I nodded somberly as I considered that. It made sense, but I honestly didn’t know how much time had passed between her leaving and my magic exploding. It felt like forever.
“I’ll do it,” she blurted out. “I’ll eat three rabbits tomorrow, or whatever else you want me to eat. Then you’ll see.”
I looked at her in shock. “What do you mean?” I asked seriously.
She made another face. “If I eat that much, you can see it. My stomach will bulge out…” She let go of my hand and placed her palm on her navel, which would probably be the center of her stomach since it went so low. “The last thing I ate before dinner tonight was the two rabbits you gave me yesterday.” She ran her hand over her smooth flat belly. “If I had eaten that boy, you would know it. There would be no way to hide that I had that much inside of me, whether it was in pieces or whole.”
I nodded again as I processed that. And then I thought about the blood on her arms. How it didn’t make sense that she could be so clean considering what I had seen earlier…
My eyes began to sting with tears as I dropped my knees and leaned forward, falling halfway on top of her. She turned onto her back at the same time and plopped back down on the bed under my weight.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered against her neck, feeling horrible now. “I’m so sorry. I just…” I took a deep breath. “What I saw didn’t make sense, and I heard a man say he thought whatever attacked Ryker must have eaten him, because they couldn’t find his body anywhere.”
Jasmyn gently ran her hand up and down my back. “I promise I didn’t,” she repeated. Her voice sounded sincere, but also reserved.
“Please forgive me,” I begged. “Please. I’m really sorry.”
“I forgive you,” she whispered, her tone unchanging.
I pulled away slightly to look down at her, afraid I’d really hurt her feelings. Hurt her enough that she might not be able to forgive me, even despite her words. She met my gaze, her expression matching her voice.
Her eyes were hard.
“What can I do to make it up to you?” I asked desperately. “I’ll do anything.”
She blinked at me, her eyes finally softening. “Alyssa, I forgive you. I really do.”
“You do?” I asked seriously.
She nodded.
“Then…what’s wrong?” I finally managed.
She tightened her embrace on me. “Alyssa, when I last saw that boy, his organs were torn out, but his body was overall still whole. If what you described is true, then that means something else ate him.”
My eyes widened in shock.
Of course. Why hadn’t I thought of that? I supposed it was because I assumed that only a short time had passed between her killing him and their bodies being found by the townspeople. I gasped. “But that means…”
Her expression hardened again. “Something else was in the forest with us – something that ate the boy shortly after we left for home.” She paused. “And whatever the creature was, it was big enough to make an entire meal out of a person.”
My eyes were still wide. “There’s something else out there,” I realized. “A predator.”
Jasmyn nodded. “A very big predator. Something much larger than me.”
I shivered at the thought, wondering if it had been stalking Jasmyn or if it had just randomly been in the area. Either way, if Ryker and his gang hadn’t been there, then I might have been the one attacked when I headed home. Or even worse, it might have tried attacking Jasmyn once the sun disappeared. It was doubtful the creature would attack a group of people, even if they were younger, so my classmates would have probably been fine as long as they stayed together.
Needless to say, Jasmyn and I both had a difficult time sleeping the rest of the night. Neither of us spoke much after that, because we were trying to get back to sleep, but the idea of a large predator running around made us both uneasy. Granted, we were on the other side of town, but still...
The next morning, I admitted to my dad that I’d snuck out of the house. We were all in the kitchen, sitting at the table eating breakfast…well, Jasmyn wasn’t sitting in a chair, but she was still eating with us – the idea of sitting in a chair was even more foreign to her than the idea of enjoying her meal, rather than gulping it down in one bite.
I was concerned my dad would be upset even though I had never truly seen him angry at me. However, he listened patiently while I explained to him what I’d seen, and what the men had said.
He then turned to Jasmyn, who was staring at the table now, looking uncomfortable. “So then, you didn’t tear the boy apart?”
She shook her head. “Not like that. I thought you were referring to what I did to the other kids.”
He nodded in acknowledgment.
I quickly spoke up. “But then, that confirms what we suspected. That something ate his body sometime between me exploding and the men finding him.” I paused, as I considered my own statement. “What kind of creatures can eat an entire person?” I wondered seriously.
My father was pensive, his brow furrowed. “Well, there are a lot of things that might feed off a human…but eat an entire person, including bones? Not many. Obviously, another Naga is possible, but usually they eat things whole and something that big would take time to swallow.” Jasmyn nodded automatically in confirmation as he continued. “It would have to be something really big, like a dragon, but I know it’s not a dragon.”
“You do?” I wondered. “How?”
He smirked at me, his blue eyes almost sparkling. “I was born a dragon.”
“What?!” I exclaimed, jumping out of my chair. “Y-You’re a dragon?! How could you keep that from me?! Does that mean I’m half dragon?!”
He laughed. “Calm down, sweetie. And no, you’re half human.”
“B-But how is that possible?” I asked in disbelief. But then I gasped as a new possibility crossed my thoughts. After all, I didn’t share any of my dad’s iconic characteristics. “You are my real father, right?”
His expression instantly became serious. “Yes Alyssa, you are my daughter, without a doubt.”
