THE DRIVE WAS long and boring. I let out a huge breath and stared out of the window. The sun was busy coming up and my music had just run through all the songs I owned. Three happened to belong to Blake.
I would get a dose of goose bumps every time he sang and I hated that.
I missed Lucian again.
I didn’t know why everyone insisted that we keep on taking his SUV, as if it was the only four-wheel drive available in all of Paegeia. It only brought back memories I didn’t want to remember.
When my eyes felt too heavy, I tried hard to keep them open. I knew the minute I failed, I would dream the awful dreamsagain.
I was worried about Annie, about Charles and August, about so many people, all of them on the farms. If they were not going to be safe, I feared the worst.
Seymour wouldn’t leave it alone, especially after three of his men had disappeared.
I feared he’d make Annie pay for it. Was she even still alive?
My eyes closed again and this time they didn’t open.
I found myself inside a cave with large metal cuffs around my wrists.
Paul’s laughter filled my ears. The entire motley crew was there.
Billy was looking more and more like Blake, but I knew it wasn’t Blake.
I drowned out their words and knew that at any second, Lucian was going to barge in. The dream had changed so much from what had really happened that night, changed for the worst, as I knew for a fact it wasn’t about Lucian anymore.
My heart started to beat frantically.
An explosion went off, and the entire wall on one side of the cave burst open.
Everyone jumped out of the way to miss the boulders. Little pieces of rock fell on me. It didn’t hurt but I looked away as Lucian’s words of blowing up another cave entered my mind.
The Rubicon destroyed everything, and I woke with a jolt. The sun was setting again, and my body felt stiff. I glanced over at Blake who, was still driving. My playlist was still going and I pulled out my ear pieces. Blake was listening to other music.
I shifted my legs down the seat and stretched my arms over my head.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“She speaks. Welcome to the living,” Blake joked, and I rolled my eyes. “We are almost at point A. Close to Areeth.”
“Areeth?” I asked. “Why didn’t we use the elevators?”
“Because I don’t trust the elevators.”
“So I’m stuck on this long, boring drive, just because you don’t trust technology?”
“Okay someone woke up on the wrong side of the SUV.” He was teasing me again.
I sighed.
“We are almost there, don’t worry.”
“Sure,” I said.
I just wanted to get there and not be in this SUV a minute longer.
When the moon started to shine, Blake took the SUV off-road. I looked at him and my heart beat fast.
Blake didn’t say a word.
“Where are we going?”
He didn’t answer.
“Blake, where are you taking me?” I was becoming alarmed, and still he didn’t speak. I touched his arm hard, and he looked at me. His peacock blues were a muddy brown. Billy.
“You really thought you could escape me, Elle?”
My heart raced and then he stopped on the side of the road.
Both the doors opened, and Seymour climbed in next to me with the other man who had gotten away with them that night.
This wasn’t happening.
The doors locked just as I tried to get out.
“Hello, bird,” Seymour said, and I looked at the sky. No stars. How could this be?
He touched me hard, and I slapped at him with everything I had.
“Elena, wake up.” My eyes opened, and Blake grabbed both my hands that were still slapping him.
I looked at him, his eyes were blue again, there was nobody in the front and nobody next to me.
“It was just a dream. You are safe.”
I stared at him. That had felt so real.
“You are safe,” he said in a softer tone.
I nodded, and he let go of my hands and moved his body back into the driver’s seat.
He started the car again and carried on driving.
“This is the first time I’ve woken up.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” I lay back in my seat, and he handed me a bottle of water from the front.
I took it, opened the cap and gulped down half of it.
That dream, why did I dream that?
“Where are we?”
Don’t say Areeth please.
“We are in-between Areeth and Tith. Our accommodation is just up ahead.
I nodded.
Areeth was mentioned but so was Tith. That dream wasn’t real, it wasn’t a prediction of the future, it was just a dream.
I drank some more from the bottle, and I still felt tired.
Half an hour later, small lights started to shine in the distance.
Road signs pointing out Lake Gazeba started to pop up every mile or so and Blake took the turn-off.
We entered something that looked like a village. It had a night market and plenty of festive people. There were small houses everywhere and a huge hotel up front. He pulled in front of the hotel. I got out with him and put my hoody back onmy head.
He took out my pink backpack and a small bag from the back as I waited on the third step for him. The SUV beeped.
A valet ran down the stairs, and Blake threw him the keys without saying a word then stepped through the revolving doors. I followed.
“Just sit here, I’m going to check us in,” he told me, and I sat down. I hated being ordered around, but this was his turf, so I listened.
I watched him speaking to one gentleman and heard another coming from the opposite direction. “Blake, so glad youmade it.”
He shook hands with the man with a beautiful smile that made me look away.
“Your room is ready.”
Room?
“Rooms, two please.”
“I see.”
Blake chuckled.
“You need help with the princess?” the other man asked gently.
“The princess isn’t helpless, she can handle herself,” Blake answered, and he gestured for me to come.
I got up and approached them. The man only noticed me when I stopped inches from Blake.
“This is Gilderoy, he is the manager of this wonderful establishment.” Blake introduced me. “The princess.”
