“Rowan didn’t either, and he got used to the idea. He and Runa were good buddies.”
“Where is he?”
“Runa is a she, not a he.”
“Not Runa, Rowan.” Aspen had to know more than she was letting on.
“No idea. But there’s a war starting among the dragons, and it’s possible that someone kidnapped Skye because of it. The other thing that complicates things is that she told me she was going to go into hiding just before she left.”
“What does Skye have to do with the dragons?”
“She’s part of all this liaison stuff.”
“Why’d she want to go into hiding in the first place?”
“Because she thought she was going to die. It’s a long story, and it involves secrets I can’t tell you.”
“But then why didn’t she just leave? She drove Rowan into the park.” Hazel was trying to see how everything was connected. Nothing was adding up.
“Why would she involve Rowan? Skye cared about him. She wouldn’t want him caught up in this mess,” Aspen said.
“Maybe she was just bringing Rowan home.” Hazel wanted to find some sense in this. But Aspen left out too many details.
“That seems unlikely as he never made it home.” Aspen seemed just as confused as Hazel was.
“Are you sure about that? Did anyone search his room?”
Aspen laughed. “He’s not hiding in his room.”
“I know that, but there may be clues, if he did make it home first.”
“The car was found on the road.”
“He could’ve walked home. Did anyone search his room?”
“I assume Mom and Dad did, but maybe not. If they saw the broken down jeep and just assumed he was taken by the dragon, they wouldn’t even think to check his room.”
Hazel sank onto the couch. “If they’d just gotten the FBI involved right away, they would’ve done this right. But now we’re dealing with things that are a week old. How are we going to find him?” It felt like everyone just assumed he was dead even if they didn’t admit it. Like there was no other explanation except the almighty human-eating dragon.
“We’re doing everything we can.”
“What if Skye kidnapped him?”
Aspen burst out laughing. Hazel crossed her arms and glared at her.
“Look, I’m sorry. But Skye wouldn’t hurt a fly. She’s as harmless as they come.”
“Whatever, I want to go home and check Rowan’s room.”
Aspen leaned over to the ottoman next to the couch and scooped out a handful of M&Ms from a bowl. “You want some?”
Hazel shook her head. “No, seriously, I want to go home.”
“You have to wait. I promised Sid and Val we’d eat with them. Then I’ll take you home. They’re bringing takeout.”
Hazel let out a breath. “I’m not hungry, and I don’t want to see Val.”
Aspen giggled. “Why? Because you like him?”
Hazel forgot how perceptive Aspen was. “Maybe. But I can’t get involved. Not with Rowan out there. Especially now that you said he might be kidnapped.”
Aspen’s phone buzzed. “They’re here. Come on, let’s eat, and then we’ll decide what to do about Rowan.”
Hazel wasn’t sold on the idea, but she didn’t have any other choice. She’d been worried before that Rowan was dead, and now she had to worry that a few murderous dragons were holding him captive. She wasn’t sure which was worse.
VAL WIPED HIS sweaty hands on his jeans. He’d never been so nervous before. Sid grabbed the bag of food from the backseat.
“You okay?” Sid asked.
“Uh, no. She said she never wanted to see me again.”
“Look, Aspen hated me when we first met. At least you know Hazel likes you. You’ll be fine. Just relax and act like you did on the airplane.”
Val nodded, still worried. “Explain again Aspen’s cover story for us.”
“We’re a family that acts as liaisons for the dragons. You and I are third cousins, and we’re leading the search for the human killer.”
“What’d she tell her about the mark?” That was the one thing they didn’t cover in the conversation at the restaurant while they waited for their food.
“If they talked about it at all, Aspen was going to play dumb. Tell her that it had to do with the dragons, but the dragons wouldn’t tell her what.”
“What if she doesn’t want to see me?” Val had never been so insecure in his life.
