Flame Touched

Chapter Fourteen - Matteo

Matt followed the girl home roughly an hour after her visit to the bakery. She suspected him. He smelled it on her when she entered the shop. A mix of pepper and an abundance of sugar that he recognized as curiosity and fear. One perk to being a dragon was his incredible sense of smell. It allowed him to detect emotions, and to track her effectively long after she'd gone. Because she noticed him, he'd have to be extra careful.

She ran most of the way home, clearly shaken up by his presence in town. He chuckled. Matt wasn't scary...most of the time. He'd certainly never go out of his way to intimidate her. If Commander Logan had been more subtle, she probably wouldn't have thought anything of my visit. I'm surprised he has been able to achieve such a high rank. Then again, perhaps that's why he's here instead of in the city. Maybe he got the promotion for the sole purpose of getting him out of the way. Thankfully, the officer was able to provide Matt with some useful information about the girl.

Her name, for one. Camila Delorne. She was homeschooled, spent most of her time there, read—a lot, and much like the rest of her family, kept to herself. Rumor was, her family was familiar with the dragons taking young women, so they kept her close. While they were good neighbors, their aim seemed to be to stay hidden. Commander Logan made a comment about how he always forgets how beautiful she is. I'm sure if he remembered, she'd have been part of the selection for the Elite as soon as she turned sixteen. Camila was eighteen, technically older than him and Eian. Technically. Matt and Eian were the human equivalent to being seventeen, but they'd been walking on the earth for a whole lot longer thanks to their prolonged life span. Another perk to being a dragon.

Older will be good for Eian. She'll be mature. He waited in the ruins of the neighboring farm. It still reeked of smoke, and mold was starting to grow on the burned husks of what used to be the house. Matt grimaced, hating having to hide there, but he still didn't want to risk going to the barn where the animals were. He pulled out his cellphone and sent a message to his other favorite brother, Kyl.

"Bring a squad of five to the house we razed the other day. Come by nine. Uniforms. No transformations."

A number of hours passed before Camila left the house again. Matt tilted his head to the side, studying her. Yeah, she's definitely pretty, but not like most girls are. He wouldn't look at her and think she's anything amazing based on appearances alone. She was tall, thin framed, long dark hair, tan, muscular, and yet it all added up to her being plain. Matt liked that about her. Eian would love it.

He watched her walk down the front path and toward...him. No, she was going to the barn. She was the one going out of her way to take care of the animals. How sweet. And convenient for him. Matt waited until the barn door was closed behind her before making his way closer. He went around to the back of the barn and hid by the closed door. Slowly, carefully, he tested the handle to see if it was locked. It was, which could be both beneficial and annoying for him. He couldn't get inside, however, if she tried to leave out the back, he'd have a warning to run. Another dragon perk: better than average hearing. Not phenomenal, but enough to know she was currently humming and brushing one of the animals inside.

"We're going to make room for you in our barn, don't worry," Camila said. "Then you won't have to be by all of the sadness. I'm sure the smell is unbearable too." She was quiet for a long time, brushing, humming, so peaceful and relaxing it lulled Matt into closing his eyes as he listened. "I hope I never see another dragon again. They shouldn't have done this to the Kendrixes, or to you, or to anyone."

Strong opinions. Matt almost canceled the plan right then and there. Strong opinions weren't necessarily a bad thing. Strong opinions like those could be disastrous. In the case of this particular farm, Matt agreed with her. Eian likes challenges, and if anyone can explain to her the purpose and glory of the empire, it'll be him. Matt also liked the challenge. Unlike his father, Matt liked to listen to what the humans felt. It helped him to do his job more effectively. Lynx never bothered to explain his plans to anyone considered beneath him. Then again, he also has me to help him understand. Because of Matt, the Inero Royal Guard all had cell phones. Next, he was trying to make his father understand the importance of a satellite so they could have better intelligence reports. His father was always apprehensive over new technology. When even the Aero nation, the most traditional of all the dragon tribes, made use of such an advancement, it was time for the Inero to get up to speed with the rest of the world.

One girl isn't going to bring down the country anyway, Matt decided.