This was someone who belonged in the sun.
Today, he was dressed in a fitted white t-shirt that contrasted with his golden-brown skin and a pair of ripped jeans. Not stylish and deliberately created for fashion either, the pants were just old and worn in.
His attention wasn't on me. He was giving the guard a hard look. The young man moved back to his proper pose, completely at attention once again.
Then Ashur’s piercing eyes moved over to me and I was subject to the full force of the Dragon Lord’s attention. Intimidating, yes. It really wasn't fair that anyone could have so much sex appeal.
His eyes left mine for a moment to look over to where Omari was lying in one of the beds.
"Keeping watch? Do you think we would hurt a child?" he asked, his eyes turning back to me, his jaw tight. "We aren't animals."
I refused to be made wrong for my caution. "Well, we're not exactly here of our own volition," I pointed out, crossing my arms. "And I'm responsible for his safety."
He looked away from me and over to the tops of the buildings, his eyes tracking the two dragons I was watching earlier.
"I give you my word that we won't hurt him. He's safe here."
I looked back over at Omari and Hathai, who was watching him. I'd taken her for a complete hard-ass, but even I could see that her face had softened as she stood next to the kid.
"I need to speak to you. Would you be comfortable if we just went to the other side of the roof?" Ashur asked.
I sighed, nodding. If something happened, I wouldn't be too far. "Lead the way."
He led us all the way to the other end of the railing. He leaned against it like he had last night, bracing his forearms.
I took up a spot next to him warily. "What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked.
He looked down at the streets, one wrist loosely clasped in his other hand. After a beat of silence, he looked over at me, his eyes scanning my exposed skin. I really wished I'd taken the time to get dressed. My mind hadn't been on myself at all because of Omari’s condition this morning and I was still in the tank top and loose bottoms I’d worn to sleep last night.
"I want to talk about you." That didn't sound good. His next question confirmed that thought. "Mia—do you know who your parents are?"
My heart gave a hard thump inside my chest.
Chapter Eleven
My eyes were locked on the side of his face as he turned back to the street below.
Nothing changed outwardly, but it was like I was standing completely naked. My heartbeat was fast, my mouth was dry, and I was frozen in place.
"That's none of your business," I finally said. "And no, you can't argue that it is this time."
He shrugged and turned to me, his blue eyes calm and watchful. "You've never been around dragons before, have you?" he asked after a moment.
I stayed silent.
"I can smell it on you, you know." His eyes scanned my face. "I knew even before you came out into the sun."
I swallowed, unable to look away from his direct gaze. "Smell what?"
"That you're not human." He frowned at me a little. "Or at least not all human."
He could smell it on me? No wonder everyone had been sniffing at me so weirdly. I had no idea a dragon's sense of smell was so acute. Spending my entire life in the city dome had left me at a real disadvantage. No wonder my mom didn't want me leaving.
I was so worried about my skin giving me away, I hadn't even considered my scent. I looked down at my arm. I had a rose-gold sheen to my skin, though it wasn't nearly as apparent as Ashur’s golden shine. At certain angles, he looked like he was made of the warm metal.
"You didn't know I could smell it on you?" he asked curiously.
"No." There was no point in denying it now.
"So, was it your mother or your father who was phoenix? And which side was dragon?"
I must have misheard him. "What?"
He straightened, keeping one hand on the railing. "Which side was which?"
"I...I'm part dragon. My mother was mixed. But I'm not phoenix." I'd always assumed my father must also have been at least part dragon.
Ashur took a step towards me. I stood completely still as he leaned in and took in another breath, this time close to my neck. When he exhaled, his hot breath sent tingles down my spine. My hands clenched into fists. He finally straightened, shaking his head.
"I'm not mistaken," he said confidently, watching my face. "You're also part phoenix." He took my wrist in hand and stretched my arm out, the contact sending a jolt through me. "Just look at your skin if you don't believe me. It isn't gold like a dragon or copper like a phoenix, but a shade somewhere in between. The shine is dimmer due to the human aspect, but the tone is unmistakable."
I shook my head, pulling my arm away from the callused heat of his hand and looking away from him to the city, though I wasn't really seeing anything.
"That's not possible," I said, even as doubt seeped in. "My mom would have told me. And I know phoenixes and dragons can't stand each other."
He watched me, thoughts running through his eyes. "True enough. But do you really believe intermingling has never happened? We didn't always used to be so separated. And in the end, we're all just people." I didn't know how to answer that. "Where is your mother now?" he continued.
I swallowed, tightness in my eyes and my throat. It would be really nice to have her to talk to right now. Someone I could confide in.
"She's dead," I said. An awkward pause followed, one I was familiar with since childhood.
"I'm sorry," Ashur offered, his voice softer now.
I shrugged. "It's been a long time." I liked to say that when people heard about my mother. Even though the truth was, it still seemed like yesterday. I didn't want to betray that vulnerability if I could help it.
"Maybe she was waiting to tell you until you grew older," he suggested gently.
