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, Mavros?” 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
