by Amy Hale
“And just what did you tell him?” I waited.
She glanced at her manicure, as if the conversation bored her. “I told him how you use people to get what you want, then discard them. I told him that you thought he was beneath you because his family isn’t in your social circles. Do you know what he said?” She batted her eyes innocently. “He said he’d only asked you out because he felt sorry for you. The new girl in town that no one liked. He’s such a nice guy that he wanted to help.” She fanned herself dramatically. “He’s a keeper for sure. Too bad it won’t be you he chooses when it’s all said and done.”
My blood boiled. It couldn’t be true, could it?
“I think that’s quite enough, Katy.” Aunt Jetta stood just behind me. Then I saw Miranda step up next to her.
“Oh good. Another Mills freak. Why do you all look like you belong on The Addams Family?” Katy sneered.
Aunt Jetta stepped around me. “You haven’t begun to see freak, sweetheart.”
Katy opened her mouth, but snapped it closed again. Her confused expression told me she hadn’t expected an admission of our freakishness. It took some of the sting from her barbs.
Miranda walked up to Katy, almost nose to nose, and stared into her eyes. “You know, Katy, you keep using the word freak, but if you really knew the truth, you and your greasy gremlins there would crap . . . your . . . pants.”
Katy stepped back, her eyes as wide as saucers. I placed my hand on Miranda’s arm.
“She’s not worth our time. Come help me clean my dress. We have a ball to attend.”
We all three turned to walk away, but Katy managed to muster one last burst of courage, and she grabbed my arm.
“Don’t you turn your back on me when I’m speaking to you, freak!” The rage in her voice mingled with desperation. She had lost her power over me, and she knew it.
I pulled her close to me, my dragon granting me a strength in my grip that Katy couldn’t escape from. My voice came out low and had a slight growl that mingled with the syllables. “If you ever touch me, or any of my friends again, I will not only end you, but I’ll end your entire family.”
I felt my eyes flash, and my vision blurred for mere seconds before returning to normal. I’d give her a glimpse of what she was dealing with. Not enough to get me in trouble, but enough to make her wonder what she truly saw.
I released her wrist, and she backed away quickly, blindly groping at her friends’ jackets as she pulled them with her. She didn’t utter another word as they all three turned and scampered away.
Chapter 10
“Worst birthday ever,” I complained as we stood in the bathroom of the Annex and rubbed my skirt with a wet paper towel.
Aunt Jetta kissed my forehead. “It’s been eventful, but I promise you that my sixteenth was much worse. Remind me to tell you about it sometime.”
“It’s not over yet. You may find yourself defending that title before the night is up.” I groaned. “Is this coming out?”
Miranda moved her face closer to the material. “Probably as good as it’s gonna get.”
I tossed the towel in the trash and dried my hands.
“You know,” Miranda said, “for a few moments there, I understood why my kind eat people.”
Aunt Jetta laughed. “Yeah, it’s tempting sometimes, isn’t it?”
I looked up. “Did dragons ever eat people? I know the fairy tales always make us out to be man-eaters.”
“Some did, but I think that’s more the style of the fire-breathing kind. As a general rule, frost dragons didn’t. We preferred to live in peace.” She looked in the mirror and adjusted some strands of her hair that the wind had misplaced. “We’ve pretty much always been more about fish, seals, etc. The old country was full of that stuff.” She applied a fresh coat of lipstick. “That doesn’t mean that frost dragons haven’t ever eaten someone, though. It’s totally possible.” She smirked.
“No, thanks.” I said. “Katy’s so spoiled, she’d taste bad.”
Miranda laughed. “No doubt.”
Aunt Jetta exited the bathroom and held the door open for us. We left the building and rushed back to the area near the square where everyone stood waiting for the parade to start.
“Are we really gonna ride in those all the way to Grandpa’s?” I asked, pointing to the row of wagons pulling into place.
“Sure are,” Aunt Jetta said.
Miranda grabbed my hand. “Come on. Let’s grab a seat on the outside. I hate riding in the middle.”
