by Mandi Oyster
I pulled my hand out of Malcolm’s grip and walked to the window. “I can’t believe they want to imprison me based on one potential outcome.”
“Did you mean what you said?” Cash’s posture was less rigid than normal, and he rubbed the back of his neck.
“I always mean what I say.” My gut tightened. I didn’t want to argue with him right now. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with his aggression or hatred. “Which part?”
He opened his mouth, then shook his head. “About the dragons. About helping everyone, regardless of their worth.”
“Yes.” I huffed out an impatient laugh. “Haven’t you seen me try to help Mavros? Didn’t you notice that I tried to spare Draconian?” Once again, I felt the blade slice through his flesh, piercing his chest. I would never rid my soul of the stain of his death, but I would live the best life I could in the hopes of eventually wiping my slate clean.
“I—” his voice caught “—I gotta go.” He walked out into the hall.
I looked back out the window. I felt like everything was slipping through my fingers. Juggling the Nephilim, the dragons, and Mavros, one of the balls would eventually fall, and then what would happen?
“What is it, Dacia?” Arianna’s voice was soft, soothing. “We can sense your anguish.”
I slid down the wall to the floor. “Should I go to class this afternoon or skip?”
“Go,” Tye said. “We’ll keep you safe.”
As soon as my friends returned with their guards, we went to Sedum Hall for lunch. The Nephilim now filled six tables with more standing by the doors and watching from the hallways.
My head swam. The beat of my heart reverberated throughout my body, a steady rhythm that grew louder and louder until it was all I could hear. I pressed my hands against my ears, and the sound became deafening. The edges of my vision grew shadowed and hazy until the only person I could focus on was Diana. She stared back at me. My breaths became shallower and faster, increasing with my pulse and the noise until I wanted to scream.
Something pressed against my back. A voice whispered in my ear. Then another in my other ear. Someone smacked my cheek, and I shook my head. Noises slowly filtered in through the haze.
My friends and guardians all stared at me. “You okay?” Cody asked.
I laid my head down on the table and tried to catch my breath. “I think I’m gonna throw up.”
Chapter 9
Homecoming
Malcolm kept Val as far away from me as he could for the rest of the week. The only time we were together was at meals or on the rare occasions that Samantha and Dan walked to classes with us.
I didn’t like the idea of him guarding my friends. If his instincts dominated him, I didn’t want to put them into a dangerous situation. I trusted Russ with them, but I’d feel more comfortable dealing with Val myself.
Friday night, instead of going to the student center for supper, Cody and I decided to go to the homecoming bonfire. I left a note for Samantha in case she and Dan came back to our room. Since they had their own guards, they’d taken to spending more time alone. I missed seeing them, but I could understand why they’d want to stay away from my craziness.
As Cody and I walked across campus with our bodyguards, the smell of roasted meat wafted toward us. Laughter and music filled the air. Clouds covered the night sky, hiding the moon and stars from us. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach, and the closer we got to the festivities, the more I wondered if my presence would put others at risk.
Malcolm slowed. Leaning close to me, he whispered, “What are you scared of?”
Cody gripped my hand tighter, likely concerned that something was about to happen. I tilted my head, and my eyebrows scrunched together.
“I can smell it on you.”
Heat rose to my cheeks. Every emotion, every desire shouldn’t be sensed by my bodyguards. I felt completely exposed and helpless around them. I turned away from him, knowing he’d still hear me, but not wanting to see his smirk at my reaction. “I don’t want to endanger anyone.”
“The Nephilim won’t bother you with so many people around.” He straightened up.
I twirled a strand of hair around my fingers. “There’s more to worry about than Nephilim.”
All of the dragons glanced at me. Malcolm grabbed my arm. “What do you mean?”
I hadn’t told them. I’d wanted to talk to Aurelia about it first, but she’d vanished. “I—” my voice caught “—I think Mavros might be back.”
Cash tipped his head back and laughed. “He can’t come back. He’d have to be—”
“Summoned.” I finished for him in a flat voice. “I know. In my dreams, he told me he was, but he couldn’t tell me who did it.”
Malcolm growled. The sound raised the hairs on my arms. “You said you’d tell me.”
“I haven’t seen him. I don’t know that he’s back for sure.”
I told them about my dreams.
The dragons listened to every word I said, cocking their heads toward me. Their bodies went from relaxed to tense, ready for a fight. Malcolm rolled his head, cracking his neck. “Tonight might be a good time to find out. It would take someone powerful and experienced to bring a demon of his magnitude back to Earth so soon after he departed.”
“Yeah.” I agreed as we stepped to the edge of the festivities and stopped.
Cody tugged me forward. “Think you’ll be safer near people.”
Students packed the grassy area surrounding the bonfire pit. Flames leaped into the air, casting moving shadows over everybody’s faces.
We made our way to the food line. The culinary arts classes had made potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, pasta salad, and desserts to go with the roasted pigs. I plopped some food on a plate, but my stomach rolled at the thought of eating it.
