The name fit. The first thing I noticed when we landed, and my feet sunk into the warm, white sand, was the skyscrapers right in front of me. Sure, City had all the trappings of what I’d expect an island to have—a beautiful beach, palm trees, lush foliage, humid-sticky air, and the sweet scent of tropical flowers in the air, but it also appeared to be an actual bustling city. I think I know why the name stuck.
“This is the largest island, about fifty miles long. So we have a little bit of everything here. Mountains, waterfalls, and private pools a few miles to the east, more secluded beaches on the north shore, and of course, the downtown life is here,” Blake said just as three young dragons buzzed past us with boisterous laughter. They seemed oblivious to our presence until the wings of the last one clipped my shoulder hard, almost knocking me into the sand.
I gasped, and Blake shouted, “Hey, watch it!”
Immediately, the dragon halted, while his friends kept going. His lanky body seemed rigid as he turned around, stuttering, “Oh, I’m so sorry, Blake. No harm, no foul, right?” Then the dragon noticed me, and his green eyes widened. “Is that…?”
Blake cut him off. “You’re good, Serif, just be more careful. She’s never been here before.”
Serif’s eyes opened even further, the green in them reminding me of two big apples. He nodded rapidly and took off to catch up with his comrades, further up the beach.
I stared at Blake. “Is everyone afraid of you here?” I asked.
Blake’s eyebrows rose a bit. “What? No. Why?”
“He practically flew away with his tail between his legs!”
“In case you haven’t noticed, Sam, we don’t have tails.” Blake glanced over at me. “Unless you’re hiding one under that dress of yours.”
I shook my head at him, and Mack leaned over, mumbling, “He doesn’t fear Blake, Sammy. More like respect. Everyone hopes Blake will be the next to take over.”
“Okay, okay, enough of that, Mack. I’m not taking over,” Blake cut in.
Mack shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. They all want you—not Kory.”
At the mention of Kory, a conversation I’d had with Jen came to mind. Hadn’t she said she’d overheard him and his friend discussing how when Blake showed up at Tonbo Island, he acted like he owned the place? Seems to me they got it wrong. It’s the island that acts like he already owns it.
Finally, the beach ended and we stepped on to a boardwalk made of well-worn wooden planks. Thank heavens. Wading through the sand in a tight dress wasn’t easy. I knew I should be sweating but, instead, my skin felt like it was covered in a sticky layer of slime. The humidity was a far cry from the dry Colorado air I’d grown up in.
I wanted to ask why we’d stopped flying anyway, since walking proved hot and slow, but the boardwalk led to a busy street, not paved with asphalt but cobblestones. Instead of engines roaring past, I heard only the buzz of winged dragons and damsels flying by.
Beyond the ‘street’ was an open plaza. It appeared to be the center of City. So far, the dragons I’d met were guys my age, so it stunned me to see dragons and damsels in all walks of life. I stopped and tried to drink it all.
Young ones played games, painting on the sidewalk with large paintbrushes or flying past chasing Frisbees. Teenagers clustered around what appeared to be open cafés. Strange, loud music blared from that vicinity and, at closer inspection, I decided that a rainbow must have bled out all over the teens’ hair. There was every hue imaginable. Middle-aged ones darted around like they had a purpose and places to go. And then the elderly, who weren’t moving quite as fast, all gathered around the small tables, where some sort of board game was being played. Kids doing sidewalk art, teens with dyed hair, and elderly playing chess… maybe we aren’t so different after all.
Then I took another look. Something definitely registered different. I found myself searching for one ugly damsel or out-of-shape dragon. Not one. Everyone’s gorgeous. The dragons were all shirtless, regardless of age, and even the elderly ones had nicely shaped, tight abs. This is bizarre.
The damsels’ dress varied from jeans to skirts to dresses, although none wore a gown like mine, and I couldn’t wait until I got a chance to change. They all seemed to share the style of their shirts—open backed with a tie behind the neck, leaving the shoulders bare. Some dipped low in the front, most of the teens, while others covered up to their necks. Still, I had to grin. Sort of odd seeing grandmas wearing halter-tops. They should film a promo for plastic surgery here. Although, faces weren’t necessarily fake looking or uniform. The Dragon Fae just radiated beauty, no matter what their nose shape and size was, or how large their eyes were. It mesmerized me.
A damsel’s face popped into my line of vision, disrupting my view of paradise. I jumped back a bit, surprised by her sudden proximity. I gaped at her; her eye color matched her lavender hair.
Her gaze swept up and down my frame, and I couldn’t tell if it was malice or curiosity in the squint she gave me. She took a step closer to me, bringing her face inches from mine. She tilted her head to the side, as if considering me.
Sweat rolled down my back. I glanced to my sides, hoping one of the guys would say something. Then I noticed the purple-eyed girl wasn’t the only one gawking me. Everyone around us had stopped their normal rhythm of motion I had just been admiring. Now all eyes were riveted on me.
Oh boy. So not what I wanted.
Mack waved his hands, like he was shooing flies away. “Nothing to see here, folks.” His tone was casual.
The girl with purple eyes sighed and gave me a fleeting smile before she took off.
Mack touched my arm and murmured, “Since Blake’s sort of a celebrity here, it’s big news to finally see his girlfriend. Just think of the paparazzi back home.”
“Oh,” I said, peeking to see if I was still under surveillance. No one directly stared, but I caught several whispering and pointing in my direction. Blake’s face didn’t look too happy at the moment.
“Do they all know about me?” I asked.
Blake cleared his throat. “Yeah, that’s probably my fault. When I was here last time, it caused quite a scene, I’m afraid. I accused Tonbo even of doing it, much to my shame. It’s a small island, and gossip spreads fast. Everyone knows you were abducted, that someone changed you, but no one knows much more than that.”
To my relief, Blake’s wings shifted into action and his feet lifted off the ground. “Feel up to flying again?” he asked. Mack rose too, and they both stared at me. Then it dawned on me, they were walking for my benefit, to give me a break.
I let my wings sing to me, flapping until they blurred. “Definitely.” I am more than ready to get out of here and away from all the prying eyes.
Hidden Monster Page 39