"Hmmm." Mom never answered any of my questions. I didn't know if age would have changed that about her. But I was stronger and more assertive now. Maybe it would have made a difference. Not that I would ever know.
"Look," he continued, reaching out to touch my arm again lightly. "I'm not bringing this up for no reason. Your scent is very unusual. Any dragon and any phoenix, if they get close enough to you, will pick up on the fact that you're part phoenix, dragon, and human. I know I don't have to tell you how rare that is. The fact that you have such a significant amount of all three that I could scent them so clearly, means that you can't hide it. Not out here. Maybe among humans who can't smell worth shit," he added with a touch of derision.
"Watch it," I said mildly, though I wasn't really offended. "I'm part human too."
His lips tilted in a small smile. But it faded as he regarded me. "The only reason I'm bringing this up is because you're planning on taking that child to phoenix territory. Is that a good idea?"
I sighed. Not really. "It doesn't matter if it's a good idea. It's the job I accepted and the job I have to carry out."
He stared, his face stoic. "You shouldn't have taken the job."
"I didn't have a choice."
"Of course you did."
I didn't owe him an explanation. But maybe this was part of the reason he was keeping us here. "I have to take Omari to phoenix territory. His family is there."
"Are they?" he countered. "If they cared so much, why isn't he with them already? Why did he end up with you? I'm assuming you were in the city dome directly south of here, correct?"
I nodded. That wasn't a secret.
He continued. "I know you were trying to drive through our territory at night to avoid contact, so you had some reason to be wary of dragons. I'm not saying that instinct was wrong.” He paused for a long moment, his eyes far away, looking over the city to the horizon. “Do you know anything about phoenixes? Because they're much worse than dragons. Harsher. Especially their king." His mouth tightened. "It must run in their line, that thread of cruelty."
I frowned. "H
arsher in what way?"
"In every way," he said, his face grim. "Harsher with their children, much harsher with outsiders. The idea of purity that started the war didn't disappear after it ended. If you'd attempted to travel through phoenix territory like you did mine, they wouldn't have hesitated at seeing the child. They would've killed you on sight."
I had the urge to point out that that was exactly what I'd feared would happen in his territory. Maybe his own suspicion was unfounded. But I shouldn't mention that. Hey, maybe as I got older I was actually learning how to watch my tongue.
"Are you sure you're not biased?" Or maybe not.
His face hardened. "You can choose to believe me or not," he said, his expression more distant now. "I have no reason to lie to you. And this isn't anything beyond a friendly warning."
"Consider me warned," I returned just as coolly.
He nodded once and stepped away. I watched his back as he disappeared through the door then I turned back to the view. Way to alienate the one person whose mercy we were at right now. Real smart move. In my defense, he'd completely blindsided me with this conversation, and it had left me uncomfortable and unsettled. What did any of this mean? Did it change anything really?
If I was part dragon or part phoenix, or both, that didn't change the fact that I was probably safest in the city dome where I didn't have a lot of interaction with either. Especially now that I knew both phoenixes and dragons would know that I was partially their blood just by scent. I was under no illusions that my mother was living in a city dome among humans because that was what she wanted in life. There was no other reason for us to be there other than for protection.
If what Ashur said about the phoenixes was accurate, should I take Omari there? Why would I be hired to transport him if there wasn't someone there who wanted him, who cared about him?
This wasn't a job I’d sought out, but now it was more than a job. I was involved way beyond a professional level. If I didn't take Omari to the final destination, Santiago would be sure to rat me out. However, if it was between protecting myself or Omari, there wasn't a contest. For better or worse, I was in charge of his safety. He couldn't protect himself yet.
I shook my head, bending over to rest my head in my hands, bracing my elbows on the railing. Somehow, this had turned into an even-more-complicated mess than it already was.
"Mia?"
I turned at Omari's voice to find him sitting up in bed, looking for me.
"I'm right here," I called out, hurrying over to him. His relieved smile when he saw me pulled at my heart in a way nothing really had for a long time. For good or bad, I was well and truly emotionally invested.
As I sat down next to Omari and hugged him back when he reached for me, I was more conflicted than ever.
What should I do?
What was the right thing to do?
Chapter Twelve
"And then Cara changed and showed me her dragon form! She was this big!" Omari stretched his arms out as far as they could go and looked at them. "Even bigger than this!"
I laughed, transferring more fruit to his plate. "Eat the strawberries," I said.
He lowered his arms and happily stuffed his face. He was looking much better than he had just a couple of days ago. The gray tinge to his skin was gone and he had more energy than ever. He didn't lag anymore when the sun went down, either.
He was still spending most of his days up on the roof soaking in the sun, which Hathai had suggested—turned out she was a nurse who had some experience with children. It might have been why she'd been assigned to us in the first place. Some of the dragon children had started venturing out on the roof now, curious about who was up there. The guards were still very careful, staying close to us when their own children came near Omari or me. Not that I blamed them.
Omari had blossomed under the attention of the handful of children brave enough to wander up to him. At first, I was afraid they would be unkind, but they weren't. They were sure to include Omari in their games. Then I was afraid they'd change and fly off, leaving Omari out, but then I found out that dragons were only able to really fly after they turned eight. The young kids could glide if they jumped off the building and landed safely, but they weren’t yet strong enough to lift themselves using only the power of their wings.