The man realized then what Blake was doing, and he stared at me.
Blake chuckled one more time.
“Sorry, my apologies, princess. This way.”
He went to the elevator, and Blake shook his head with a grin.
I followed him to a huge room and a part of me didn’t like saying goodnight to Blake, but I had no choice.
“Will you be okay?” he asked, and I nodded, not really sure if I would be.
“I’m right next door if you need anything. Just yell.”
“Sound-proof walls,” Gilderoy said.
Blake looked at him, not happy about that small piece of information. “You should put that on your website.”
“I’m sorry, is there a problem?”
“Yes, a huge one. Let’s go.”
“It’s fine, Blake.” I could tell he needed his rest. “I can take care of myself.”
He stared at me then gave Gilderoy another look that I was sure would incinerate him if he was Clark Kent and notBlake Leaf.
“Right next door.” Blake indicated with his finger which way, and I nodded.
I closed the door as he left and drew a deep breath. “You can do this. You are safe.” I had to admit, I didn’t like this sound-proof thing either.
The phone rang and I pinched myself to find out if I was awake. This could be another fucked-up dream. I picked up thephone.
“Yes.”
“I don’t like this. Open a window or something, just so I can hear.”
I huffed. This was so not like him. “I can take care of myself.”
“I know, just please, I’d be able to sleep better if I knew I’d be able to hear you.”
I sighed and my gaze settled on the couch in the room. I didn’t like it one bit, but if it put his mind at ease, then he’d most likely shut up as well. “There’s a couch in this room that you can use if it will help you sleep better tonight.”
“Okay, thanks,” he said, and presently two knocks sounded at the door.
“Look who’s the baby now,” I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.
“Whatever.” He grunted then went directly to the couch.
I closed the door and went to my room.
“Sorry about this.”
“It’s fine. How long are we staying here?”
“Till breakfast and then we leave. Say eight?”
I nodded and closed my door halfway so he could at least hear when I started to dream again.
I took a shower and crawled into bed.
It was warm, and I felt stupid that I’d forgotten to ask him if he had any blankets.
I went back to the small living room and found him sleeping in his boxers. He was already passed out.
The mark on his back was big. I felt bad that I’d been so stubborn, and pulled an extra blanket from my bed to cover him.
I switched off the lamp and returned to bed.
I’d slept the entire day, and didn’t think I would be able to sleep, but before I realized, I’d yawned again and drifted away.
At least he wasn’t cruel, I knew he would somehow wake me if they came again.
I woke to light streaming into my room. The clock on the wall said eight-thirty, and I jumped out of bed.
Shit, I was late. I pinched myself first, and I was awake, for real.
When I walked into the living room, Blake was still passed out, and I didn’t know how to wake him. He was snoringsoftly.
“Blake.” I shook him softly. No response.
“Blake!” I yelled and he woke and scanned the area around him. “It’s eight-thirty.”
“Shit.” He grunted and jumped up. “Get ready, I’ll meet you downstairs at breakfast.” He climbed into his pants and put on his shirt. He paused as he looked at something on the couch then left.
I quickly put on today’s clothes then placed everything into my backpack and went downstairs.
The restaurant was full, but I was hidden again underneath my hoody. I was used to this trend.
I found a table near the window and put down my backpack. The buffet line was huge, and had so many different kinds of food that it could fill an entire house.
“I’m telling you that is what I heard,” a woman at the buffet line said.
“What would they be doing here?”
“They left early yesterday morning.”
I rolled my eyes as I put fresh fruit on my plate.
“Well if she is, I bet you she won’t be down here.”
I had to warn Blake somehow. If they saw him, they were going to see me. I was so not ready for the public.
I took my plate and turned back to my table.
I didn’t have to warn him, as he was already sitting in a chair with a hoody covering his face as well. I guessed the idiot wasn’t so stupid after all.
I put down my plate as he was busy checking something on his Cammy.
“You need directions?”
“I told you my tracking ability isn’t what it used to be anymore.”
“Sorry, I forgot,” I said and took the seat. “Go eat something.”
He gazed at me from underneath his hoody. “You are worse than my mom.” He grunted but got up after a few minutes then went over to the buffet line.
He came back with a heaping of food on his plate.
“Don’t look at me like that, apparently I’m still growing.”
“Awesome.” I was sarcastic, wondering how on earth I was ever going to ride him. I froze as I thought about that. He isn’t your dragon anymore. There would be no flying with him.
After breakfast, we checked out and the SUV was waiting in front of the hotel. I handed Blake my bag and he put it in the trunk with his. I chose the front seat today.
“Yay, I am no longer a personal driver,” he said softly.
“I can always sit at the back again.”
He chuckled. “You can do whatever you want. I really don’t mind.”
“Why are you always so mean?”
“I’m mean? Okay,” he said.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Well maybe this is just a reaction.”
I huffed. “You know what, fine, whatever. If we can’t even pretend to get along then I don’t see how the hell we are going to succeed at this.”
“Fine, I’m great at pretending,” he said and started the SUV.
He seriously knew just how to piss me off. He was really great at that.
“ELENA.” I FELT someone touching me and my eyes flew open.
