I sat up, looking at my arm, then at Malcolm. “How did you heal it?”
“With magic.” The snarky tone of his voice made me wonder if my injury had interrupted something. “How else?”
“Did I do something?” I wrapped my arms around my legs. “Are you mad at me?”
Cash wrinkled his nose. “It’s your blood.”
“Oh.” I rubbed my hand over the nonexistent wound. “But what about the venom?”
Malcolm shook his head. “There wasn’t any.”
I twisted my arm, not believing what I was seeing. Demon wounds always took a long time to heal from except for when Mavros himself healed me. “That’s weird. Mavros never attacked me without venom before. Why now?”
“Mavros attacked you?” Cody sat down and pulled me onto his lap, holding me tightly against him. “How?”
I folded my arms over Cody’s. “He made me teleport. I don’t know how he does it or how to keep myself from going to him.” I went on to tell them what he’d said and what he’d done. Then I looked at Malcolm. “He told me to have you protect me from his call.”
Val sat beside Cody and me. He patted me on the head and leaned in closely, sniffing my hair, and the blood on my shirt. Bending down, he licked my arm. I pushed his head away, and Cash growled at him.
I looked each of the dragons in the eyes. “Keep quiet so Marcy doesn’t realize Cody’s here. If he’s found here, after hours again, he’ll be expelled.”
“If she comes,” Tye said, “we can make it look like the room’s empty.” He tilted his head. “Can’t you?”
“I’ve never tried.” I pushed Cody’s arms out, loosening his grip on me. “Right now, I wouldn’t trust my magic enough to do it anyway.”
“So, can you?” Cody looked at Malcolm.
Malcolm’s eyebrows pinched together. “Can I what?”
“Keep her from going to him.” Cody’s arms tightened again.
“Yes.” He flipped his cornrows over his shoulder, making the beads clank together. “I will have to stay here with you, though.” He walked to the window and opened it, sticking his nose up against the screen.
I took the hint. “All right.” I pushed out of Cody’s arms. “I need to clean up and change.”
Malcolm turned invisible while he walked to the bathroom with me. As soon as we confirmed nobody else was in there, he showed himself. His presence was comforting. He stood with me at the sink while I washed, turning his back when I slipped on a new shirt.
On our way back to my room, I said, “Who’s controlling him? I thought it might be the Nephilim, but after my dream, I don’t anymore.”
“I don’t know,” he whispered. “There is no end to the creatures who would try to corrupt you.”
My chin dropped to my chest. I knew that but hated hearing it said out loud.
When I opened the door, Cody leaned back and mumbled, “Thank God.”
Malcolm made himself comfortable in Big Bird, and I lay on the couch with Cody. I gazed into Malcolm’s eyes. His pupils practically glowed in the darkness. “I will keep you safe.”
“Thank you.” I tried to close my eyes and go to sleep, but it felt so weird having somebody watch me. I turned, trying to get comfortable.
“Would you like me to make you sleep?”
I looked over my shoulder at him. “No, I’ll figure it out.”
D
“Are you okay?” Mavros sounds broken.
I step toward him. “Yes. You didn’t use your venom.”
He closes his eyes, covering his mouth with his hand. “I didn’t know if it would work. I’ve never tried to stop it before.”
“Are there any clues you can give me?” I step closer still, reaching for his hand. “Can I see in your memories who’s doing this?”
He pulls back, keeping me from touching him. “Someone cl—” He bends forward clutching his stomach. His body shudders.
“It’s okay,” I say. Tears well up in my eyes. I hate to see anybody suffer. “Don’t try again.”
He sits on the ground. “Try.” He points to his eyes.
I kneel in front of him, gazing into his obsidian irises. I see the dragons dragging him off. I see the dragons in my room, protecting me. I see the dragons playing basketball with me and my friends. Mavros stands in the hallway watching us. The Nephilim follow behind me, and the dragons surround me.
Leaning back, I tug my hand through my hair. “I don’t know what to make of that. None of it seems very helpful.”
“Really?” He shakes his head. “Think.”
I look at him, wondering if he saw something different than I did. “All you showed me were the dragons.”
He nods.
“But … they’re protecting me.”
“Some are. Some are only pretending to be.” His body convulses. He falls to his side, clutching his head.
I snapped my eyes open.
“What is it?” Malcolm asked.
I sat up and held my head in my hands. “Mavros showed me more memories.”
“And?” Cody’s hand ran along my back.
I focused on Malcolm’s eyes and sent him my memory. “He says it’s one of you.”
Malcolm’s pupils turned to slits, and his fangs lengthened. “And, you trust him?” His voice was more of a growl.
“I don’t know.” I paced across the room. Ten steps. Then ten steps back. I looked out the window, wondering if Mavros was there. Wondering what would become of him. His master would not be forgiving. “I know it’s not you or Russ.” I paced ten steps, then ten more, trying to gather my thoughts. “I trust Arianna implicitly.”
“Why?”
“I’ve seen your memories and Russ’. I’ve felt your auras.” I stood in front of him. Up close, I could see that black scales covered his arms and neck. “Arianna saved my friends after I freed her from Draconian.”
“The others?” His tongue was black and forked.
I knelt down in front of him, taking his hands in mine. His fingers were scaled. They were tipped with sharp talons. “I need you to calm down. There isn’t room for your dragon here.”
“The vow
