Evil with a D

Chapter 18

Image: Jonathan

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     Megan woke with a jolt when the car came to a stop. "We're just getting gas." Xander said from the front seat, his feet propped up on the dash. Xaiver sat on the other side of a snoring Daniel stuffing his face with a burger from some fast food place.

     "How much longer?" she muttered as she rubbed her face.

     "Not long. Dellan didn't even want to stop, but we were running on fumes. He's just putting enough for us to make it to the gates. We're basically ditching the car. Sorry Megan."

     Megan frowned and nodded, turning her attention to Daniel. "Has he woken up yet?"

     "Yes," Xaiver muffled out around a bite of burger. "Ate then passed back out. Started snoring and made it impossible for anyone else to sleep. Well, except you." He added with a  small snort.

     She shot a look at Xaiver and frowned. "Yeah, so excited about hearing that I apparently sleep like the dead."

     "You are looking pale. Do you need to feed while we're here?" Xander asked as he watched her.

     Megan hesitated, frowning as she glanced out the window toward the gas station. "No...I'm fine." She shifted and pulled her hair over her shoulder. She glanced at Dellan when he came back and pulled out of the gas station without another word to any of them. They only drove another half hour when Dellan pulled off the road and turned off the car. "Where is it?" Megan asked as she looked around.

     "We need to walk. It's up the mountain a bit." Dellan and Xander moved to help a frowning Daniel from the car when Megan had slipped out.

     "Great, a morning stroll after a beating. Sounds perfect." Daniel grumbled as he started to take tentative steps between the dragons while they held his arms over their shoulders supporting him. Megan exchanged a glance with Xavier before they started after the dragons.

     Megan felt herself draining the longer they walked. The sun rose ever higher and while it didn't burn her it still weakened her. But in her unfed state it only felt all the worse. She couldn't bring herself to say anything though. Not when the only person she'd have dared drink from was too weak to handle it. Xavier was still a child, one Daniel apparently didn't want her touching, and she doubted the dragons would willingly give up blood. They were very picky about that kind of thing after all.

     When they stopped for a break Megan made sure she stood up wind and out of sight of Daniel. The scent of his blood, while not flowing any more, might have been too much of a temptation for her to handle. "Megan," Megan looked away from the sun to Dellan who now stood at her side. "A word?" hesitating, Megan glanced toward the others as she found herself following Dellan away an out of sight from them.

     "What is it?" she asked when they were out of sight and hearing distance.

     "I didn't think you wanted to do this in front of the others." when Dellan offered his wrist Megan was more than a little taken aback at the gesture. "I can't bring a hungry vamp to the dragon lands. It'll be on my hide if something happens. I know you can't feed from Daniel or the kid."

     Megan hesitated as she stared at Dellan. He was usually the quiet one, even if he was as big a prankster as Xander. But to have him offered his blood wasn't something she'd have expected of him. Xander MAYBE, but not Dellan. "I...Are you sure?"

     "As can be. Xander would have, but he's better at keeping Daniel distracted than I am," Dellan pulled out a knife and dragged it across his forearm, holding the recently cut arm back out to her. "My offer only stands for as long as it takes to heal."