“We are here,” Blake said, and when I looked out dawn was breaking over the horizon.
Why couldn’t I ever stay awake in a car? Especially on long roads.
Blake got out of the SUV that he had parked near a forest. I hated fucking forests. He walked to the trunk and opened it. He took out a mother of a bag and my pink backpack and chucked it onto the floor. I got out slowly, letting my legs adjust from the long car ride.
“Where is here?” I asked looking at the forest.
“Our next destination is that way,” he said and my eyes followed in the direction he pointed. There was a huge hill and that was it. No hotel, no lodge, absolutely nothing.
“So why are we stopping if the destination is that way?”
“Because over that hill, there is nothing, just canyons.”
I got what he was saying. “We’re flying.”
“Sorry about that but it’s the fastest way to get there.”
“Fine.” I sounded like a five-year-old that wasn’t getting her way.
He started to walk to the forest. “You are more than welcome to come with, I’m just going to change.”
“No, it’s fine.”
He shook his head and I narrowed my eyes at him. Idiot.
I gazed up at the hill. It didn’t look as if there was anything beyond it, and the forest trees shook slightly as birds tookflight.
My heartbeat rose again as a huge, huge dragon walked out. Becky hadn’t been kidding when she said not to fear him. He was much bigger than the last time I’d faced him inside the ring.
When was he going to stop growing?
“Good morning princess, long time no see.” He was chirpy and I frowned.
I immediately thought about Cara. I missed her so much.
“Good morning to you too, sunshine.” I was being sarcastic, knowing Blake was really the Rubicon.
He gurgled, which I assumed was a laugh. I knew that gurgle from when I’d trained with him.
“Sorry about the flying part. It won’t take long.”
I smiled. “I heard. Congratulations on being the fastest.”
“How kind,” he said, and I shook my head trying to not show him my huge grin. What was this? Why was he sofriendly now?
He hooked his back paw’s talon into his bag’s handle and clamped it down with the others so that the now small bag wassecure.
Then he walked on three legs – still extremely gracefully for a creature of his size – and stopped right next to me. It felt as if I should shout at him.
He lifted up his front paw closest to me and cupped it, making it look like a basket. “Just like old times.”
“Are you going to drop me again?”
“No. Dropping days are over, that is a promise.”
“Okay.” I picked up my bag, climbed onto his talon, and sat in his paw. It started to close and it was really dark.
I could hear the whooshing sound of the night he’d destroyed City Hall in Tith, but this time it didn’t stop. I knew we must be in the air by now.
My heart still beat frantically. The last time I’d flown with him like this, he’d dropped me into an ice cold swimming pool. I didn’t want to think of that night, and pushed it to the back of my mind, forcing myself to think about whether I could trust him not to drop me.
I kept thinking about Cara, how easy things were with her once we made peace. Blake didn’t carry the Rubicon like I had carried Cara, but his dragon form was so different to his human form.
It felt like hours had passed, and this time I didn’t want to fall asleep. I was wide awake. Then the flapping grew quieter and his paw opened up. I grabbed onto the inside of his palm but noticed that it was dark again when we landed.
I climbed out of his paw with my backpack and I walked out from underneath his body.
There were plenty of trees again, and no sign of a motel.
“We are camping tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”
Camping? I sighed. “It’s fine.”
“I’ll have to bring the idiot out again or I will wreck this place.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at that comment. He was an idiot.
I missed Cara.
It had been less than five minutes when Blake walked out of the woods, pissed off and tired. What was his problem? Then again, I struggled with his human form. He reminded me so much of Billy, and every time I thought of Billy, I remembered what the idiot did, not finding me. I drew a huge breath.
He didn’t say anything as he passed me and went straight for the bags. He picked them up and went deeper into thewoods.
“What is the problem now?” I finally asked as I had to run to keep up with his strides.
“Oh, absolutely nothing.” He sounded sarcastic.
After half an hour of hard walking, he stopped. Which was good, because I was completely out of breath.
He took out two tents and threw them over where he was going to assemble them.
I went immediately to mine. I didn’t need his help to assemble a stupid tent.
As I struggled with the pipes and silently wished I knew an incantation that could magically assemble it, Blakewalked over.
“Give it here, you’ll be busy till tomorrow morning trying to put it together.”
“I’m not stupid. I can do this.”
“Okay, fine. Suit yourself. I’m going to look for wood to make a fire.”
“Just go.”
He left but I could hear him picking up wood close by.
When he came back, I’d made a bit of progress and he just looked at me.
I ignored it. The first, second and third time.
“What?” I finally said.
“Nothing,” he said, sitting in front of a beautiful fire warming up.
An hour later, it sort of looked like a tent.
“Elena, can I please help you?”
“No,” I snapped back. “It’s fine like this.”
“It’s going to rain.”
“Then it rains, Blake. A little rain won’t kill me.”
I rolled down my sleeping bag and crawled into my half set-up tent.
I didn’t care if it was going to rain. I would not ask for that arrogant ass’s help. I didn’t know why Becky and Sammy loved him so much. He was still the same old Blake Leaf. The one I would never trust.
