Into the Dark

Chapter 8

"I know, I'm a freak," I groaned, rolling my eyes in addition.

His studious gaze flashed with empathy and he shook his head. "You're not a freak."

I tried to believe him but my mind wouldn't cooperate. It was hard to convince me of being normal when I'd just found out I was an unknown supernatural with various mixes of bloodlines coursing through my veins.

How could I not be a freak?

"We're willing to look after you, though,"  Maeve added with a smile.

"But you're under my watch," Kade corrected with a sudden harshness that made my skin tingle. "I found you. Now you're my responsibility."

Odis had just finished bandaging up my foot when he turned to look at Kade. "What? You don't trust us?" he asked with more hurt than humor.

Kade arched an eyebrow at him as if surprised.

Odis looked back at his work and mumbled a quick "never mind" before clamping his mouth shut again.

I didn't know what that was about and I didn't really care. My thoughts were too distant at the moment to be thinking about why Kade had just technically claimed me.

Five minutes later, just as Odis finished with my shin and foot, there was a small knock on the door and a younger girl entered. The top layer of her long, light brown hair was pulled back into a French braid and was accompanied by a small, gold-polished headband. She wore a short, black lace dress which made her bright green eyes pop and her pale skin appear even paler.

She smiled meekly at me and I noticed her carrying a white dress shirt in her small hands, which she tossed over to Kade.

"Forbes told me to give this to you. He said not to ruin anymore good shirts," she explained to him. Her voice was filled with innocence and youth.

I began to return a smile when I noticed something ruffling her hair, just above the small of her back. It seemed small and animal-like, based on its movements, and I figured it was some sort of cat or ferret.

But as it reached her shoulder and peeped over, I gasped in disbelief and horror.

Some... reptilian creature with a pointed snout and beady eyes stared me down curiously. It had small horn-like truffles sprouting on the top of its head and a long neck leading to a rather thick body. Its lengthy tail wrapped around the girl's neck and lay causally on her other shoulder, while it flapped a pair of small wings that barely avoided her face.

Although something I wouldn't want as a pet, its aqua scaled skin was rather beautiful and I couldn't help but stare back.

"What is that?" I asked, accidentally letting the rude-sounding question escape my mouth. I looked around at everyone, hoping I hadn't gone completely insane since the girl seemed to be unbothered by the creature.

She didn't even seem to notice it was there.

"It's a dragon," Kade informed me, also seeming quite causal of the creature's presence. "Kiki, here, is what we call a 'dragon tamer'. She's able to control these things, tame their feral behavior, and also communicate with them quite well. No other supernatural possess that ability."

My mouth eventually fell open and my eyebrows pinched in disbelief.

"You mean... dragons are real, too?!" I yelped, meeting the turquoise eyes of the so called "dragon" again. It tilted its head slightly and chirped lightly at me.

I hope that meant it liked me.

"Yes. And they're quite fascinating creatures," Kiki answered, her voice as smooth as silk. It was so soft, I could almost drift off to sleep just listening to her speak.