In the last day or so, Cara had emerged as his favorite. All the kids would come up to the roof and play together, but Omari tended to stay next to his new friend. I was glad he was doing better, but I wasn't sure about the emerging friendships. I was happy that he had children to play with, but the longer we stayed, the harder it would be for him to leave.
I hadn't pushed about leaving yet because I was worried about Omari. Tomorrow or the next day, he would be in good enough health to travel again. And then I would have a decision to make.
Someone hired Santiago to find a way to get Omari back to phoenix territory. So, logically, he must have a family who wanted him. Or maybe the phoenixes were just good about looking after their own kind.
But Ashur was also right about the fact that Omari was in the city dome for a reason. Why would someone have brought him there unless they were trying to protect him? That was exactly why my own mother brought me to the dome to live among the humans. She thought it would be safer to stay out of contact with dragons and phoenixes.
Our lives there hadn’t been easy, and mine wasn’t now. I had to be careful always, had to hide parts of myself to make sure that I wasn't discovered. Had to lie to everyone, even the people closest to me.
It was one of the reasons why I didn't have friends.
When I was younger, I would make them, but I wasn't much of a joiner to begin with. Having to keep such a large secret made it difficult to maintain friendships. On top of that, my mom didn't really encourage those kinds of connections. I understood as I grew older.
The more close friends I had, the more likely I was to reveal who I was to them.
And mom always told me the only person you could trust with yourself was yourself. As I got older and more experienced, I understood why she had come to such a hard conclusion about people in general. And despite that care and sacrifice, I was still found out.
No, life in the city dome wouldn't be easy for Omari either. He would have to learn to be more closed off, to be more careful. To be less himself. Didn't I owe him a chance to be himself? Didn't I owe it to him to at least go and see if it was the place for him?
He was too young to really know what it was like to not truly belonging anywhere. Even when I thought I was just part dragon and human, I didn't belong among either group. Now that I knew I was also part phoenix, I was somehow even more isolated. Part of everyone but belonging to no one.
I responded to Omari's happy chatter while he ate, but the whole time I worried, wondering what the best course of action was. My thoughts and Omari's stream of consciousness were both interrupted by a knock at the door. Raising my eyebrows, I stood up to open it.
Who would be knocking on our door right now?
I opened it and looked out, not seeing anybody.
"Hello," came from a few feet below my eye level. I looked down into Cara's big brown eyes, a cute bob highlighting the roundness of her cheeks. Today, she was dressed in a bright yellow pair of shorts, a pink t-shirt with a cheery yellow sun and white sneakers with yellow laces on her tiny feet.
"Hello," I said, smiling at her.
She twisted her hands behind herself and shuffled her feet. "Can Omari come out to play?" she asked hopefully.
"Can I?"
Light running steps behind me were almost muted by the carpet as Omari hurried to the door. "Hi Cara! Can I go out and play?" he asked again, his eyes big as he looked up at me.
I look back and forth between the two large pairs of hopeful eyes. Cuteness overload. I smiled, shaking my head. I didn't stand a chance.
"All right."
He let out a whoop and ran out into the hall with Cara. "Make sure you stay out in the sun! Take your shir
t off!"
"I will!" he yelled over his shoulder as they ran to the elevators.
Laughing to myself, I closed the door and sat down on the couch.
Without Omari in the room, quiet settled around me. I was really alone. Was I already getting used to having him around? Used to having his chatter fill the space around me, his quick smile, his enthusiastic bear hugs? If so, I was being very stupid. He wasn't mine to keep. And my life wasn't meant for a child anyway.
Maybe it never would be.
Sighing, I stood up.
I could just sit in the room and mope, feeling sorry for myself. Or I could go outside. Maybe to the car my employer had so graciously provided. All my stuff was still in there. The clean pair of sweats and the t-shirt I had on were courtesy of the guest clothing in the closet, but it would be nice to have my own things.
Maybe I could do some reconnaissance while I was out there.
I slipped my feet into my boots and left the room, closing the door behind me. The carpet sank under my feet as I traced the same path the children had just taken. As I looked around, I still couldn't get over how much money was spent on this building. The sconces, the carpeting, the paintings, the wallpaper—even the air freshener smelled expensive. Some kind of citrus and herb mix.
I stopped at a painting of a lush forest that I passed every day. A river flowed through the center, with the sun sparkling on it. I took a step closer to get a better look. The variations of green, from dark and rich to light and bright, the white edges of the water that indicated rushing motion, the clear blue of the sky... It was beautiful. It made me want to step right into the painting and revel in my surroundings.
But nothing like that was left on Earth anymore. Not after all we had done to it.
I stood and admired the beauty that once was, keenly aware of the loss of it. Shaking my head, I stepped away. Dreaming of what could have been was no use. It was one of the mottos I lived by.
Dragon Lord (Dragons & Phoenixes Book 1) Page 8