My body bounced against her shoulder, snapping me out of Mavros’ hold. She sprinted to the wooded area between Quartz Building and Kalmia Hall before teleporting to my room.
My stomach lurched when we came to a halt. She lowered me to the ground, and I looked around the room. Cody and Dan sat on the couch holding their video game controllers, staring at us.
“Thank you,” I said to the dragons. “I’m sorry I made you show yourselves.”
A dark-skinned man with blond hair bowed his head. “We are here to protect you at all costs. Do not concern yourself with us.”
“What happened?” Cody stepped behind me and slid his arm around my back.
I sucked in a deep breath and pinched my eyes shut. Cody wouldn’t like the answer, but there was no way to sugarcoat it. “Damon.”
His fingers tightened on my waist, but otherwise, he didn’t show any emotion.
The doorknob jiggled, and Samantha walked in. She stopped, surveying the room. “Fun day?” She closed the door and stepped up to the dragons, holding her hand out. “I’m Samantha.”
The black man took her hand first. “Jax.”
“You may call me Mara.” The female dragon nodded. She must’ve been 6’8”. Her dark hair was pulled into a fishtail braid.
The next dragon was shorter and stockier than the others. My thoughts instantly turned to the red dragon that had chased me through the forest in one of my nightmares. He rolled his neck. “I suppose Mortimer will do.”
“I can’t tell you why, but I’ve always liked the name Seth.” The last dragon stepped forward and shook Samantha’s hand. His voice was softer than I expected. It didn’t match his muscular frame and blue hair.
Dan waved at them from the couch but said nothing. Cody shook each of their hands. “Thanks for getting her away.”
“He is not the problem,” the female dragon said. “We must figure out who controls him. Once that person is defeated, Mavros will return to the Abyss.”
“This is the first time he’s tried to control me.” I sat down, slumping forward. “He warned me to leave. Told me he couldn’t resist much longer.”
“Why?” Cody shook his head. “Why do you believe him?”
“He showed me his memories.”
Cody sat on the couch and held my gaze with his. “Think they were real?”
I nodded almost imperceptibly.
Pain lanced through his eyes. “He lies.”
“I know.” I dragged my hand through my hair and told them about the memories I’d seen. I didn’t tell them about the remorse I’d seen in his eyes.
Samantha sat next to Cody. Her voice was soft. “He’s playing you.”
“No.” Seth shook his head. “I saw him mourn her death. I watched from the mountaintop as Dacia plunged the blade into her chest. His howl was heartbroken.” He sat down. “He held her body until the Abyss called him back. I had never seen a demon grieve before that moment.”
Cody leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t believe this.”
Seth grasped the arms of the chair and growled. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. “I would not lie.”
“He knows,” Dan said. “It’s not you he doesn’t believe.” He tilted his head like he was trying to figure out what to say. “The situation has him baffled.”
The dragon relaxed his grip. “I see.”
“Is she safe here?” Mortimer asked. “Shall we go back to our posts?”
Mara tilted her head like Aurelia did when she was communicating with Arion or the other dragons. “Yes. We must keep watch.”
“Stay safe.” Jax turned invisible. “Do not hesitate to ask for help.”
The other dragons followed his lead. I felt it when they teleported out of the room. “They’re gone.” I stood up and walked to the window, half-expecting to see Damon standing outside. “One of my guards must be controlling Mavros.”
“Why?” Samantha asked.
I turned and looked at my three closest friends. “As soon as they found out they wouldn’t be in class with me today, they must’ve sent Damon in. It was the opportune time to have him try to control me.”
Dan sat beside Samantha and draped his arm over her shoulders. I wanted to go to Cody, but I was afraid he wouldn’t want anything to do with me.
Dacia, come back to me.
I spun around and looked down. Damon stood in the shadow of the trees.
Come out here to me.
“Cody.” My voice was strained, and he felt the urgency in it.
He jumped up and wrapped his arms around me. “He here?”
“Yes.” I felt like a fish on a hook about to be reeled in.
Cody pressed his lips to mine and pulled me against him. The hook slipped, and Damon tugged harder. I slid my hands under Cody’s shirt and up his back. He lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He pressed me against the wall and deepened the kiss.
Dacia, help me. Damon’s voice was strained.
I held Cody as tightly as I could and teleported us to Cougar Lake. Damon’s pull on me completely disappeared.
Hazy, afternoon light filtered down through the spruce and pine trees. It danced along the ground casting shadows on the undergrowth. Cody wobbled slightly as he set me on my feet.
“I’m sorry.” I pulled my hand through my hair. Guilt tore a hole in my chest. I didn’t want to put Cody through this again, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t ignore Damon’s call. I couldn’t go with the Nephilim. I needed the dragons to figure out who summoned him. As much as I’d missed him, I needed him out of my life. “He wouldn’t stop calling me.”
Cody walked away from me and leaned against a tree. “Can’t do this again, Dacia.”
I stared down at my feet. “I know.” My heart plummeted, but I couldn’t blame him. Things had been hard enough the first time Damon was in my life. “I can take you back.”
“No.” He held his hand out to me. “Let’s walk.”
“Are you sure?”
He
