At first, it was very awkward between her and Obsidian, but soon meeting with him felt as comfortable as hanging out with Tori.
Sunday night Aspen called goodbye to her parents and made her way out of her house and down the stairs. She opened the door to her jeep, and a horn honked. Sid’s Escalade cruised around the corner.
She contemplated chucking a rock at him but thought better of it. She didn’t want to see him, let alone talk to him. Sid might have stood a chance with her if he had opened up about the dragons, but he didn’t, and he was delusional if he thought anything else would ever happen between them.
Aspen drove down to Wraith Falls and climbed up into the trees that grew thick, and soon silence enveloped her, not even birds sang. The forest seemed endless until she noticed a faint light filtering in above her.
The trees gave way to a setting sun that paled in comparison to the dragon landing fifty yards from her. His great wings collapsed against his body, and the wind whooshed through the trees. He settled on the ground, his head stretching far in front of him.
Hello, Aspen.
She sat next to him and leaned against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of breath. He was quiet for a long time. She waited for him to speak.
Are you in a relationship?
Where did that come from? They should be talking about dragon-human relations, and he asked her about her love life?
“You mean like a boyfriend?”
A relationship, someone who you are close to and attracts you.
“No.”
Why?
“I don’t know. None of the boys around here are all that interesting.”
I can tell when you’re lying to me.
“Now there’s an interesting conversation topic. How do you know I’m lying?”
I’ll answer your questions after you answer mine.
“Fine, but I’m not answering that one.” Two could play this game. He refused to answer half her questions.
If you were to be in a relationship, what would you want out of it?
“Spontaneity. Surprise dates, flowers, a walk on the wild side, that sort of thing. Movies and boring dinner dates are out.”
But that still doesn’t explain why you aren’t with anyone.
Obsidian grew quiet. He shifted his head so she was looking him in the face, just staring at her with wide blue eyes under the light of a half moon. He seemed sad somehow, but she didn’t feel right asking him about it. Maybe he’d just gotten out of a bad relationship. Aspen supposed now would not be an appropriate time to ask about dragon love, but Obsidian had piqued her curiosity.
She didn’t know why she told him so much. She’d never confided her secret desires to anyone before. It was hard for her to even think about relationships after Marc. She dated occasionally, but no one ever really sparked her interest. Of course, most of those dates consisted of bad movies and Olive Garden.
Over the next two weeks, Sid spent nearly every waking moment with Aspen. Of course, she didn’t realize who he was, but he was trying to find a way to tell her. He was afraid she’d hate him once she found out the truth.
Sid drove along the familiar tree-lined path into the park. It was much easier to change form in the trees of Yellowstone than his backyard. He was about ten miles into the park when he saw Aspen walking on the side of the road. He pulled up beside her and rolled down the window.
“Aspen, what are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m walking.” She sped up a little and pulled her jacket closer to her neck.
“Well, do you want a ride?”
“No, I don’t. I’m just fine, thanks.” She crossed to the other side of the street and continued, hugging the pines.
Sid pulled the car off the road and got out. “Okay, then I’ll come with you.”
“That’s really not necessary.” Aspen zipped up her jacket and marched on.
Sid deliberated for only a moment and then ran to catch up with her. He could feel her frustration. “Why are you walking anyway?”
She stopped for a second and leaned up against a tall cedar. “My car broke down.”
“Why didn’t you call someone?”
“My mom and dad aren’t allowed to have cell phones at work. Tori’s up in Livingston, and Ella’s phone is turned off. After I tried them, my phone died. It’s not that far to my house.”
“Isn’t it lucky that your prince charming came to rescue you?”
Her expression froze. “You’re not my prince charming. You’re Tori’s, but not mine.”
“Except that I don’t want Tori. I want you.” Sid smiled at her in a way he thought would be encouraging. Or maybe not. She glared at him and kept going.
He followed.
“You know,” she said. “I’m really getting sick of having these conversations with you. Sid, you hardly know me. How could you possibly know you’d be good for me?”
An abrupt wind blew through the trees and sent pine needles flying. Sid ignored the question. “Why don’t we play a game? We have a long walk ahead of us, and we might as well entertain ourselves.”
“You don’t have to stay with me. I can go by myself.”
Sid stayed silent.
Finally, she spoke. “Fine, what’s the game?”
“Let’s pretend I’m your boyfriend.”
“In your dreams.” She laughed. Her laughter was forced, short.
“Quite frequently.”
She crossed her arms and stalked away. She was so angry. Sid, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. Even in her irritation, she was beautiful and entertaining. Sid could tell he was bugging the hell out of her, but he hadn’t gone too far. Yet.
He stepped over the milepost and stood close behind her. “Pick a day and a time, and I will tell you what we’d be doing, if I was your boyfriend.” At her fierce look he amended, “Unless, of course, you want to decide what we’d be doing.”
“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of. You’re not my boyfriend, nor will you ever be my boyfriend. Give it up.”
