Chapter 12
TWELVE
Kallie
I never considered blades being made of anything other than metal, but bone makes sense—it’s strong as fuck.
“It’s stunning,” I tell the merchant. “But like I said, unfortunately I don’t have any money.” Right on cue, Atticus decides this is the perfect time to swoop in.
I wish people would realize I don’t need to be rescued or saved. If me escaping that torturous prison taught them anything, it should have been that.
“I got it,” he says.
I look at him over my shoulder. “No, you don’t. Besides, that was for rebuilding your house.”
“Trust me. There’s plenty left.”
That piques my interest. Just how much did he get? It doesn’t matter. Well…it might if I plan on eating at some point.
Finally, I relent, reasoning that, despite my growing power, having another form of protection wouldn’t be the worst idea.
While Atticus bargains with the lady, I gravitate toward the neighboring stand, drawn by the mysterious vials. The edge is crowded with jars brimming with herbs, bugs, and other oddities, stirring up an uneasy reminder of the lab I stumbled upon. A ripple of unease coils through me.
Some of the containers are so vibrant, nearly neon, and they immediately catch my attention.
Others, however, are a weird murky color that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
They’re quite repulsive. The lack of labels suggests this isn’t a place for aimless browsing—you have to know what you’re looking for.
I have no clue.
I look up from the table, hoping to see Atticus where I left him, and to my surprise, he’s already heading in my direction.
“You really didn’t have to do that,” I tell him as he gets closer.
He shrugs his shoulders, like it was no big deal. “It’s nothing. I mean, they were from your dragon.” Instinctively, my hand rushes to cover his mouth, and I shush him, swiveling my head to make sure nobody heard.
Hot air blows against the side of my hand, and I pull it back. “Sorry.” Atticus doesn’t say anything, and he looks slightly less annoyed then I would’ve thought.
“Do you want these or not?” These? Like multiple? He hands me a small brown paper bag, and inside is the dagger I’ve become strangely attached to and a sheath to house it.
“You got me a sheath too?” I ask excitedly. My eyes light up as I examine the deep cherry-red color. It’s gorgeous. And there are light markings engraved over it, matching the ones on the hilt.
He must see the look of appreciation ghosting in my eyes, because he quickly says, “Don’t get all sappy with me. Let’s get you away from this table and go find some food.” My stomach gurgles at the mention of eating.
“That sounds like a great idea.” I keep the goods tucked safely in the bag while fighting the urge to strap it on now.
We weave through the bustling market, stopping first at a fruit stand then at the vegetables.
Atticus chats as we go, promising to make me one of Serena’s favorite dishes when we get back, until he suddenly falls silent.
His brows knit together as he stares past the crowd, eyes locked on something I can’t see.
I rise onto my tiptoes, straining for a glimpse, but it’s no use.
Suddenly, she comes into view, but the look on her face has me worried. “Let’s go!” Odeyssa says, running past us. Atticus wastes no time, darting after her while I stand frozen for a beat longer.
You can’t trust anyone.
But they’re my friends.
You have no friends.
Against my better judgment, I follow them. The back of Atticus’s head comes into view for just a moment before he swerves right, vanishing from sight as he makes his way toward his house.
Hurrying down the same path, my steps turn sluggish through the building snow, and by the time Atticus’s cottage comes into view, I’m exhausted.
What’s wrong? Voraxis pushes.
Nothing. Just tired. There’s a twinge of uncertainty that passes through the bond, but he leaves it at that. If I gave him even the smallest indication I thought something was off…Gods know what he would do.
Stumbling into the house, I find Odeyssa and Atticus on the couch, talking in hushed whispers.
“What’s going on?” I ask tentatively. Both of their gazes swing up to meet mine, but I can’t get a clear read on either of them.
“What happened?” Odeyssa inquires, completely bypassing my question, eyes practically bulging out of her skull.
“Like I said, it’s not a big deal,” Atticus murmurs, like it’s a continuation of their conversation. But I have a nagging suspicion that’s not the case.
“You’re right. It’s not a big deal. It’s a huge deal! Tell me who did this, and I will make sure they’re taken care of,” she fumes.
I raise a hand. “That would be me.”
Odeyssa looks at a loss for words. “What do you mean? Why would you do this?”
“It was an accident.”
“Please enlighten me on how you accidentally burn down half a house?” Okay, half the house is a bit dramatic, but I’m also not loving her tone right now.