As we neared the horse-drawn wagons, I noticed that each one had built-in bench seats and could hold quite a few people. Miranda and I were helped up, and we settled into seats near the front. Aunt Jetta waved to us as she climbed into a nearby wagon to sit with a friend of hers.
“Do you really think Jordan is just taking pity on me?” I didn’t mean to blurt out the question at that moment, but it had been bothering me.
“I don’t.” Miranda placed her hand over one of mine. “I’ve never known him to be that heartless. Kind? Yes. Shallow? No.”
“So why do you think he’s avoided me all night? I haven’t even gotten so much as a hello.” My heart broke at the thought.
“I’m not sure, but my guess is he isn’t intentionally ignoring you.” She glanced around the square.
I shrugged. “I hope you’re right.”
She gave my hand another squeeze, and in that moment, the horses began to pull us out of town and up toward Havenwood Heights.
People chatted all around us as I took in the scenery before me. It was lovely. Businesses were lit up for the celebration. Various celestial ornamentation mingled with Christmas decorations. Once we reached the residential areas, the lights changed to solely those of the Christmas variety. The soothing clop of the horse’s hooves, the snow, and the lights all gave me the illusion of serenity. It didn’t last long, but I treasured what I could get.
We pulled up in front of Grandpa’s house, and my eyes immediately went to the stone dragons. Grandpa Mills stood at the top of the stairs, watching the wagons arrive. Once everyone had unloaded, he picked up a bullhorn to speak. I had to stifle a giggle, knowing he could growl loud enough to shake the ground beneath us all.
“Welcome to my home, everyone! Please enter and let us dance and give thanks to the gods for the protection of our lovely little town.” He lowered the bullhorn and handed it off to a man standing nearby. Then he hobbled inside, and people began to follow. A lady took our coats as we passed through the entryway.
Soon we were standing in a large ballroom at the back of the house. Once again, my breath caught, as I was taken aback by the beauty of the room. There were crystal candelabras everywhere, each one of them holding six lit candles. A large skylight graced the ceiling and allowed a perfect view of the moon. The only artificial light present came from two small chandeliers at each end of the room.
One wall had been lined with tables loaded down with drinks and appetizers. Each table had a large vase of fresh cut flowers.
I leaned into Miranda. “Where does he get fresh flowers this time of year?” I asked.
“I’m told he flies them in from all over the country.” She seemed unimpressed by that detail.
The music started, and I turned to face her. “Weren’t you planning on charming the grouch out of Kai?”
I debated telling her about my encounter with him earlier. Maybe if she kept him busy, he’d leave me alone. I knew she could handle herself if he stepped out of line.
“Oh yeah, I guess I should find him. Will you be okay?” She looked concerned.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. If I need reinforcements, I’ll let you know. Just . . . don’t take any crap from him.” I gave her a smile and a light shove toward the dance floor. She turned to wink at me and then began her search for Kai.
I stood to one side and swayed with the music while others spun around on the floor.
“Would you like to dance, birthday girl?” I looked up to see my father, h
and stretched out for mine.
I nodded. “That’d be nice.”
He led me to the middle of the floor, and we began a country dance that I recognized from gym class. We’d been taught several dances especially for the ball.
“I’m sorry we haven’t done anything big for your birthday. This celebration has kept us all busy. I promise to make it up to you.” He spun me around and then back to him.
“It’s okay, Dad. I know it’s been crazy.” I stepped back two steps, then forward two steps.
“It’s your sweet sixteen, but I have a feeling it hasn’t been so sweet.”
I shrugged. “It could have been worse.”
Dad stopped and turned around. I saw Jordan standing behind him. “Mind if I cut in?” he asked my dad.
Dad smiled. “Sure thing.” He bowed to me before he walked away.
Jordan grasped my hand in his and placed his other at my waist. “How are you liking the festivities so far?”
