I sent calming energy into him, hoping it would work like it had when Aurelia had done it to me. “I know but not here, not now.”
Some of the scales on his neck disappeared. “The others?”
“Val is creepy.” I shrugged. “He licked my arm earlier.”
“Did he taste your blood?”
“I don’t know. He might’ve.” I tried to remember, but I didn’t know for sure. “I don’t really think he’d betray me, though. Cash scares me, but he stood up for me against the Nephilim. Tye seems trustworthy. He’s been really nice since he’s been here. I don’t know anything about the four who chose to remain unseen. It could be one of them. If Mavros would’ve shown me one of their faces, I wouldn’t have known who it was.”
Malcolm’s features had returned to normal. “I don’t even know who the four other dragons are.” He let go of my hands. “I need to contact Aurelia and see what she knows.” He leaned back and closed his eyes.
I sat back down on the couch with Cody.
“You believe him?” he asked.
I rested my head on his shoulder. “I don’t know what to think.” Aurelia trusted my guards. They had protected me in Althea. They’d shielded me from the Nephilim and kept me safe when my magic failed. If I couldn’t trust them, who could I trust?
Chapter 13
Keep Your Friends Close
On the way to class, I studied all of the dragons surrounding my friends and me. Malcolm had stationed Val as far from me as possible. I wondered if he’d discovered whether or not Val had tasted my blood. A chill ran down my spine at the thought of it.
I looked away from Val, not wanting to think about it anymore, and focused on the others. All of them seemed to genuinely care about me and my friends. Even Cash had shown less animosity toward me lately. I scanned the skies, wondering if the other dragons flew above us, if they were invisible, or if they walked among us in plain sight but unbeknownst to us.
Tye stepped closer to me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I looked up into his green eyes and saw his concern for me. “Why?”
“You seem a little somber today.” He squeezed my shoulder. “I know last night was rough on you.”
I snorted and slowly shook my head. “Most of them are. I used to love to sleep, not so much these days.”
“Maybe someday you will find peace.” He smiled at me, and hope fluttered in my belly.
“Thanks, Tye.”
L
After class ended, we went to Sedum Hall for lunch. Cassandra and Bryce joined us. “So,” Cassandra said, “there are more of them again. Are things not going well?”
“I don’t know.” I shoved a forkful of pasta into my mouth. “I have …” I looked at them, wondering how much I should really say and realizing Samantha and Dan didn’t know what had happened last night yet. “I have premonitions.”
“Really.” Bryce leaned toward me. “That’s so cool.”
I rolled my eyes. “It might be if I knew which were just regular dreams and which were prophecy.” I took a drink and decided I might as well tell them what I knew. The dragons would be able to hear every word I said, but they were always watching, always listening. “If last night’s dream was a premonition, they”—I nodded at the dragons’ table—“will let them”—I waved at the Nephilim—“take me … soon.”
“Why?” Samantha set her fork down and glared at the dragons.
Cody wiped his mouth. “Don’t know.”
“I don’t know if that’s why so many of the N—” I caught myself, remembering I hadn’t told Cassandra and Bryce what creatures followed me “—of them started following me again or if they forgot they were afraid of Cash.”
Cody looked at Dan and Samantha. “Mavros attacked her.”
“What?” Samantha asked.
Dan’s eyes widened. “When?”
“Last night.” I set my fork on my plate and lowered my voice. “He made me go to him.”
“So, are you okay?” Samantha fiddled with her bracelet.
Cassandra leaned closer. “What do you mean?”
Cody nodded at Samantha. “No venom.”
“He made me teleport out to him when he was here before.” I lifted one shoulder and met Cassandra’s ice-blue eyes.
“That doesn’t make sense.” Dan leaned back in his chair. “He must’ve told the truth about not wanting to hurt you.”
Samantha shook her head. “Don’t fall for it for a moment, Dacia. You can’t trust him.”
I leaned as far forward as possible and whispered. “I really can’t trust anyone. It seems that he may have been summoned by someone close to me.” I sat back. “That’s all I can say right now.” I picked up my fork and started shoveling in my lunch. I needed to eat to keep my strength up, but I’d lost my appetite. I hated thinking about being kidnapped and caged. I hated thinking that somebody I trusted would betray me.
One of the last things I wanted was to turn into a cynical person who trusted nobody. I would never be naïve and innocent, but I hoped I could look at people and see the best in them and that I could trust them until they proved otherwise.
“So”—Bryce tossed his napkin onto his tray—“you all up for a game of basketball or do you have classes this afternoon?”
“I’m out,” I said. “I’ve got Shakespeare.”
Bryce groaned. “What a horrible class.”
Dan and Cody laughed and held their hands out to Bryce for high fives.
“I’ve got class, too,” Samantha said.
I looked over at the dragons. “Who wants to stay with Cody and Dan and play basketball?”
Malcolm glanced at his companions and said, “Arianna will go with Samantha. I will go with Dacia. The rest of you can play.” Is that okay with you?
Yes. That leaves one dragon I know I can trust with each of us. Thank you.
I finished my lunch and stood