Sid put his hand on Val’s shoulder. “Relax. It will be fine. Seriously. Look, if she’s trying to avoid you, then you need to do something for her that no one else can so that she has to turn to you. With Aspen, I introduced her to myself in dragon form because that’s what she wanted. What does Hazel want?”
“To find Rowan.”
“There’s your answer. Offer to help her search. If Aspen’s right and Skye and Rowan were kidnapped, you can help her find clues. Be sneaky about it if you have to. Act like you aren’t supposed to involve her. It will gain her trust.”
Val followed Sid into the house, and they set out the food. Val had no idea what it was, but it smelled good.
Aspen bounced into the room and slid her arm around Sid’s waist before giving him a quick kiss on the lips. “Did you get me orange chicken?”
“Sure did. But you have to share this time.”
She snatched the box out of Sid’s hand and grabbed a pair of sticks off the table. “Nope, this is all mine.”
Val envied the easy way in which they bantered.
“And mine,” squawked Runa as she flew into the room and landed on the counter behind Aspen and stuck her head in the box.
Aspen jerked the box away. “Hey, get off.”
“But it’s my favorite.” Runa had a smear of orange sauce on the bottom of her jaw.
“Go to the table, missy.”
Val had been so distracted by Aspen and Runa that he hadn’t seen Hazel. But as she quietly slid into a chair across the table, his eyes met hers, and she gave him a tight smile.
He took the rest of the boxes and spread them out. He sat next to Hazel but didn’t look at her. Instead, he looked at Aspen, who was using the sticks to eat her food while trying to keep it out of the mouth of Runa.
Val picked up another pair of sticks and turned to Hazel. “How do we eat with these?”
Her face softened. “I forgot you grew up in a very sheltered home. I suppose you haven’t used chopsticks. Here, let me show you.”
She picked up another pair of sticks and arranged them in her fingers so she was able to pick a piece of chicken out of another box. Val tried to copy her, but one stick fell right out of his hand.
Hazel laughed softly, and his heart fluttered. “Watch the chopsticks,” she said and pointed back at her hand.
She held his hand and moved his fingers so they held the chopsticks the way she had. He shivered at her touch and looked over at her, but her eyes were on his fingers.
“Look, hold this one tight and don’t let it move. Hold the other one loosely and use your index finger to move it.”
She pushed down on his index finger and showed him how the stick would move up and down. She removed her hand, and he immediately dropped them. Probably because he was watching her face instead of their hands.
“Oops. I wasn’t ready for you to let go.”
“Try again.” She handed him the sticks, and he took them from her, making sure he brushed the back of her hand with his fingertips. She frowned for a second but then recovered. “See if you can do it.”
He tried to position them in his hand like she did, but they wouldn’t work. She moved his fingers around, and he was able to move the top stick up and down. But as soon as he reached for a piece of food, they went all wonky again.
Sid laughed. “Guess you aren’t getting any food tonight.”
“Yeah, watch me.” Val sat one of the sticks down and stabbed a piece of chicken with the other one. “See, I can still eat.”
Aspen pulled a fork out of a drawer and handed it to him before she sat down.
“Don’t let Sid fool you. He only got the hang of them a few weeks ago.”
Hazel looked between the both of them. “Did you have a sheltered upbringing too?”
Sid shrugged. “I guess you could say that. We never had Chinese takeout when I was growing up. But I wasn’t isolated on an island like Val.”
Val and Sid had discussed the differences in their upbringing the night before. Val envied that Sid was actually given some preparation for the kingship, thought he was glad he wasn’t the only one who didn’t know how to use chopsticks.
Hazel was quiet during dinner. Aspen and Sid teased each other quite a bit. Val wanted to reach over and grab Hazel’s hand, but he was afraid of her reaction. He decided to start with a question.
“Did Aspen tell you about us?” he said and pointed to Sid and himself.
“You mean that you are liaisons or something for the dragons?”
“Yeah. I’m sure you have questions.”
She took a bite of food and pursed her lips. “All that stuff you said on the airplane about being an orphan and never being off the island, was that just a story?”