I looked at him apologetically, slowly sitting back down. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. I then sighed. “You’d be my dad either way. You raised me after all.”
“But I really am your father,” he reassured me. “I was born a dragon, but right now I’m a human. It’s the nature of shapeshifters. I’m not a dragon in human form." He laughed. "If that were the case, then Jasmyn's compulsion magic wouldn't work on me." He shook his head. "No, I’m an actual human, just a lot heavier than most. And your mother and I had you while I was human.”
“But why be a human?” I wondered. “If you can change forms, then why not be a demon like her?”
He grimaced. “Well…” He took a deep breath and sighed. “Let’s just say that a human is the closest form I could take, that could potentially be with your mother.”
“Dad,” I whined, knowing he was keeping secrets.
He sighed heavily. “Shapeshifters can only transform into things they’ve…eaten…”
Jasmyn and I both gasped. I recovered quicker. “So, did you eat a person as a dragon?” I wondered seriously.
He nodded. “Accidentally, believe it or not. It’s a complicated story, but neither your mother nor I were interested in having me fight and eat a demon just to be like her. She was fine with my human form.”
I nodded slowly, trying to process this new information regarding my father. I still couldn’t believe I had never known this, but it made sense now why they would have kept it from me.
Was he finally telling me because he felt like I was old enough now that I could control my magic?
“So what else can you turn into?” I asked cautiously.
He shrugged. “Nothing really. It has to be an intelligent creature, so all the animals I’ve eaten haven’t done anything for me. And I really would never eat an intelligent creature on purpose.”
I had no problem believing him. But no
w I was curious. “So, did you meet mom as a dragon or human?” I wondered.
He smirked at me again, running his hand through his red hair at the memory. “A dragon actually. She fell in love with my red scales. When she approached me to try to talk, I decided to change into a human to greet her.” He laughed. “Most demons would be hesitant to approach a dragon like that, but she wasn’t afraid at all. It helps that she’s a super powerful mage.” He chuckled again. “Needless to say, she was really moved by the fact that I’d turn myself into something easy to kill just to allow her to be more comfortable talking to me.”
He looked at me meaningfully then, as he continued. “Sometimes it can be scary to offer trust without knowing a person very well, but doing so can have a powerful effect on how the relationship develops.” He then glanced at Jasmyn meaningfully too, prompting us to look at each other.
I assumed he must have been hinting at the fact that we had grown so fond of each other in so little time. For Jasmyn, I knew it would have been a lot scarier for her in the beginning if it wasn’t for the fact that she thought she was controlling me. But still, either way, offering my trust like that definitely had a powerful effect on our friendship. And even more so when she found out it was genuine.
In barely a week, I was already willing to die for her – I was already that committed to protecting her. I wasn’t sure it could get any more serious than that. Granted, it sounded like we might have a long time to find out just how close we would become, assuming I could keep her safe.
“Oh, and there’s something else,” I admitted, sighing heavily. “Kaylee’s not dead.”
Jasmyn’s eyes widened in surprise as my father responded. “Kaylee? She was one of the kids?”
I nodded, unable to meet his gaze. “I went to visit her last night,” I said quietly. “I thought about taking care of the problem to protect us, but I couldn’t do it.”
My father abruptly reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “Alyssa,” he said firmly. “What have I always told you?”
“That every life matters?” I wondered hesitantly.
He nodded. “You shouldn’t kill her just because she knows something. That’s not how your mother and I raised you.”
I gawked at him. “But you said–”
He cut me off, his voice firmer. “I didn’t scold Jasmyn for something she had already done, and clearly regretted doing. That’s not the same thing as approving of what she did. I don’t approve, but I’m also not going to make her feel worse when she clearly already feels horrible about it.”
Jasmyn was staring at the table again, her expression pained.
“Oh,” I said simply. So then, I made the right decision after all.
My dad continued. “If Kaylee involves you in this situation, then we’ll just leave. Your mother and I already have a plan in the event something happens. She would know where to meet us.” He paused. “Of course, the better option may be to try to talk to her, if you think that’s possible. Otherwise, just leave her alone and see how she handles it.”
“But what if we find out too late?” I wondered. “What if a bunch of people show up at our door and try to hurt us? Hurt Jasmyn?” I emphasized.
He shrugged. “I can still turn into a dragon if needed, and I’m definitely not worried about anyone hurting you, especially not now that your magic is under your control.” He stood up abruptly. “As for Jasmyn…” He walked out of the kitchen.
I craned my neck as I watched him run to his room, only to return while threading a gold ring with a crimson gem onto a thin gold chain. Once he was standing in front of us again, he held it up towards me expectantly.
I quickly held out my hand, and he lowered the ring into my palm, followed by the chain. He then gently curled my fingers around it. “This was a gift from your mother to me. She gave it to me before she knew I couldn’t use magic, having assumed I could since most dragons are able to.” He paused. “Shapeshifters generally can’t use magic, no matter what race they are initially born as.” He sighed, seeming a little somber about that truth. “This is a very powerful ring that, when worn, will protect the wearer from harm. However, unlike your amulet, which didn’t use magic, this sucks up an immense amount of energy. It should only be worn on a finger if absolutely needed.”