Not likely. Perhaps he should try a different avenue.
“Can you explain why you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?”
“I don’t hate you. But I could never love you. You look too much like—” She paused.
“Like who?”
She stopped and looked him straight in the eyes, something she rarely did. The depth of pain was enough to make him wish he could go back in her past and erase whatever caused it.
“Like who?” Sid repeated.
She shook her head. “Never mind, we’ll play your stupid game.”
He stumbled over a root in the ground, shocked that she actually agreed. “Okay, pick a day and a time, and I’ll tell you what we’d be doing if I were your boyfriend.”
She rolled her eyes. “Are you for real? That’s your game? Dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of.”
Sid waited and didn’t respond. After a few minutes she threw her arms up. “Fine, Wednesday after school.”
“Easy, doing homework in your room.”
“Boring.” She kicked at a stone on the ground.
“I wasn’t done. After that, we would go for a drive.”
“To where?” she asked.
“Who knows? Wherever the road takes us. We would flip a coin at every intersection, heads we turn right, tails we turn left, and if we can’t find a penny we would just go straight. We might end up at a funky roadside diner, or we might end up in Gardiner. The fun part is the journey. Pick another one.”
Jackpot. Her anger disappeared, replaced with confusion. She continued walking.
“Tuesday night,” she said, attempting to hide her smile. It was startling, feeling her happy around him for once.
“Playing games with your family. I kick butt at Cranium.”
She stopped and looked at him. “How did you—”
“Pick another one.” He stepped closer to her.
She watche
d her own fingers as they fiddled with her zipper. “Saturday.”
On the second step to Aspen, Sid decided to make his move. “On Saturday morning, you would wake up to find a yellow rose and a note on your pillow. The note tells you to go to the beginning of the trail to Heart Lake.”
Aspen still didn’t face him, but she didn’t back away either. Sid took another step toward her. “Once there you will find a backpack with a locked zipper and another note with directions to the next clue.”
Aspen looked up and blinked, surprised to find Sid’s face only six inches from hers. Sid hesitated, afraid she might move away. Her eyes were huge, the long dark lashes reaching up into her eyebrows. He continued. “Eventually, you’ll find me, probably around noon. We’ll have a picnic and continue the hike together.”
“The backpack,” she whispered, so close he could see the faint line of freckles across her nose. “What’s in the backpack?”
“I can’t tell you. It would ruin the surprise,” Sid said.
He didn’t register her movement. Frantic lips met his, and hands twisted in his hair. At first, Sid didn’t move. His brain raced to comprehend, then he understood. This was the moment he’d been longing for, fantasizing about since the day he sealed himself to her.
He placed his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Aspen’s hands relaxed and rested on the back of his neck. Her heart beat rapidly against his. His head exploded, and he tuned out everything else. The movement of their lips was not enough. He desired, no he needed to taste her lips. He tentatively licked the outer edge of her lip. Watermelon. She gasped. Her tongue met his, and the urgency began over again. Wow.
A car raced past and honked the horn. Aspen moved her hands to Sid’s chest and pushed. He stumbled, confused at what had happened. Her face twisted in revulsion, and Sid tried to read her feelings—he picked up horror and disgust as she ran from him. They were less than a quarter mile from her home, so he let her go.
Aspen was intentionally rude to him ninety-five percent of the time. Usually it didn’t bother him. He knew she didn’t like him, and for the most part, the things she said and did only encouraged him. The revulsion on her face and the disgust she felt were too much though. He waited until she was out of sight and then transformed, taking out a large pine tree. He took off and flew in the opposite direction of where they were supposed to meet.
Sid didn’t know why she kissed him. He did know that it was the highlight of his life. Better than learning to fly, better than meeting Skye, better than even the moment he fell in love with Aspen. It was an experience he hoped to repeat many times, but that was obviously not happening. Because although it was the best moment of his life, it was apparently one of her worst. Why was she so repulsed by him?
In his confusion, he had not paid attention to where he was going. The snow-capped Eagle’s Peak greeted him. Home. The place where he should reign as king, but instead would meet his death. He wanted to turn himself in, accept his punishment, and leave this world; instead, he turned and flew toward their meeting place. He needed to find out why she despised Sid. He was a dragon. He’d hold her down if he had to. She would not leave until she told him.
Aspen was already in the clearing when Sid arrived. He hovered for a few moments observing her. Part of him did not want to see her. He wanted to remain in the air, treasure the kiss, and not pursue the wound. But he didn’t. His talons dug deep into the earth when he landed. Aspen sat near a tree, eyes closed. Even his landing did not trigger a response.
“I kissed Sid,” she mumbled.
Sid wasn’t sure he heard her correctly. What did you say?
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. “I kissed Sid.”
He was not expecting her to bring it up right away.
Who is Sid?
“Sid is this horrid boy from school who likes me.”
If he’s so horrid, then why did you kiss him?