“Oh no. That was all true. I grew up among the dragons. Aside from my family, I had very little human interaction. It’s why I sometimes don’t understand what things are.”
“Why come here? Is your father really here?”
“Yes, he is. And I’m also helping with the search for the human killer. The dragons need us to communicate for them.” Val thought he was doing a pretty good job sticking to the story. Hazel seemed convinced at least. It helped that most of it was the actual truth.
“Can you talk to the dragons?” She leaned closer to him, and he inhaled her sweet scent.
Runa piped up. “You can talk to me. Why are you asking him if he can talk to dragons?”
Hazel narrowed her eyes. “But you said not all dragons could talk.”
Val interjected. “That is true, but they all can communicate. Mostly through their minds.”
Aspen glanced over at Hazel. “It’s true. I talk to my black dragon all the time. Rowan’s done it too.”
Hazel squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t think I’m going to ask any more questions. I don’t like the answers I get.”
Val let her be after that. He didn’t want to push her. When she was ready, she’d ask.
After dinner Hazel and Val helped Sid and Aspen all throw away the containers. He wanted to stay close to her.
“I should go. I want to check out Rowan’s room.” Hazel pushed her chair away from the table and stood up.
Aspen slid closer to Sid. “I’m not leaving yet. Give me a couple hours, and I’ll take you home. Promise. Really, you’re not going to find anything in there. He didn’t go home first.”
Hazel picked up Aspen’s keys from the counter. “Says you. And Aspen, you said you’d take me home after we ate. Come on.”
Aspen pouted. “One hour.”
Sid looked at Val and mouthed, “You’re welcome.”
Val appreciated Sid’s thoughtfulness at giving him more time with Hazel, but he didn’t think she’d give up that quick.
“I’ll take you home,” he said.
Aspen started laughing. “You haven’t learned how to drive yet. Remember?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said, looking at his shoes, embarrassed.
“Look, if you can provide the car, I can drive. I’ll bring it back tomorrow,” Hazel said and crossed her arms.
Val looked up. “Can I come with you? I haven’t seen much of the area yet, and I’d like to go for a drive.” She’d probably say no, but it was worth a shot.
Hazel studied him for a second before she finally said, “Sure. I want to come back here and talk to Aspen about what I find anyway.”
Sid rummaged around a drawer and then threw her a set of keys. “This has keys for all the cars in there. It’s supposed to snow, so you should probably pick something that has four-wheel drive.”
Hazel followed Val out to the garage. She was quiet while she studied the six vehicles. To Val they all looked similar. He didn’t understand why one would be better than the other. Finally, she pointed to a truck. “That one.”
Hazel hesitated before getting in. “You know, it might be easier if I just go alone.”
“I’m pretty good at searching for things. Maybe I’ll spot something that you don’t. Come on. I want to see more of the area. I promise I’ll be helpful.”
She sighed but then nodded and unlocked the doors.
He sat in the passenger seat, and Hazel climbed up in the driver’s seat.
“Do you have a license?” Hazel asked as she pulled out of the driveway.
“Yeah. Obviously, I didn’t earn it. But Theo gave me one in Hawaii. Along with a whole bunch of paperwork I didn’t know I needed. I still have no idea what a voter registration card is.”
Hazel hesitated for a second. “Yeah, you probably won’t use that. Do you want to learn how?”
“To drive?” Val shrugged. He figured he wouldn’t be around long enough to really need to. Once he found his queen, they’d live among the dragons. Especially considering that they had a war to fight. “Too much going on right now to think about driving.”
Hazel sighed. “You got that right. Do you think Rowan was kidnapped?”
“I don’t know.”
“I want to find him. To make sure he’s okay. That’s all.”
Val looked over and saw a tear slide down her cheek, and his stomach hurt for her. He unbuckled his seatbelt and slid close to her.
He brushed away her tears. “Hey, don’t cry. We’ll find him. I’ll help you.”
She snorted. “Yeah, right. You’d probably just slow me down.”