“Dessa,” Atticus starts, “seriously, drop it. Trust me when I say she didn’t do it on purpose.” Odeyssa meets Atticus’s gaze, a silent conversation passing between them, so many words unspoken. Her shoulders slump, and it seems the matter has been dropped.
I wait a few moments, not wanting to upset anybody—Odeyssa—before redirecting the conversation back to me being confused as hell. “Why did you two run off like that?”
“My dad has guards watching my every move lately. It’s been rather suffocating. I finally lost them, and we had a very small window to get out of there,” Odeyssa explains. Atticus stays silent, which seems to be even odder than them ditching me.
When I first met Atticus, he was this same way. Silent, brooding, mysterious if you will. But I thought that was because he didn’t know me. Granted, he doesn’t really know me now, but things seemed fine. He was talkative, even making jokes. What changed?
“Oh! What did you get?” she asks, eyeballing the bag in my hand. These mood swings are giving me whiplash.
“It’s a dagger and sheath from one of the stalls in town,” I tell her, but she’s already up and grabbing it. Pulling the dagger out first, she retrieves the sheath, carefully inspecting every detail with deliberate focus.
“These must have cost you a pretty penny.”
“They didn’t cost much, just my pride.”
Odeyssa laughs, handing the items back to me, and I make quick work to strap the holder around my thigh, resonating with the weight it holds when I slide the dagger into place.
I reach out to Voraxis through our bond, letting him know I’ve returned to the cottage so we can figure out our next move. My stomach growls with hunger, and both of their heads whip in my direction. “Sorry.”
“Shit, I was supposed to make food.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been hungrier.” My comment just results in the unwanted pity looks from both of them. “I’ll just grab an apple, no biggie.” It’s crisp and perfect, the most delicious apple I have truly ever tasted. I’ll have to make sure to stock up before we depart.
People show up shortly after, dropping off what I’m assuming are the supplies he got earlier, and they immediately get to work. I offer to help, but they dismiss me, so Odeyssa and I head out to meet Voraxis in the open field.
“I really can’t stay here much longer,” I confess. I can feel them closing in, like a sixth sense. They’re getting closer, and it’s only a matter of time before they find me here.
“We can always go back to Nefarium,” she suggests.
If they track me here and don’t find me, the likelihood of them checking there is too high.
I can’t risk it. The cool wind pushes into our already frost-bitten faces as Voraxis descends.
The snow keeps coming down heavier as the day goes on, and I have no clue if he can even fly in this weather.
Part of me is beginning to think I should’ve left when I had the chance.
“Whoa,” Odeyssa breathes next to me, staring up at my little burnt marshmallow in amazement. “I’ve been around a lot of dragons, but none quite like this.”
“He’s not as scary as he looks.”
Why would you give her that false sense of security? he asks.
“I highly doubt that,” she comments.
She’s smarter than she looks.
“Why are they kept behind that barrier? It seems so cruel.” It wasn’t lost on me when Voraxis showed up here that he isn’t confined to the meadow I thought to be their home. For some reason, Nefarium is the only town they’re not permitted to enter.
“Truthfully, I don’t know. My dad has been acting all out of sorts the last few months.
Higher security, more wards being placed, less…
outings.” Her confession has my heart plummeting to my stomach.
The last few months? “I don’t know what’s gotten into him.
He’s always been a bit uptight but never this bad.
” I can see a question rattling in her head, like a ping-pong ball trying to escape.
“What is it?” I ask.
Her eyes bounce between me and Voraxis. “Can I pet him? I know dragons don’t necessarily like being touched, but there’s something so captivating about him.” I stare at her a moment, processing the question, because whatever I thought she was going to ask, it wasn’t that.
“I mean…you could ask him.” Amusement is laced in my tone, especially with the death glare I can feel Voraxis searing into the side of my face.
You have to be kidding.
Just be a nice little dragon and let her give you some pets. Not waiting for him to reply, I saunter over to him, and if looks could kill… I rub up and down the length of his nose and gesture for Odeyssa to follow suit.
“He’s gorgeous,” Odeyssa comments, hesitantly bringing her hand out. Voraxis’s eyes narrow into slits, and I feel like a fucking mother.
“Stop being a baby.” Slowly his body begins relaxing beneath my touch, and with a pleading side-eye from Odeyssa, I give her a nod, indicating it’s okay.
She doesn’t let her hand linger for long, pulling back after just a few moments. “He’s a feisty one—I can tell.”