“I didn’t mean that. I do actually like him. He just brings up bad memories. That’s beside the point. I’m so confused.” She stood and walked in circles in front of him.
Keep talking, maybe you’ll figure it out, and if you don’t, maybe I can help.
She stopped, glared up at him, and said, “You never did tell me what that mark meant on my ankle, but I think I’ve figured it out.”
What does that have to do with you kissing Sid?
“I’ll get there in a minute. First I need you to understand something.”
Okay.
“You understand the mechanics of kissing, right?”
Lips, tongue, desire. Yes, I have a good understanding of it.
“Do dragons have an equivalent of kissing?”
I don’t believe so. Physical relations are not the same for us. Our relationships are primarily mental and emotional, except when we mate.
“And how does that work? Dragon mating?”
Sid sighed. That is off topic. You were explaining about this kiss.
“Fine. Most of the time when people kiss, they close their eyes. I don’t know why we do that. While I was kissing Sid, I didn’t picture his face in my head.”
She stopped pacing and curled her hands into fists, squeezing her eyes shut. Anger burst forth like flames. For a minute Sid thought perhaps she would throw a temper tantrum like a few of the toddlers who came into the Purple Dragon. Instead, she sat and pulled her knees to her chest.
Sid was confused. This was not the conversation he imagined having with her. So who did you picture in your head?
She remained in a ball and talked to her knees. “Obsidian, I saw your face. That mark, it means I’m in love with you, doesn’t it? How did this happen? I’m so messed up. I just kissed a boy I can’t even look at, and all I thought about was a stinking dragon, no offense or anything.” She paused. “This is so wrong. From the day I first saw you, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
Sid understood now. She believed she was in love with a beast, not a man. She was disgusted with herself. This would be the best time to explain everything. Tell her exactly who he was and what it all meant. But no. He did what any self-respecting male did when a female needed reassurance. He lied.
First off, that mark doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with romantic love. It means we are sealed together, but that could have a number of different meanings. And second, I wouldn’t worry about seeing my face when you kissed him. Maybe it’s because our voices sound the same to you. It could be that you just associate us together.
“You know what? I heard him, in my head, like I hear you. I could hear his thoughts. He sounded just like you. Maybe you’re right.”
What do you mean you “heard” him?
“I could hear him. I didn’t really pay attention. I think I’ve gotten too used to hearing you. It was fuzzy. I would catch an occasional thought. Things like ‘been waiting for this,’ ‘watermelon,’ and ‘wow.’” She smiled briefly and then frowned again.
She should not have been able to hear his thoughts. He’d been diligent about protecting them. Maybe this had to do with the whole sealed thing. He wondered who he could ask without arousing suspicions.
That is highly unusual but would explain why you saw my face when you were kissing him.
He needed to tell her. It would make this easier for her. But then she’d be angry with him for not telling her earlier and for lying. There is something you should know.
“Can it wait? I really need to make sure this whole kiss thing doesn’t get back to Tori. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Of course.
Sid flew away as soon as she was out of sight. He had to get home if she was planning on talking to him.
Sid’s phone rang as he walked into the house. He sat on the counter and answered it.
“Hey,” Aspen said.
“That kiss must’ve been better than I thought. You’ve never called me before.” He grinned, pleased with himself.
“Yeah, about that. This is all a mistake. I’m sorry. I sho
uldn’t have kissed you. No one can find out. Ever.”
“I’m not crazy about keeping our relationship a secret, but for you, I’d do just about anything.”
Aspen sighed. “No, Sid, I don’t think you understand. We can’t be together. Even in secret.”
His stomach tensed. “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t like you like that. I got caught up in the moment, but it didn’t mean anything. Please. Can we just forget this happened?”
Sid leaned against the cupboard and thought.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why can’t we be together?”
“There are a thousand reasons. Tori’s totally in love with you. She’s my best friend, and there’s no way I’d betray her like this.”
“We can work through that. It might take some time, but if we can find someone else for Tori to love, then we’ll be fine. I can be patient.”
“That’s not the only reason.”
“Give me your best one. I bet I can talk you out of it.”
“This isn’t fair. Please just promise me you won’t say anything. It would devastate Tori.”
Sid thought for a minute. He could win her over, but only if she opened up to him.
“Okay. I won’t say anything, but only under one condition.”
“There’s always something with you.”
“Wait. Two conditions.”
She sighed again. He could almost see her beautiful exasperated face. “Fine. Two conditions. Tell me how I’m going to sell my soul.”
He frowned. “One, you have to be my friend. No more ice queen from you.”
“Friends only. You can’t go all lovey dovey on me.”
“You doubt my ability to be your friend?”
“You did kiss me today.”
“Nope, you kissed me.”
She didn’t respond. He loved this. She might have put him off, but it wouldn’t last long.
After a few seconds she spoke. “What’s the second condition?”
“You have to tell me the number one reason why we can’t be together. It’s not because of Tori.”
“How do you always do this to me?”
Obsidian (The Dragon Kings) Page 11