He clenched his fists. “What makes you think that?”
“Because you aren’t vested in the search at all. Plus, you can’t even drive. I’ll be better off on my own. But I might bring Paul with me after tonight. You’ll just get in the way.”
“Who’s Paul?” Val knew this already, but he wanted to hear her story.
Her lips twitched. “He’s an old boyfriend from school. He’s in the National Guard, so he can get me into places I couldn’t otherwise. I’ll have to talk to him after I drop you off.”
Jealously bloomed in Val’s chest, and he moved away from Hazel before he did something stupid, like try to kiss her while she was driving.
“What about…”
“Us?” Hazel finished for him. She stopped at an intersection and looked right at him with a seriousness she didn’t have two seconds ago. “I told you before I don’t do commitment. Honestly, I was hoping I’d never see you again.”
Pain knifed through his chest. “You’re saying that kiss meant nothing?”
Hazel frowned, confusion etched on her features.
“Look, I, Val…I can’t explain it. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I can’t be with you.”
Val closed the distance again, but he didn’t touch her. “There’s absolutely no reason for us not to be together.”
“Yeah, there is.” She pushed against his chest. “You need to buckle your seatbelt.”
He did as she asked, and she continued down the road. Val wasn’t going to let her get away without explaining. “What’s that? Please explain it to me because I don’t get it. Do you find me repulsive?”
Hazel pulled into her driveway. She put the car into park and looked over at him. “I like you. A lot. But my life is complicated, and your life is complicated, and I just don’t want to get involved with anyone.”
Val racked his brain. He had no idea how he was going to win her over. She didn’t say anything else as they walked up to the house. It was much smaller than Sid’s but had a wide front porch. Hazel let herself in.
“Are your parents home?” he asked, following her in.
She shook her head. “They’re at work. They’ve started the second search
of the park.” Then she headed up a set of stairs.
They walked up the stairs and into a small bedroom. The bed was neatly made up, but aside from the large television on the wall, a dresser, and a fairly empty bookshelf, the room was empty.
Hazel opened a few drawers, and Val looked in the closet. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. A few button-up shirts hung on hangers, and on the floor of the closet sat two pairs of shoes.
“Do you see a suitcase in the top of the closet?” Hazel asked.
“No. There’s nothing up there. His drawers?”
“Mostly empty.”
Val shut the door and sat on the bed. “Pretty inconclusive, huh?”
Hazel sank down next to him. “His suitcase is gone, and his drawers are empty. I’d say he ran away. But Aspen said I can’t tell my parents what’s going on. I don’t understand why. Plus according to Aspen, there is the possibility that he was kidnapped with that Skye chick.”
Val put his hand over hers, and since she didn’t remove it, he left it there. “Look, our family is pretty messed up. Maybe he was taken, and maybe he ran on his own. Tell you what, why don’t we go to Florida and see if we can find any information on Skye. Maybe someone’s seen her. If she’s not with him, she might have at least seen him.”
“Aspen said they’ve been trying to find her.”
“Just dragons or eagles acting on orders. They didn’t have your need to know. Come on. I’ll take you.”
She stood and paced the room. Val wanted to know what she was thinking, but he let her be.
Finally, she sat down and put her hand on his cheek. “Val, I’m scared.”
He barely heard her words, completely surprised by her sudden affection. All he could think about was her hand on his face. “Of what?” he asked.
She crossed her arms and looked out the window as she spoke.
“Of this, of us. Of falling in love. Teddy hurt me so badly. I can’t go through that again. When he left, I thought for sure I’d never be happy again. Paul let me see I could be in a relationship without love. He’s easy. I can get him to take me to Florida. Aspen will tell us where to go. You’ll just distract me.”
She wrung her hands and wouldn’t look at him. Val wanted her to keep talking to figure out her innermost thoughts. “You know, keeping everyone at a distance must feel pretty empty.”
Valentine (The Dragon Kings Book 3) Page 10