Drakkon ✓

7

We fly away at neck-breaking speeds for five minutes, before he shifts back to his human form. I can only guess it's because he wants to become a smaller target for the dragons that are chasing us.

I shudder, and not because of the cold.

Why are these demons chasing me? What could all of them want with me? I'm only a rat that scurried from the underground in search of her sister.

Whatever. Reaching Daisy is what matters. Currently, I'm headed south, which is where the FEMA headquarters are located. In a few days, I'm going to have to ask the dragon to change our course. He probably won't listen, but I'll deal with that problem when I get to it.

The monster walks in front of me. I still don't know his name, and I don't care to ask. I'm comfortable calling him a monster forever. He's stark naked, and even as we walk through the night, I can see the long shadow casted by the thing hanging from his legs.

My eyes keep flickering over to it in disturbed curiosity. How can he be comfortable showing me his family jewels? According to folklore, dragons are supposed to be protective of their hoard.

"Can you put some clothes on?"

He glances at the sky in search of dragons, and then at me.

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"It is inconvenient for when I need to shift. There is no need to restrict myself with cloth."

I understand that, but can't he put a sock on it, or something? The thing is so distracting. It waves with every step, as if constantly reminding me of its presence and power.

I lick my dry lips. The cold air keeps cracking them open.

"Are you sure you can't do anything? I don't feel comfortable with your nudity."

Bickering is a stupid move on my part. I should be quiet, making myself as small as possible instead of poking the beast that may very well kill me.

"Explain why you keep gazing at it, then."

I become defensive, because I hadn't been looking at the thing out of interest. It keeps drawing me in. It's impossible to forget about it when it's constantly demanding attention. A blind woman wouldn't miss that thing!

Before my smart mouth gets me smoked alive, I purse my lips and tighten my arms over my chest.

The snow invades the city like a second wave of dragons, raining terror from above. The flakes come fast and thick, slapping my face and accumulating on my feet. A storm is underway, and we'll need to find shelter. Unlike the dragon, I don't have enough flesh on my bones to survive it.

I slip for the tenth time tonight. The wind is too strong, the ground too icy, and my boots too torn.

"You will come here," the dragon commands.

I squint at the darkness. "For what?"

He answers with his hands, groping my ass and swinging me off the ground. I'm now straddling him and fighting the urge to strangle the outrageous man. He is so rude with his commands, and constant man-handdling.

"Put me down," I grit.

"Silence. You ramble too much."

"You—" My teeth clatter when he picks up his pace and jogs through the snow. I grip his shoulders for balance and dig my nails into him for cruelty. I hate him more than fire hates water.

We travel for another hour. The storm gets so dangerous that we have to pause for shelter. He sets me down, and to my amazement, shifts and wraps his wings around me. The cold wind is blocked by the thick sails of flesh that surround me. He's cocooning me.

Is he looking down at me right now? Smelling me? I'm thankful for the darkness, as it protects me from this intimacy.

No one has wrapped me in a blanket since I was a child. Nowadays, I am the one tucking Daisy into bed at night, even if she's my older sister.

This is different. This is alien, just like him.

I sit on my haunches and fist my hands. I suddenly feel so guilty for hurting him. I shouldn't have dug my nails into his shoulders. Maybe he's not so bad. After all, he didn't kill me, or the three guys I met. Maybe—

I pinch the skin on my wrist in punishment, and the intrusive thought flies away. There is nothing good about this man. He is a creature of fire and destruction. My planet is in shambles because of him. I lost my parents because of his kind, and now my sister. I would rather rip my hand off than ever forgive or forget.

The storm lightens at dawn. I wake up from my light sleep when I hear bones cracking. When I open my eyes, I find the dragon in his weaker form, watching me.

I scramble onto my feet.

"Follow," he grumbles, his voice deeper than usual.

Did he get any sleep?

"I understand that you have puny legs, but you must walk faster than this."

I ignore his rude comment. A mile down the road, we find a factory. Based on the tents and fresh pots in this place, it's occupied by humans. I wonder where they are? Did the storm scare them into a safer hideout?

I dig into a bag of nuts, taking half and leaving the rest for its owner. There are other crates in here, but I don't want to steal more. Eating can wait. I've been in worse conditions and survived them all.

There's an opened crate full of crimson red jalapenos. I have a very low tolerance for anything that's spicy, so I don't even think about biting one. The dragon walks beside me and peers into the box. I watch him reache and take a jalapeno. Does he know how hot those things are? Can he handle the spice, considering that he breathes fire and all?

I don't stop him when he sniffs the bright red jalapeno because I'm both curious about his reaction, and eager to see his mouth burn. We'll see how he likes being set on fire. Maybe if he sees how much it sucks, he'll stop scorching humans alive.

He looks at me and bites into the jalapeno. My eyes widen and my shoulders hitch as I wait for him to realize the hell he just took a bite of.

When he frowns at me, I grin.

He pauses, and coughs once. I laugh. There's silence, and then he erupts with loud, violent coughs. I'm shaking with laughter when he bends at the waist and continues coughing. By the end of the spectacle, I'm sitting on the ground and wiping tears from my eyes.

He's not angry at me for making fun of him. When he's done coughing, he dives into another box.

I lay on my back and look at the metal ceiling. I don't know what he's looking for, but I'm grateful for the warmth in here. My legs need rest. It's been a hell of a week.

I fall asleep without meaning to. When I come back to my senses, I sit up. The dragon is standing by the entrance, scanning the sky. He's chewing on something. A jalapeno.

What the hell? Why would he be eating more of those?

He reaches into the box to eat another, and then I remember his earlier reaction. He only began to manically cough when I laughed at him. It makes no sense. Can he tolerate the jalapenos, and faked his reaction because it brought me joy?

I don't like the warm feeling in my belly. I reach for my wrist, and I twist the skin until it hurts like hell.

He's not a good man. He committed crimes against humanity, and keeps me captive. I best remember that.

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