I leaned against the estate barrier around my home. It usually just acted like it wasn't even there. The other three had gone through it like it was nothing. Why couldn't I? Snarling, I slammed my shoulder into the barrier. It was like hitting a solid brick wall.
"Cut that out," Piper said. "The barrier is made to keep out monsters, especially strong ones. As soon as you transform into a human, you'll be able to come through. Drakius did."
Maybe you're right. Panting, I sat back on my haunches. But what if it doesn't work? He was never a real dragon, and-
"We'll figure it out," Kyton promised. He glanced up the hill to the house. "Stay out of sight as a dragon for a minute. I'm going to grab a blood drawing kit and a blood replenishing potion. The potion's for me, and I'll give you a flask of my blood." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Before we leave, do you think you're up to... you know..."
Nissa rolled her eyes. "We need your blood. ASAP."
Right, it's no problem.
Kyton turned and ran toward the house. What he'd said hit me. I'd been so dumb to think he would stick around after he had my blood. He would leave as soon as I gave him the dragon blood he needed.
It was a good thing dragons didn't have tear ducts. I avoided Nissa's curious gaze. She would just think I wanted Kyton's blood if she knew what I was thinking. It wasn't that at all.
I mean, sure his blood was amazing, but I could get plenty of blood at the OPSA cafeteria. What I wanted was him. A dark part of me wanted to refuse him my blood, to keep him with me. I squashed that desire down. After all he'd done for me, it would be insanely cruel to deny him my blood.
When Kyton came back, I couldn't meet his gaze as he drew his blood and mine. He tugged on one of my horns.
"Thank you. I-I can't thank you enough for this. If there's anything I can do to repay you-"
You went through hell to get that blood. You deserve it. I shuffled my wings. You don't owe me anything.
"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow. On second thought, I think I'll sleep through the next week, but I'll see you after that."
I jerked my head up. What do you mean you'll see me?
He raised his eyebrows. "I live in your house. I'm in charge of keeping you out of trouble--or at least keeping you alive while you're in trouble."
Oh. Of course he would stay for that. His dad's medical bills wouldn't go away just because he would soon be healed. Kyton still needed his job as my bodyguard. I guess I'll see you then.
"See you then." He took off carrying the flask of my blood.
Nissa raced afer him, and they both headed for the road. They must've parked offroad in the woods nearby.
After drinking the flask of his blood Kyton had left me, I transformed back into a human. The barrier let me through like normal.
Piper threw an arm over my shoulder. Yawning, she said, "I can't remember where I parked, and I'm too tired to drive home anyway. I'm staying the night."
I didn't argue. It would be nice to have some company tonight. At least she hadn't stuck around because she needed something from me. Then again, she was hoping to win the nobel prize in magizoology or something by studying me. I shrugged off her arm as we started toward the house.
She eyed me curiously. "Two things: one, you're half naked, and your shirt is soaked through with blood. I'm pretty sure your parents will freak out if they see you like that."
I palmed my forehead. It was a good thing I hadn't transformed in front of Kyton. That would've been the definition of embarrassment. I untied my belt and shirt from my shoulder. The wound was healed, but there was still a copious amount of blood caked on my skin. I tried hiding it with glamour, but the faint shimmer I managed to summon wouldn't even have fooled a nomahu.
"I'll make sure the way is clear before we sneak up," Piper promised. "But the second thing I mentioned: what's up with you? You wouldn't even look at Kyton. What, were you lying about the not killing anyone thing?" She said it casually enough, but there was a tremor of worry in her voice.
I shook my head. "I swear, I didn't kill anyone. I just wanted to kill Clastor so much that I transformed. It's not that." I crossed my arms over my bra. "What Ky said in the arena, I don't think he meant it. He just needed me to get dragon blood. And- and how am I supposed to know if you just want to study me or-"
She scoffed. "Kyton went through a Draconian death arena for you. Sure, he wanted the blood he would get at the end if we survived, but if that was all he wanted, he never would've gone to the arena. He would've just snuck away on Draconia to steal some blood from a fairy dragon on the street, then he would've stuck home and abandoned you to die."
We stopped by the back of the house, and she elbowed me. "And just by the way, I'm ambitious, but I'm not ambitious enough to kill myself for a research paper. I came to the arena to keep my friends alive."
"To keep Kyton-"
She elbowed me harder. "Yeah, duh, but not just him. You and even Nissa, too. She can be scary when she's angry, but she's definitely my first choice of companion when it comes to surviving a death arena."
Eva chirped on my head, eyeing Piper.
Rolling her eyes, Piper said, "yeah, I came for you too, Eva." She yawned. "Enough talk. I'm ready for some hardcore sleeping. Showering, then sleeping."
***
Someone was shouting. I jumped up, dislodging Eva from her perch on my pillow and scaring Piper awake.
"What-what's attacking now?" she asked.
I tried to run forward, but I got caught up in our tent flap. Flailing my arms, I tried to get the flap out of my face. It looked so sheer and blue. What the-
I stopped. "We're home, aren't we."
"Oh yeah." Piper yawned. "Go back to sleep."
"In a sec." Cautiously, I untangled my bed curtains and crept to the door. Something was still going on. Someone was shouting. I couldn't relax yet.
I eased open the door and peered out into the hallway. At the end of the hall, Alice was standing at the top of the stairs and shouting at someone below.
"I'm a teenager now. I should be able to have a boyfriend!"
"You're thirteen," Mom shouted back. "And we already discussed this. Even if I thought you were mature enough to date, I would never let you date an eighteen-year-old, and I would certainly never let you spend time with him behind a closed door."
She shrieked and stomped her foot. "Lilly's boyfriend is an Otherworlder, and they live together."
"Lilly's boyfriend is at least a gentleman, and technically, you live with him as well. Now, if you're going to keep shouting, you'll have to do it outside. Your grandma wants you to help weed the orchard."
Still shrieking, she stomped downstairs.
I chuckled, relaxing. Things were back to normal. Well, not entirely normal. Just a few months ago, Mom would've killed me if she only suspected I had talked to an Otherworlder. Now she seemed okay with me dating one. Not that we were actually dating.
"I wish," I muttered.
"Wish what?" Kyton asked from the next doorway over. His hair was sticking almost straight up, and his antennae drooped sleepily. Yawning, he moved to lean against the wall in front of me. His wings were bandaged and radiating healing magic. "Whatever you say, I do owe you. So, what do you wish? If I can do it for you, I'll do it."
He could definitely do what I wanted, but I wasn't about to force him to date me. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment for a fairy, making him date a fairy dragon.
I shrugged. "It's nothing important."
"Then it can wait until I wake up next week." He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "Night. Or morning. Whatever." Yawning, he turned and went back to his bedroom.
I touched my burning cheek. Things were definitely not back to normal. Maybe they were even better than normal.