“How am I liking it?” I couldn’t believe he’d asked me that. “Well, outside of having punch spilled on my dress, being bullied by three jerks, accosted by . . . never mind who it was, and my date ditching me all through dinner, it’s been peachy.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice.
He stopped. “I’m sorry, Zoey. I didn’t mean to abandon you. It’s just . . . something happened, and I couldn’t get to you until now.”
I pulled my hand from his. “Yeah. No problem.”
I walked away from him and toward the double doors that led to the backyard. Without stopping, I pushed through them, letting them swing shut behind me. I glanced around and remembered Grandpa had a huge garden to the right, so I walked the path until I was surrounded by evergreens and hedges. That’s when I heard the commotion.
“Dad, you’ve gotta stop this. You’re being ridiculous.” My dad’s voice echoed loud and clear.
“Don’t tell me what I have to do, boy. This is my home.” He shouted, but not like he had the night we had dinner with him. It sounded human.
“Daddy, I’m a grown woman. I can wear what I want.” Aunt Jetta’s voice was completely devoid of emotion.
I silently made my way to the edge of one of the larger hedges and peeked around it.
Grandpa pointed to my aunt’s leather dress. “That is not a gown. It looks like something out of some smutty catalog. And your tattoos are completely visible.”
“My dress is completely appropriate for this occasion. It covers all my naughty bits.” She smiled as his face turned red at the mention of her naughty bits. “And my tattoos are part of me. They go where I go.”
“It’s a fine day when my own daughter has less respect for me than my human daughter-in-law,” he grumbled.
“Well, see? You’ve been wrong about her all this time,” Aunt Jetta said. “She’s actually an amazing person, but you won’t take your blinders off to see it.”
“She’s human!” Grandpa Mills growled.
“She’s my wife.” Dad’s tone held a warning.
Grandpa turned to Dad. “And now your own daughter is chasing after a human boy. This is your fault, Tristan.” He pointed a bony finger at my dad.
I’d heard enough, and I stepped out. “What is wrong with you people?” I shouted. “Why can’t you get along for more than five minutes?”
Suddenly, Kai and Miranda came pushing through the hedges behind me. Kai looked at me, then Grandpa. “I’m sorry, sir. I tried.”
Miranda hauled off and punched Kai in the gut. He doubled over. “That’s for conspiring against my best friend, you jerk.”
My heart broke. “Grandpa? You were trying to keep me from Jordan?”
He had the decency to look guilty. “Honey, he’s human. It’ll never work. I forbid it!”
Tears filled my eyes. “It’s been a horrible day already, but to find out that my own flesh and blood worked out a plan to break my heart is more than I can bear. And on my birthday, too.”
My vision blurred. I turned and ran back the way I came, running straight into Jordan. Great. Can my luck get any worse?
Chapter 11
I swiped at the tears on my cheeks as Jordan stood in front of me.
“Zoey, let me explain. Please.” He held his hands out to me.
I stepped back, not wanting him to touch me. “Fine. Explain.”
I crossed my arms and waited for him to say something—anything—that would make me feel better. At the same time, I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. He did ignore me most of the night. I tried to push Katy’s awful words from my mind.
“My mom came tonight. She hasn’t in recent years, but it was nice to see her enjoy the celebration for once.” He smiled for a brief moment. “Then Kai told me he needed to speak with me. The next thing I knew, he’d locked me in a closet in the Annex. It took almost an hour before someone heard me yelling and let me out.”
I frowned. “I’m so sorry, Jordan. Kai is a deceitful jerk, thanks to a directive from my grandpa.”
“Your grandpa? Why would he do that?” He looked as confused as I expected him to be.
“It’s hard to explain.” I couldn’t very well tell him the truth.
“Okay.” He paused. “Well, when I finally found my mom, Dad had shoved her into the car. He was drunk and yelling at her. Accusing her of flirting with all the men around her.” He shook his head. “Nothing was further from the truth. He’s just so jealous, he can’t see straight, especially when he’s had too much to drink.”
“Oh no. Is she okay?” I worried she’d been beat up again.
