Dragon Blood (Completed)

The Disturbing Breakfast

Dean mumbled a quiet hello before looking away, without returning her thin-lipped smile. Zane had never seen a royal cower before their staff in such a way.

"What would you like to eat, sir?" she asked with a formal edge.

"Can we go get Paige?" Dean asked Zane, looking up at him with oddly fearful eyes.

"Paige needs to rest, and she's waiting on you to bring her back something. What is her favorite thing for breakfast?"

"Pancakes and eggs," Dean whispered, not looking at Lucia.

"What are pancakes?" Zane asked.

"Flat cakes that we put butter and syrup on."

"Uh..." Zane scratched his head. "What if we get one of my favorite foods?"

Dean shrugged, then nodded.

Zane put in his request to Lucia before leading Dean over to a table that overlooked the gardens. The same spot where Zane had been waiting for the Bluescales the other night. For some reason, Zane didn't want to take Dean into the main dining room with all the other royals. If he was having a hard time with the staff, he knew that the boisterous royals would be extremely intimidating for Dean.

"Is she mad at me?" Dean asked when they were seated.

"Why would she be?"

"I took food. Grown-ups always get mad when kids take food."

"Well, no one here is allowed to get mad at you for taking food." Dean didn't look like he believed Zane. He knew he couldn't say anything to take away Dean's fears. Only time and experience would remove those.

"Maybe we can get you a room today," Zane proposed, wanting to change the subject.

"I want to stay with Paige. Paige always fought the social workers when they tried to separate us."

"What's a social worker?"

"She's the lady who tells us where we're going to live and who we're going to live with."

"Why would they want to separate you?" Zane exclaimed, confused by the strange goings-on in the other realm.

"Because people don't want to take care of two kids that aren't theirs, and they don't like Paige because they say she's too spoiled, and that she thinks she's better than everyone. They always said we were lucky because they took us in when we had nowhere else to go. But Paige said they only did it for the money."

"How long ago were your parents killed?"

"Two years ago. When Paige turned eighteen, she was going to get us our own place where no one could hurt her or separate us."

"Why eighteen?" Zane wondered how old Paige actually was.

"Because in the Earth realm, she would be an adult, and she'd be able to live alone."

"How many years will it be before she is eighteen?"

"Just a few days now."

"Dean, why would anyone hurt Paige? How did she get the bruises on her stomach and back?"

Dean looked out the window, becoming still, as if a spell had been cast over him, turning him to stone. He scarcely seemed to breathe when he finally whispered, "Owen did it."