61. Leashes.

Despite our varied efforts including Nona Ellie’s, and both my parents who were back in Auckland, but had videoed in; Blue doesn’t answer our burning question. In fact, the boy acts like we had all somehow imagined that little statement, and was now being his child-like self, which in itself was concerning. I wasn’t kidding when I said the child did things no one his age should be able to do, magic or not.

“Your baby is weird,” Mor mutters from where she’s lounging next to me in the dean’s office where we had all moved to.

Tell me something I didn’t know, “I prefer to call it unique, he’s an enigma, one I’m glad I got.”

“Well, since this is going nowhere, why don’t we all head back to class?” Killian declares standing up as he fixes his eyes on Ax and me daring us to argue.

I move to kiss Blue goodbye and the kid jumps up clinging to me like a little monkey.

Huffing a laugh, I reluctantly peel him off and hand him to dad following Ax and Killian out the door, only to be yanked back as if on a leash.

Weird.

I try again this time putting more weight into it, I make it two steps out the door and next to Killian who’s now staring at me like I had grown two heads, only to be yanked back into the office with more force.

“What is happening right now?” Ax asks having seen me snap back into the office.

Mor and dad are staring at where I had landed on the floor, Nona Ellie who’s holding Blue glances at him and then at me as if trying to figure something out.

I stand moving towards the door again when she stops me, “Wait!”

I freeze.

“Try taking him with you,” she says handing Blue to me. I pluck him from her outstretched arms, but I don’t move towards the door.

“Go, trust me, I have a theory.,” she insists.

Dad glances at her and then shakes his head slowly realisation, “Oh fates.”

Ok…

I move towards the door cradling Blue just in case I get yanked back again, but lo and behold, it works! We make it out the door.

Refusing to believe what it meant, I move back into the office, place Blue on the floor and try to go out again, this time I almost fly into Killian as I’m yanked back.

I turn slowly, “Knox… Blue… Dracon,” I start slowly not believing this was happening again, “Did you leash me?”

He doesn’t even bother to act scared, I had full-named him and he was acting like I had asked him the colour of his favourite plushie.

“Mama leave, leash, mama no leave.”

“We agreed you wouldn’t do that again baby.”

“Mama agree, Blue no agree,” how he managed to sound like a sarcastic librarian I had no idea.

Oh, dear heavens.

“I’m only going to class baby, I need to, so I can be badass…sorry, So I can learn how to protect myself and you.”

“Blue learn too,” he stays sternly.

“No! Blue too young,” I counter in frustration.

A choked-off laugh sounds and I glance up at our very amused audience, Oh fates I had just baby-talked back at my son.

“Blue no go, mama no go,” he huffs angrily.

I collapse on the floor next to him, this couldn’t be happening again.

“I take it this has happened before,” Ax asks trying to veil his mirth, unsuccessfully.

“Yeah, about two months before meeting Mor and Killian at the bar, I was supposed to go for auditions for an upcoming tour. Somehow Blue heard and decided my going to the audition meant I’d be going away again, it would have been the second tour I had attended. The first was when he was around one and a half, I guess he didn’t want me leaving again.”

“Maybe your absence triggered the feeling again and now he feels like you’re leaving.” dad supplies but he sounds unsure which is unlike him

“But he was fine this morning, I don’t understand what could have happened between then and…oh God.”

“What!” everyone asks with varying levels of curiosity and caution.

“In the library, he was talking about me leaving, and he got really sad asking me to promise not to leave again.”

“What could have triggered him again?”

Before anyone can answer Nona, Blue claps his hands squealing as he disappears then appears in Killian’s arms.

“Blue, class,” he says clapping excitedly again.

Say it with me folks, bi-po-lar.

“Guess you don’t really have a choice,” Mor says amused, “I’ll come with and keep an eye on him while Killian tortures you all.”

That has Blue ceasing his seal-like actions and regarding Killian like one would their prey before shooting an arrow.

Killian looks scared as he hurriedly explains, to a child no less, “She doesn’t really mean that, I won’t torture mama little man,” he says earnestly.

Mor and Nona dissolve laughing, and even dad chuckles, the only one who matches my confused face is Ax, but it doesn’t last long, the boy shrugs and then, moves out after sending a finger salute to his parents.

Everyone else files out, and I’m left standing there still processing, looking to dad and Nona for help.

“Go ahead,” Khalil says still amused, we will speak afterwards.

I hesitate.

“Mama!” sounds and a subsequent yank pulling me out the door.

I stumble after them in a daze.

Ax doubles back and moves to my side throwing his arm over my shoulder, “Don’t worry Drac everything will be fine, I promise.”

I shoot him a look but he just chuckles squeezing my shoulder in support.

I hope he was right, but with my track record, I was still worried.