Dragon Envy

MADDIE

“Catch!” I shouted, hurling the orange across the kitchen.

It sailed over the island, over Aneurin’s head...and right into Dane’s hands.

“Yessss!” he replied, tucking the orange under his arm like a football.

“Pass it back,” Aneurin called.

“Not to ~you,~ loser!” Dane yelled, launching the orange back to me.

I had to dive into the hallway, but I managed to catch the fruit as I slid across the tile floor.

Even after the killer save, I wasn’t safe. Aneurin was charging me, determined to get the ball.

Well, the orange.

“No way, snake scales!” I shrieked, launching the orange back to Dane. He soared through the air to catch it and landed on the couch, as if he’d caught it lying down.

“This game is stupid,” Aneurin said with a pout.

“You’re just saying that because you’re losing,” I countered, sticking out my tongue.

“No, I’m saying it because I’m hangry. Which is why we came here in the first place.”

“Oh, right,” I said, getting to me feet.

I had brought Dane and Aneurin up to the penthouse for a snack.

A few hours ago, we had met for a game of football in the park. It was all good and fun until Dane and Aneurin got too hungry to go on.

I had decided to take them back to Req Tower. We had a plan to meet up with my friends at Darshan’s restaurant later, so I didn’t want to spoil our appetites with a huge meal.

Plus, I wanted Hael to meet my friends. I thought they would all get along.

I had a sneaking suspicion that Hael would be able to recognize the twins as dragons; maybe he could help them realize their true dragon potential.

“So, what kind of smoothie do you guys want?” I asked, peeling the orange with a sharp fingernail.

Aneurin groaned. “Don’t you have any steak or anything?”

“Yeah,” Dane agreed, resting his elbows on the marble counter. “Lately, meat is the only thing that’s been doing it for us.”

“Dragon, much?” I teased, raising my eyebrows.

Aneurin shrugged.

“Look, you can have a steak at Darshan’s place,” I told them. “We’re heading there soon. For now, I’ll make you my famous strawberry banana smoothie.”

The two brothers stared at me.

“Fine. Thanks, Maddie,” Dane said, deadpan.

I smiled sweetly.

I finished peeling the orange and then some bananas. I grabbed the strawberries and then took the vanilla ice cream from the freezer.

~That~ was what made my recipe so famous. Even if it was only famous to me, Thea, and Zayda.

My friends flashed through my mind for a moment.

How long had it been since I had talked to Zayda?

I noticed a missed call from her on my phone the day before, but I hadn’t called back. I was sure she’d be at Darshan’s later.

I knew if I saw Zayda in a group, we were more likely to get along.

The blender whirred to life under my fingertip, liquifying the ingredients into a pretty pink concoction.

I poured it into three glasses and passed two to my friends.

I took a long drink, savoring the fruity deliciousness. All the while, I eyed Dane and Aneurin, who frowned into their glasses.

“Drink!” I ordered.

Just then, the penthouse door opened and Hael made his way to the kitchen. As soon as he saw Dane and Aneurin, he froze.

Instantly, the energy in the room shifted. The warm and friendly atmosphere turned icy cold.

“Um,” I stuttered. “Hael, these are my friends, Dane and Aneurin…”

Hael narrowed his eyes, glaring at them.

What the ~hell~ was going on?

“Oh, shoot,” I went on, blabbering to fill space. “I only made enough smoothie for three. I’d give mine to you, Hael, but I…”

I glanced at the empty glass in my hand.

~Drank it.~

When I looked back at my mate, I knew my concern was in vain. Hael didn’t seem to be listening to me.

If the smoothie didn’t suit Dane’s and Aneurin’s carnivorous cravings, it sure as hell wouldn’t satisfy a full-blown dragon like Hael.

My mate shifted his gaze slowly between Dane and Aneurin. The brothers glanced at each other.

Were these guys all mind-linking together right now?!

“Hael,” Hael said sternly. I realized he was introducing himself, though he made no gesture to shake their hands.

Dane and Aneurin said nothing.

“We met in the Skeleton Quarter,” I went on, realizing right after I said it that this was the worst possible thing to say.

Hael grimaced.

“But we all quit overhead! No more of that!” I shouted, plastering a smile on my face.

Everyone stared at me like I’d grown a second head.

Behind the kitchen counter, I stepped on my foot and bit my lip.

Why was I acting like such an ~idiot?~

Hael opened the refrigerator and removed a glass of cow blood.

He lifted the Saran Wrap off the top and took a long drink.

I knew it was how he dealt with a diet lacking in human beings, but it still made me gag every time.

But not Dane and Aneurin, who gripped the counter before them, enraptured by the dark blood. They practically drooled with jealousy.

“Ahhh,” Hael sighed. All of a sudden, he was relaxed. He looked around innocently. “So. What have you guys been up to today?”

He flashed me his winning smile, but it only made me more nervous.

“We were at the park…” I began.

“Playing a round of football,” Dane finished.

I noticed Hael stiffen in the corner of my eye.

“Maddie’s got quite a pair of hands,” Aneurin added.

Within a second, Hael had leapt over the island and held the neck of Aneurin’s t-shirt balled up in his hand. His other hand was balled into a fist.

Both men were extremely tall; they glared at each other, sizing each other up.

“Wait!” I shrieked, running toward them. “Hael, don’t!”

I grabbed Hael’s arm. I pulled on him until finally I got his attention.

~“Come with me,”~ I hissed.

With a last glare at Aneurin, he allowed me to pull him into the penthouse’s entryway.