I gave him a confused look. “And this is for me?” I wondered.
“I wouldn’t feel right about giving this to someone I barely know,” he replied carefully. “However, I am giving it to you, which means it’s yours now to give to anyone you choose, to be worn around the neck unless their life is in danger.”
“Oh!” I grinned at him and jumped up to wrap my arms around his neck. “Thanks dad! I love you!”
“I love you too, sweetie.”
I pulled away. “But what happens if the wearer runs out of magic?” I asked seriously.
“Then they’ll be in a risky situation,” he admitted. “They’ll have no magic to call upon to protect themselves, and the ring will stop protecting them too. Otherwise, nothing bad will happen. The user would be just like a magicless person wearing a normal ring.”
I nodded, turning towards Jasmyn. She had her hand curled up against her chest like she was uncertain of herself. I smiled at her. “May I?” I asked, holding out the chain with the ring dangling on it. The red gem was really pretty.
She glanced at the jewelry, then at me, and then at my dad, before returning her gaze to mine again. “Are you sure?” she whispered. “That seems like a really valuable ring.”
“It is,” I agreed. “So I want you to wear it.”
She hesitated before nodding slowly.
I leaned forward and slipped it over her white hair. The thin chain was just big enough to fit over her head without effort. She gently touched the ring with her fingers as it rested on her chest. “Thank you,” she whispered, quickly glancing at me and then looking at my dad. She seemed to be unsure of who she should thank.
He laughed. “Don’t thank me. I was going to give it to Alyssa one day anyway, so it really is hers. I certainly can’t use it.”
Jasmyn nodded, returning her gaze to mine. “Thank you,” she repeated, putting even more feeling into her words.
I grinned at her. “You’re welcome!”
My dad chimed in again. “It might be a good idea to try it out later, to figure out how long it will last before it uses up your magic. But if you’re dealing with humans, Jasmyn, it will likely be better to try using your ‘snake eye’ rather than use this. The ring would be more beneficial to use against an unseen enemy, or one that is stronger than you – a threat your compulsion magic won’t work on.”
Jasmyn nodded in acknowledgment.
I looked down at my unfinished breakfast and sighed, thinking about the day now that her safety was taken care of. “So I guess I’ll try to go see Kaylee after school…” I considered out loud. “Or do you think that’s a bad idea?” I asked my dad.
“That’s probably okay. Although, if she’s awake and doesn’t want to see you, then don’t press the issue. From her perspective, it sounds like she knows you were severely hurt, so you’re going to have to deal with the problem of her realizing you’re not injured now. Probably best to not tell her specifically why. Keep it vague.” He paused. “I assume she also knows that you have a connection to Jasmyn?”
I nodded in response. “Yes, we were all there when it happened, Jasmyn included. I was trying to protect her.”
He inclined his chin. “So then, if Kaylee mentions her, you might get questioned about your involvement. Although, you could probably get by with claiming you weren’t involved at all.”
“How do you figure?” I wondered seriously.
“Because if she does say anything about Jasmyn, then she will probably also mention that you were hurt too. Whether she blames the injury on Ryker, or lies and says it was Jasmyn, it won’t matter. When everyone else sees that you are obviously fine, they are going to suspect the trauma is messing with her memory of
what happened.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Oh. Okay, yeah that could work.” I smirked. “I can play that off if needed.” My grin widened. While I didn’t think Kaylee deserved death, I also didn’t have a problem with making everyone else think she was crazy. “Thanks dad!”
He smiled warmly. “You’re welcome. Just use your best judgment. And if something happens, then we’ll leave if needed, so don’t worry if it doesn’t work out.”
I sighed. “Yeah, but I really like living here,” I admitted. “In this house,” I clarified. “I’m not a fan of the people here, but this is where I grew up.”
He reached out and ran his fingers through my black hair. “I know, sweetie. But safety comes first.”
“Yeah, I know,” I sighed. I then took a deep breath and began to finish my breakfast, since I had to leave for school soon. It sucked that I still had to go to school after what happened, but at least I knew Jasmyn was safe and would be home when I returned. It made me happy thinking about it.
My best friend really lived with me now!
My dad returned to his seat to finish his food too, hurrying like me. Jasmyn was already done eating, not having bothered to chew any of her breakfast, so she just stared down at the table with her fingers gently clasping the ring around her neck.
We were all quiet for a few seconds, before a thought unexpectedly occurred to me. A very disturbing thought.
“Dad…” I began hesitantly. “You said you can only turn into an intelligent creature you’ve…eaten…”
He nodded slowly, examining my disturbed expression. “Yes?” he finally asked, when I didn’t continue.
“Is it possible the thing that ate Ryker…” I took a deep breath. “Was a shapeshifter trying to take human form?”
His eyes widened in shock as he considered that.
“Well,” my dad finally began after a long silence, “that would be a problem.”
“Why is that?” I wondered seriously, exchanging a glance with Jasmyn. I assumed it might be bad if a shapeshifter was in town, but I didn’t exactly know why it would be a problem.
Magicbound to a Snake Girl Page 7