“He told me to fight him off.” I fiddled with my hoodie’s strings, not wanting to see their disbelief, not willing to believe I was falling for Mavros’ lies again. “When I tried, my ice turned to fire and then turned on me.”
Samantha looked at Dan and Cody, then stared at me. “Don’t you see?” She threw her hands up to emphasize the last word. “It’s him. He’s playing games with you again.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to corral the words in my mouth. I needed to think about what to say and how to say it. Impulsiveness would just cause a rift.
“She doesn’t.” Cody’s voice was pain-filled. “With him, she can’t see reason.”
My face felt hot and tingly. I dropped my chin to my chest. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right.” The words left behind a thickness in my throat that I couldn’t swallow. “He toyed with me before.” I crumpled against the back of the couch. “Maybe this is a game to him.”
Dan blew out a breath. “It could be, but … someone else is involved. Somebody brought him here.” He shivered. “Whoever that is, they’re the real threat.”
“Do you have any ideas?” Samantha seemed to deflate.
I stared at the ceiling. “I don’t think it would be the Nephilim. If they’re good”—I used air quotes around the word—“it doesn’t seem like something they’d do. Nobody else has shown themselves.” I pulled my lip into my mouth, trying to think if there had been any clues. “Malcolm said it would have to be somebody pretty powerful.”
My muscles relaxed, and a sense of tranquility washed over me. A knock on the door made me realize why I suddenly felt so calm. Aurelia was here. I got up and let her in.
She stood by the door, gazing over my shoulder instead of at me. “I am sorry that you felt I abandoned you. Sometimes I forget that emotions can replace instinct and knowledge.” She finally looked into my eyes, and I saw regret in hers. “Even though I live among you, I do not always understand how my actions will be perceived.”
“It’s okay.” I clutched my elbows. “I should’ve known better.” I turned to go back to the couch. When she didn’t immediately follow, I glanced at her over my shoulder. “Do you wanna come in and sit down?”
“Yes.” She sat in Cookie Monster and nodded at the others. “Malcolm relayed everything that has been going on here. I have to go back to the Nephilim soon, but I talked to him about training with you. I would like him to work with you on regaining your powers when someone else takes control of them.”
I nodded. “That’d be good.”
“Who’s doing it?” Cody asked.
Aurelia didn’t miss a beat. “My first impulse is Mavros.”
Without meaning to, I rolled my eyes. I hoped nobody noticed. I didn’t want to argue, but I didn’t agree.
“However, I believe it goes deeper than that.” She picked at a string hanging off the chair. “We need to figure out who is controlling him and what they want with Dacia.”
L
Aurelia went with us to Althea. I was sure the other dragons came along, but I didn’t see them. We went to The Avalanche. After ordering, Aurelia said, “The Nephilim may be willing to back off. I just have to prove to them that you are incorruptible.”
I set my drink down and laughed. “How can you prove that?”
“They have been looking through my memories.” She tapped her head.
“Do they know you’re here with me?”
The waitress brought our food. My appetite had been slowly returning, and the smell of my burger made my stomach rumble. I took a big bite of it, and Cody smiled at me.
“Yes, they are aware.” She sliced her nearly raw steak and held it in front of her mouth. “When I return, they will sort through my memories and make sure they match up with what they were before. They will also check my new memories.”
Samantha stabbed her salad. “How long will you be with them before they decide to leave her alone?”
“I hope it will not take too much longer.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I believe I am getting through to them. The Nephilim that have been on campus watching Dacia have reported that she shows no outward signs of corruption. However, they also told them that she refuses to accept their offer of sanctuary.” She focused on me. “They do not understand why you feel like they are trying to cage you. They believe they are offering you freedom and a second chance.”
Knowing this memory would be shown to the Nephilim, I tried to figure out what to say to convey how I felt. “If they weren’t free to come and go as they please, they would probably feel differently about it.” I dragged my fries through mustard and shoved them into my mouth. I wanted to tell her how stupid they were for believing that, but I also wanted them to go away soon.
“I will be leaving tomorrow morning.” She soaked a piece of bread in the blood on her plate. “While I am gone, let Malcolm know anything you would normally tell me. He will relay it to me.” She shoved the bread into her mouth, and I had to look away.
“You can’t talk to her”—Dan pointed at me with the onion rings in his hands—“but can’t you talk to us?”
“I can project my thoughts to you, but you cannot communicate with me.”
Cody put his Philly down and wiped his hands off. “Phones?” He took a drink of his pop.
“Technology does not work inside the Nephilim’s safe havens.” She smiled at Cody like he should’ve known that.
“Well, that makes it even worse.” I leaned back in my chair. “They want to trap me, keep me away from my friends and family, and there isn’t even a way to contact them.”
“In their defense, your family and friends would be allowed in to see you,” Aurelia said.
I shook