“What the hell was that?!” I asked.

“I hate those guys, Maddie,” Hael replied, shaking his head. “I don’t know why.”

“Well, don’t hate them. They’re my friends. And they’re dragons, just like you.”

“I know ~that,”~ Hael replied, rolling his eyes. “But I don’t want you to be friends with them anymore.”

“What?!”

How dare Hael speak so nonchalantly? As if he could order me around without batting an eye?

“You heard me. Tell them to go.”

He stared at me and I let out a huff of breath.

“Fine,” I whispered.

I turned on my heel, leaving Hael alone in the hallway.

“Dane, Aneurin, let’s go,” I told them, grabbing my denim jacket from the back of a chair. “Time for dinner.”

I strode past Hael on my way out of the penthouse. I didn’t look back as I waited for the elevator with my friends.

***

“Wait, ~what?!”~ I yelled.

I ripped the blindfold off my head. I wanted to play along with Darshan’s concept and all, but I needed ~all~ of my senses to understand what was going on here.

What I thought would be a casual dinner with all my friends turned into an important meeting with everyone present except Zayda.

“Everyone calm down!” Thea shouted from the head of the table.

“Xythor’s ~dead?!~ How the fuck did that happen?” Harry demanded.

Based on everyone else’s reaction, I wasn’t the only one in the dark.

The room was total chaos.

I turned to Harry, anxiety creasing my face.

Xythor was an immortal dragon. They didn’t just ~die.~

“Yes, Xythor’s dead,” Thea sighed. Darshan moved behind her and held her hand. “Zayda told me that he passed last night. She’s in shock, obviously, but she wanted me to tell you guys.”

A realization struck me like a lightning bolt.

“Ohmygod!” I shrieked, “Is she his ~mate?!”~

“She said they never mated,” Thea quickly explained.

I sighed, relieved.

“Just dragon things,” Harry remarked, rolling his eyes.

“~Not~ funny,” I spat.

I turned to Dane and Aneurin beside me and pulled off their blindfolds for them. They looked totally confused.

Okay, this wasn’t the best time for them to meet my friends. But right now, their comfort was the last thing on my mind.

~Poor Zayda.~

“Xythor got very sick, very quickly,” Thea went on. “Zayda didn’t know how to help him.”

Thea glanced down at the table.

My breath caught.

Zayda tried to call me. And I didn’t pick up.

Was our stupid fight worth ignoring her when she needed a friend the most?

I gulped.

“We have to do something for her!” I said.

“A funeral for Xythor is already being arranged. It’s tomorrow afternoon,” Thea went on, not meeting my eye.

What was going on? Was Thea mad that I hadn’t made amends with Zayda?

“You’ll let the dragons know, Maddie?” she asked.

“Of course,” I whispered.

A waiter placed a salad in front of me that was so elegant it looked more like a rare flower than an appetizer. But the very sight of food nauseated me. Even here.

I needed fresh air.

“Guys, I’m sorry,” I called, standing up. “But I need some time to think. I’ll see you all at the funeral tomorrow.”

Thea nodded. Harry pulled me in for a bear hug before I slipped out the back door.

I felt the cool evening air on my face as I stood in the deserted parking lot.

What was Zayda feeling right now? I literally couldn’t imagine.

“Hey, Mads,” I heard from behind me, and I turned to see Dane walking ahead of Aneurin. “We don’t mean to bug you. It just felt a little too...intimate for us in there.”

“Of course,” I sighed. “Sorry I chose the worst day ever to introduce you to everyone.”

They shrugged.

“Was he a friend of yours?” Dane asked.

“Yeah, he was,” I whispered.

Suddenly, a feeling of resolve settled over me. Maybe there ~was~ a reason why I brought Dane and Aneurin with me tonight.

“Guys, I have an idea.”

I glanced around me. The parking lot was huge.

It was perfect.

“Obviously, life's fragile. Tonight, I want to try to teach you to shift into dragons. In honor of Xythor.”

“I don’t know, Maddie…” Aneurin began.

“It’s easy!” I shouted, though I actually didn’t know that at all. “Just close your eyes...and imagine a huge cloud of black mist...and then imagine breathing fire!”

I jumped on the balls of my feet, getting them hyped up.

“Okay...go!”

They closed their eyes.

I watched them, continuing my made-up dance. Moving made me feel better, if only for a moment, and I focused my energy on Dane and Aneurin’s shift…

Dane opened his eyes shook his head.

“Maddie, I can’t just…”

“Dane,” I sighed. “Imagine you’re on top of the tallest building in Requiem City…”

“Req Tower,” Aneurin murmured. Dane closed his eyes. The brothers faced each other.

“Yes, exactly!” I cried, remembering my last visit there.

“You’re diving off headfirst,” I went on, “and the wind is rushing so fast you can’t think.”

I thought about landing on Silver’s back, and our flight above the spires of the city.

“The ground is coming fast. You have two choices...” My voice became an encouraging whisper. “Fly or fall.”

I watched them intently.

How could I express the experience I had with Silver? To fly with a dragon was like no other feeling in the world.

It defied the laws of gravity. It defied the laws of ~reality.~

The three of us stood together in silence. I held my breath.

Black mist suddenly appeared at their both of their feet.

“Yes!” I shrieked.

The mist drifted upward until the twins disappeared.

I looked up…

Two huge dragons soared through the sky. One had regal black scales, while the other was gold. The sunlight played off of their shimmering forms.

“Wow,” I marveled. “If only you were here now, Xythor.”