The dragons sat with Cody and me. Their plates were heaped with meat. They surveilled the area even while shoveling pork into their mouths. I pushed my food around on my plate and only took a bite when Cody set his fork down, folded his arms over his chest, and frowned at me.
When it was obvious that I wasn’t going to eat anymore, Cody picked up my plate and threw it away. Then he came back and took my hand, leading me to where several students were dancing. The music was fast, but Cody pulled me against him and swayed. I rested my head on his shoulder.
Malcolm, Cash, Tye, and Arianna surrounded us. Students sashayed by, accidentally brushing up against them, trying to draw their attention, but the dragons didn’t spare them a glance.
Some of the students watched me with curiosity burning in their eyes. I knew several rumors had spread about me and my need for bodyguards. Some people were sure my parents were drug lords in the midst of a turf war. Others were certain I was in the witness protection plan, and some even believed I was royalty. I couldn’t help but wonder what they’d think if they knew the truth.
The song changed to a slow one, and I closed my eyes to block out the stares.
Cody’s grip tightened on my waist, and one of the dragons growled. The sound could be felt more than heard. I sucked in a deep breath and opened my eyes. Mavros stood next to Cody. Claws tipped his fingers. “If you want him to live, dance with me, Dacia.”
Cody opened his mouth to protest, but I said, “I’d love to.” I stepped out of Cody’s arms, and as Mavros pulled me against him, his claws morphed into fingernails. He smelled like warm summer evenings and sulfur.
The dragons stepped closer, forming a ring around us. Beyond them, I saw the Nephilim gathering. Their eyes never strayed from me.
I pressed my hands against Mavros’ shoulders, holding him back a little, hoping he wouldn’t try to control me. Praying that he wouldn’t make me kiss him in front of Cody, in front of the Nephilim, and all the other witnesses.
“What do you want, M
avros?” I asked without looking into his eyes. The music thumped, making the students yell over it, keeping our words private.
His hands slid lower, and he pressed our bodies together. “To be left alone, but M—” his eyes bulged, and he choked on the word “—someone summoned me.”
“So now what?”
He lifted one shoulder slightly. “I do whatever I’m told or I suffer.”
“And what have you been told.” I pulled away from him, still in his arms but with room to breathe.
A grin spread over his features, and I heard his voice in my head. Now would be a good time for ice. “Nice try, but I can’t tell you that.”
I thought about ice, trying to concentrate it in my fingertips. A slight chill spread to my hands but nothing more.
I can’t wait forever, Dacia. Do it!
I stepped back, but he clutched my waist. “I … I can’t.” I held my hands between us and glanced from them to him. “What’d you do?”
The dragons stepped even closer.
“Nothing.” He tilted his head and looked at me. “I swear it. I don’t want to hurt you.” Tell them to grab me.
I looked at Malcolm. “Get him away from me.”
The dragons grabbed Mavros, roughly jerking him back. He didn’t try to stop them. He just sneered at me. “This isn’t over.”
All four dragons followed Mavros, blocking his return to me. The Nephilim looked between the dragons and me. A few of them stepped forward, but Diana held up her hand and shook her head. Apparently, kidnapping me in front of so many witnesses was against their rules.
Cody cupped my cheeks and tilted my face so I looked up into his eyes. “Okay?”
“Yeah.” I slid my trembling hands into his back pockets. “You?”
“Fine.” His jaw was tight. “What’d he want?”
I bit my lip and lowered my head. Cody would never believe anything good I said about Mavros. Blowing out a quick breath, I said, “I think he wanted to protect me.”
“Right.” His hands slipped onto my shoulders. “Wants you to think that.”
“He was talking in my head … helping me get rid of him.” I rubbed my finger and thumb over my eyes, then pinched the bridge of my nose. “I know you don’t believe it. I’m not even sure I do.”
Cody’s hands dropped to his sides, and he donned his mask.
“I don’t trust him, Cody.” My shoulders drooped. “I did that once.”
Once again, my guards surrounded me. “The demon slipped away from us at the edge of the festivities, almost like he’d allowed us to drag him off.” Malcolm’s voice was gruffer than normal.
“You’re falling for it, too?” Cody’s body went rigid, and he laughed grimly.
The dragons’ bodies were all stiff and alert, their eyes watchful. Malcolm grabbed my arm above my elbow. “Are you planning to stay here longer?”
I shook my head. “I think we should go back. Whoever’s controlling him won’t be happy they didn’t get what they wanted.”
Malcolm and Arianna walked on either side of me. Cody trailed behind. Whether he was mad at me or didn’t want to hear me talk about Mavros, I wasn’t sure.
The full moon broke through the clouds, illuminating their edges, making me itch for a paintbrush for the first time in months.
The dragons followed me into my room. It was too small, too close. The walls squeezed in, sucking the oxygen out. I stumbled to the window, pulling it open, and frantically gulped in fresh air. I folded my arms on the windowsill and laid my forehead on them, fighting my rising panic. Cody’s fingers gently climbed my spine. He murmured something, but I couldn’t make out his words. The repetitive motion and the feel of his hand helped calm me.
When I could breathe easily, I stood up and turned around. Aurelia appeared in the middle of the room, and relief spread through my chest. She’d helped me battle Draconian and Mavros. She could help me through this, too.
