Mack’s had reds and oranges laced through them.
“So glad you finally know!” He beamed.
“Mack,” I said firmly, my tone making his smile falter. The accusations I’d been so ready to fire at him were already dying on my lips. Hadn’t Blake told me enough? Both of these guys, my friends, had only been trying to keep me safe. If I believed Blake, which I did, it meant that I had to forgive Mack too.
“Sammy?” Mack asked, his face turning curious, one eyebrow arching.
I took in his tousled, black-brown hair and sparkling green eyes, noticing he wasn’t wearing his thick-framed glasses. He waited for me to say it was okay. I glanced at Blake; he had the same anxious expression on his face.
I took a deep breath and with the exhale, I concentrated on my back muscles. I willed myself to morph. It happened easier than I’d expected. I was surprised the locks of hair were back, not waist-long this time, but hitting me about mid-back. At least I still wore my jeans and T-shirt. Which now that I think about it, did I just rip holes in it for my wings? I’d never paid attention to that before because the gown had an open back.
There was no time to wonder because Blake transformed before my eyes, too. His wings spread out, the sun’s rays illuminating his brilliant array of cool colors. He turned, and I saw the holes that had ripped in his T-shirt. We must go through a lot of clothes.
I glanced at my wings, curious for the first time whose mine resembled more. I was transfixed by them. In the sunlight, mine had no real color at all, more like liquid silver had been drizzled over them, leaving them sparkling back at me. Though mine were not as long as either of the boys—I wondered if that was a damsel vs. dragon thing—I felt proud of their beauty. They were something to behold. Maybe Blake’s right; I do make a pretty damsel.
I glanced at the guys. They were both still waiting for me to make the first move.
“Okay. I forgive you both. But,” I added when they both grinned, “don’t lie to me again. And don’t think you’re done explaining yourself. Especially you, Mack.”
They both agreed with me quickly, assuring me I could know about anything I wanted to.
“Honestly, I need a break from all this heavy talk,” I admitted. It’d been too long since my last flight, and my wings itched to soar. Besides, I’d never flown with friends before. “Want to take off for a bit?” I asked.
Mack glanced at Blake, and he shrugged. “Why not? There’s nobody out here. We can ditch the camo for a bit.”
Oh yeah, that’s the other thing I wanted to ask him about! I still had no idea how to do that. However, Blake grabbed my hand, and we were airborne. Questions could wait. The damsel in me took over, and I wasn’t about to fight her.
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