“Yeah, she’s fine. My father, on the other hand . . .” He sighed. “I managed to get her away from him, and a friend of hers is looking after her. I punched my dad, and his head hit the trunk. It knocked him out cold. He’s currently sleeping it off in the car.”
“You’re wrong about that, son.” An angry voice spoke from the shadows, then the man I assumed to be his dad stepped forward. He looked at me. “Is this the little hussy you’ve been lusting after? They’re all the same, son. They aren’t worth your time.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Zoey is a lady. Mom is a wonderful woman. If you were sober for more than five minutes a day, you’d know that.”
Mr. Woods stepped forward and raised his hand.
“No!” I yelled and instinctively stepped in front of Jordan.
Mr. Woods stopped and looked at me. “Stay out of this, or you’ll get what’s coming to you, too.”
Jordan pulled me to his side. “You won’t touch her.”
Mr. Woods shook his head and chuckled. “She must be something in the sack to make you stand up to me.”
Jordan threw a punch. “Do not talk about Zoey like that. She’s the most honest, loving, and kind person I know. She deserves respect, and you will give it to her.” His voice held years of pent-up anger.
“Ha! I don’t think so, boy.” Mr. Woods rubbed the spot where Jordan had hit him. “Ain’t a female in this world deserves respect from a man.”
He lunged forward and tackled Jordan, knocking me to the ground, as well. I hit with a hard thud and felt something pop in my ankle. I cried out in pain.
My grandfather’s loud and menacing voice broke through the chaos. “Thomas Woods. You take your hands off that boy right now.”
Mr. Woods sat on the ground, straddling Jordan, smacking him in the face. “This is my son, old man. I’ll discipline him however I please.”
“No, you won’t.” The sound of my own voice startled me. It was me, yet it wasn’t quite me. I could hear the subtle growl of my dragon filtering through.
Mr. Woods took a step back.
Grandpa pushed forward and glared at Mr. Woods, then looked at me. “Do you see how they behave? This is what you want to shackle yourself to?”
Kai spoke up then. “Despite my orders from your grandfather, I’m still very interested in you, Zoey. I’d be honored to save you from yourself.”
Enough was enough. The anger and f
rustration I’d buried pushed to the surface, and instead of tamping it down, I gave it free rein.
“I am not a toy to play with! Nor am I a servant to be bossed around. I will make my own decisions, and none of you will tell me how to live my life.” I hobbled forward, my ankle causing me to wince in pain. “You!” I pointed at my grandfather. “How dare you decide what’s best for me. You ignored me for over fifteen years. You have no right to expect a say in my future now.” I shook my head. “Manipulating my feelings for your own ridiculous prejudices is beyond despicable. You are a mean, selfish old man. What other miseries have you inflicted in my life?”
Grandpa growled. “I do what I must for this family.”
“Oh really? Like exiling your own son because he fell in love with an amazing woman? Ignoring your grandchild? Torturing your daughter because she lives life to the fullest? That’s how you help them?” I scoffed. “I’d hate to see what you’d do if you didn’t care.”
Jetta stepped forward and gave me a slow clap, the look on her face full of appreciation.
I turned to Kai. “You had the gall to not only pretend to like me, but I’m pretty sure you used some of your . . . gifts,” I spoke the word as if it caused a bad taste in my mouth, “to manipulate my feelings for you. Dreams? Really? That’s low. I have zero attraction to you now, and I’m quite sure I never did.” I leaned closer, putting my weight on my good ankle. “Oh, and if you ever put your hands on me again, I’ll make sure you sing soprano for weeks.”
Jetta snorted as she held back her gleeful laughter. I knew she enjoyed watching me dole out the tongue-lashings that were long overdue.
I turned to Jordan. “I like you, Jordan, but there are a lot of things you don’t know about me. Things you’ll have to accept if you want to be a part of my life.”
He nodded. “I can handle that.”
I shook my head and fought back the sadness that began to overtake me. “I’m not sure you can.”