Indebted

36

Theo was looking at her, looking at the dragon she was. 'We are.' A voice pressed forward in Esti's consciousness. Her dragon. A dragon with a voice? 'We, I mean, you? Killed Quwent?' Esti asked the voice in her head. Or tried to ask. Esti had no idea how any of this worked. No one had told her, Esti had been tested, was blank and empty. Still unbelieving. Though as more seconds passed where Esti could not deny that she was inside a dragon, that she had shifted she started to make her mind accept it. 

The dragon spoke to Esti, answering her questions  'I did, he deserved his death and more suffering than I could offer under the given conditions.' Esti felt like she was underwater. Memories of her first shift coming back.

Memories of Quwent who had seen her shift. Knew it was Esti, he had called her dragon beautiful and the dragon had literally torn him apart. Not a single mouthful of his flesh or blood did the dragon swallow. No part of Quwent's life was going to ever be allowed the chance to live on as part of Esti. Not if her dragon could help it.

The dragon let out a small trumpet, "I desire to fly." The dragon stated, broadcast for all to hear. Theo and Joe both shaking their heads. Hands up, actually shushing the dragon. Very much to the dragon's displeasure. 

Theo was of course the one to take control. Inflecting his head down in deference to the small dragon. "No can do here. We don't know the area." Esti's dragon huffed, making its annoyance and displeasure clear. Stamping a heavy foot on the over grown grassy ground. Esti noticed that their dragon foot was webbed, like she was meant for water.

Joe took a step closer, "Where we are going, you will be able to fly. Promise." The dragon nodded its head. Satisfied and placated for the moment, both men were honest with their promise of a chance to fly safely.

The dragon whipped its horned head fast enough that the air sang with the motion as the dragon turned to look at Theo up close. "You will find clothes suitable for Esti, and you will cease the thoughts of asking us to complete your triad." Staring directly into Theo's eyes. He nodded his head slowly, agreeing to the dragon's terms.

Joe ran to the truck, looking for another outfit of clothes, Theo made a small bow. "As you will, so shall I obey." The dragon continued to stare down Theo hard. Displeased. Esti didn't understand why her dragon felt so deeply angry and upset.

The slightest inflection of the dragon's head, indicated acceptance. "Many have overlooked Esti, you did not. We respectfully thank you for the assistance you are providing and wish the fates to bless you with the female you are seeking." Joe appeared with the clothes, dropping them as the dragon shifted back to Esti. Theo and Joe turned their backs as Esti found herself in control of her now naked body.

Scurrying to grab the clothes and get dressed. 'We are beautiful, you should celebrate your body without shame.' Esti heard the dragon in her mind. "Why didn't I know I had a dragon? I can hear you?" Esti said out loud, pulling the larger sweater on, finishing getting dressed.

Theo and Joe both turned, in unison, clearly they were a very attuned couple. "It really is a true dragon?" Joe said mouth agape looking at Esti, forgetting that Theo had promised they would stop fantasizing about a triad with Esti.

"Better than true. Not yours." The dragon took control of Esti's voice, the two mingling to speak together.

Esti through the eyes of her dragon saw as almost everything about Joe's demeanor changed. "Oh boy, we are going to be making the long trip this time aren't we?" Joe said looking towards Theo for guidance.

Theo nodded. "She's going in the safest cabin we got Joe." Joe looked at Theo like he couldn't believe the words coming out of his mates mouth.

Joe looked at Esti, doing his best to hide that he would indeed, have a hard time forgetting Esti when she was safely tucked away. "The one we need a boat for?" Joe asked. Hoping it was, he wanted to make sure Esti and the small, blushing pink dragon sharing her life would be as safe as the Ghost Network could provide. Sometimes, shifters, witches, fae, anyone beyond human needed to run away from the life that had trapped them.

Earth was full of dark corners where terrible things happened. The Ghost Network were the secret arm working across the world to help get those in need, out. Even after working this life for close to two decades now, Theo and Joe had never once been entrusted with anyone like Esti.

The evening meal was nothing but a quick drive through meal. Picked up at a window, in a paper bag. Cardboard burger boxes and fry containers. Waxed paper cups holding the drinks. Eaten in the truck in the parking lot. Theo was apparently now even more reluctant to let Esti be seen. She needed to disappear completely. Theo drove late into the night. Only stopping to refuel the truck, and allow Joe to take a shift behind the wheel.

Esti did not mind the long hours spent in the back seat. She could hear her dragon, could talk with the mythical creature sharing her life. There was a lot to catch up on. Most upsetting was that neither Esti, nor her dragon could think of a reason they had been kept apart. The dragon was eternal, remembered all of its life. Remembered Esti being born, Alric, bringing his infant daughter into the woods outside the castle so Opal could have their chance to bond.

Basking under the love of two parents, who were madly in love despite their very different world views, the dragon was excited to grow with Esti until it would be time for them to shift and truly merge. Except... The memories stopped. The dragon knew what had occurred that was important to dragons in their shared memories, powered by the magic that sustained their very selves. Esti had been an infant last the Dragon had made their own memories. Now there was a full, grown woman, not a cherubic curious toddler. Mated to a man neither Esti nor Opal knew very much about. A man they still thought they might love. In a world set against them.

Hours in the truck ended at a lighthouse on the shore. Esti wasn't entirely certain where they were. She had fallen asleep after a second, heavy, greasy meal. Esti looked out the truck window. A beam of light shining over the truck, illuminating everything around her as the light house shone its light out over the water. Warning ships with GPS that the shore was treacherous near the shore. Or perhaps, reminding the sailors on board that the shore was still nearby in the dark of night.

Esti looked at the small lighthouse, the vast openness of the ocean beside her. "This isn't where I am supposed to live right?" Esti asked. This seemed very exposed, and attention grabbing for a secret hideout.

Joe turned around to face her directly. "You wish, you are going deep underground little miss." Looking towards Theo. "With all the stuff Nigella sent, I hope there is enough room in the boat." He said, pouting.

Theo turned. Looking at Joe with a direct, intense stare. "One. Joe and I have already been too generous today." Esti shivered against her own volition with the mood that was currently between Joe and Theo. A vibe that made her miss Atticus. Who continued to only radiate happiness that she was far away.

Esti was quiet, as was her dragon, as the bags from Nigella in the truck were loaded onto a lobster boat. Food stuff and supplies loaded in after, from the lighthouse. Before Esti, Theo, and Joe started their ocean journey to Esti's new home. Under the dark of night, clouds hiding the stars, a glowing circle in the sky showing the position of the moon reflecting the sunlight through the overcast sky.