Before I had a chance to say anything to her, Cash stepped forward. His nostrils flared, and his form rippled. “We agreed to protect her from the Nephilim. We did not agree to fend off a demon.”
“Cash”—Aurelia’s voice was more dragon than human, the warning in it clear—“back away.”
He stopped and looked down at his feet.
Aurelia waved her arm at the couch. “Shall we sit and be rational?”
Arianna pulled the desk chair over and sat on it. Aurelia sat in Big Bird. The other three dragons sat on the couch. I motioned for Cody to sit in Cookie Monster. I planned to stay where I was, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his lap.
I looked at Aurelia, intending to tell her how glad I was to have her back on campus, but when I opened my mouth, that wasn’t what came out. “Where’ve you been? Why won’t you respond to me? How could you leave me with no explanation?”
She lowered her head, and the other dragons seemed to shrink in on themselves. Suddenly, the room didn’t feel quite so crowded.
“I had no choice.” Aurelia’s voice was soft and wholly human. “I have been in conference with the Nephilim, trying to convince them of your worth.”
“So.” Maybe the dragons’ anger had diminished, but mine hadn’t. “Couldn’t you have told me? Couldn’t you have responded? I wanted to tell you about Mavros. I needed you.” A strong burst of wind blew in through the window.
Cody trailed his fingers from my temple to my chin. “Breathe.”
I pinched my eyes shut and focused on controlling my emotions. Other students were still outside, enjoying themselves. They didn’t need me ruining their evening for them, whether they’d blame it on me or not.
“They are afraid of you.” She looked directly into my eyes. “They would not let me communicate with you for fear that you would control me.”
My thoughts seemed to freeze. I shook my head. “Control you? How would I control you? Why would I?”
“You know my true name, Dacia.” She looked pointedly at all the dragons. “You know all of our true names. You could control all of us.”
My shoulders slumped forward. “But … I wouldn’t.”
“I am aware of that and have been trying to convey that sentiment to the Nephilim.” She sat up straighter and glanced at Malcolm. “When I found out about Mavros, I told them I needed to leave. We need to figure out who summoned him before he can enact some wretched plan.”
Malcolm walked to the window and stared up at the moon.
The doorknob rattled, and Cody and I tensed. Dan and Samantha walked in, and Russ and Val stood in the hall. Samantha’s laugh stopped immediately when she saw us. “This can’t be good.”
“You may as well come in,” Aurelia said.
As soon as the door shut, Malcolm turned his back to the window. “Mavros didn’t seem to want to hurt Dacia. It seemed like he wanted to protect her.”
Cody snorted, and Malcolm shrugged at him. “Demons are deceitful, but they can’t change the smell of their emotions. Even though they were coated with the scent of sulfur, I could smell his resistance to whatever orders he’d been given, his pain at not following them, and his concern for Dacia.”
Cash crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “As could I.”
“Me, too.” Arianna and Tye both agreed in turn.
“Why would he want to protect me?” I asked.
Cody’s arms tightened around my waist. “Wants you for himself.”
“I don’t think so.” Arianna shook her head. “He didn’t seem to have selfish intentions.”
Cody covered his face with his hands. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” He nudged me. I stood up, and he paced. “For forty-five days, I heard he wasn’t as bad as I thought.” He pointed to himself, then to Samantha and Dan. “He planned to kill us.”
“Right,�
� Arianna agreed, “but circumstances have changed now. He’s not here to win Dacia over, and whatever his master wants from him, he’s fighting it.”
I stood in front of Cody with my hands out. He stopped, not touching me. I looked over my shoulder at Aurelia and said, “We’ll be back.” I grabbed Cody and teleported. My normal go-to place would have been Falcon Lake, but I didn’t want Nephilim, dragons, or Mavros to follow me. I thought of what Malcolm had said about being able to smell me within fifty miles, so I took a risk and teleported us further away.
Cody spun in a circle when we arrived. Unfamiliar trees surrounded us. “Where are we?”
“Cougar Lake.” I grabbed his hand and led him through the trees to the water. The moon reflected over its calm surface.
He stepped up beside me. “Why?”
“Hopefully, it’s far enough away for privacy.” I slid my arm around his waist, hoping he wouldn’t pull away from me. “I understand why you don’t want to believe anything good about Mavros. I don’t know why, but he seemed like he was trying to help me. I don’t trust him. I don’t want him here.” I turned so I was facing him. “But he was struggling against the hold on him. He tried to get me to use ice against him. Then he told me to make the dragons take him away. He could’ve fought them, and the way Cash acted, he might’ve been able to win, but he didn’t even try.”
Cody dragged his hands down from my shoulders, skimming over my arms. “I know.” He rested his forehead against mine. “I’d rather have Nefarious or Draconian back.”
Chapter 10
Knowing
Mavros stands in front of me. His fingers are tipped with claws. Please, Dacia … don’t let me hurt you. Pain flashes across his face. His eyes plead with me.
I think about ice, funneling my energy into my hands, but nothing happens. Sweat drips along my temples.