“Height. Elias is the tallest, then Korbin, and Dagan is the shortest, which isn’t saying much as they are all built like towers you just want to climb,” she says, making me laugh.
“You have that right,” I say, groaning as I fall back on my bed and look up at the ceiling. Things were a little awkward between me and Korbin when he drove us home last night, and walked me to my room. He kissed me, making me want to invite him into my room, but Jules came out and checked on us.
“Any plans for today?” she asks, and I hear the sound of beeping in the background.
“Nope, I don’t know what the guys do on Sundays, but I want to eat junk food. Oh, and catch up on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here and then read, and read, and read,” I say, knowing I need to clear my head of everything I learnt from the dream last night. I need to clear my head in general, and remember who I am, who the guys I’m falling for are. This isn’t a fairy tale where the curse is broken in the end, and we all have a happy ending…No, this is a nightmare, and they will pay the price. Everything is so seriously messed up. I was meant to make the guys remember, not fall for any of them. Yet I’ve slept with Korbin, and I damn well know how I feel for him, it sure isn’t nothing. I can’t keep my thoughts off the others, and the man I thought I hated, now I’m just confused about. These kind of thoughts are why I need a reading day to escape.
“Oh my god, it’s the finale tomorrow. You totally need to catch up so we can discuss who will win! Have a good day, hun,” she says, and I hear someone shouting for her in the background.
“Later,” I say, and put the phone down. I pick up my dressing gown, put it on, and go to the bathroom. I brush my teeth, and run my fingers through my hair, just leaving it down and sliding my slippers on as I leave my room.
“Hey,” I say when I run half away down the stairs and see Elias walking up. I pause when he gets closer, leaning sideways on the bannister.
“What did you do to your hands?” I ask, seeing the blood.
“Nothing,” he mutters the word quietly, but the tone makes it clear he isn’t telling me. He must have been working out, as he is dripping with sweat, his hair pushed roughly out of his eyes. He only has shorts on, so I can see all the tattoos that cover his chest. I want to reach out and touch him, to trace the red dragon design. I want to ask him what the symbols on his heart mean.
“Do you like tattoos?” he asks me, following my eyes to where I’m looking. I don’t breathe as he leans into me, pressing me against the side of the stairs. I don’t hold back, moving my hands onto his chest over his heart, and tracing the symbols like my body wants me to.
“What are these?” I ask him, looking up when he stays silent. He is just staring at me, his blue eyes blazing with something.
“Kiss me and I’ll tell you,” he promises, a devilish smirk on his lips.
“Eli,” I breathe out. I can't believe myself when I inch closer, moving my face just below his. Every part of me wants to kiss him, but I feel like that’s cheating on Korbin. That I’m betraying him somehow, even though we never spoke about being serious. Even though he is likely going to hate me when he remembers who I am.
“Your choice,” he whispers, his warm breath blowing across my lips. I close my eyes once more, just breathing in his smoky scent.
“I…can’t. Korbin and I–” I start to say, but he presses a finger on my lips, stopping me. I open my eyes, seeing his watching me seriously. He moves his finger, sliding it slowly down my chin and to my neck as he speaks. Every space where our skin connects, sends shivers through me. It’s like every touch of his skin is branded against my own.
“I don't mind sharing so you being with Korbin isn't going to prevent me from wanting you," he tells me. He pulls away, walking up the stairs while I try to get some oxygen back into my body. Once Elias is out of view, my dragon perks up, pressing herself into my mind, and making it nearly impossible to move.
“We need to fly, it’s been too long,” she whines.
“I know, I’m sorry. I’ve just been distracted,” I explain to her. It’s not like I don’t want to fly, I could use the time to myself.
“Now, I need to fly,” she demands this time, even going far enough to push into my mind a little, and ice slides across my palms. I shake my hands, seeing the ice drip onto the floor and hope no one sees it before it melts.
“Fine.” I shut her away, groaning that my day of catching up on TV is gone. Instead, it looks like I’m taking a hike through the woods, and then a flight around the cold mountains.
“Good morning, Isola.” Jules says, walking down the stairs. I turn to face her with a smile.
“I’m about to go to the shops, do you want to come? I’ve never seen boys eat as much as our guests do,” she chuckles and walks past me to put her coat on.
“No thanks, I have a day of books, and drooling over the hot guys in them, planned,” I lie and she laughs, pulling her keys out her bag.
“Wait, I left a bag in the boot when I went shopping with Dagan, can I just go and get it?” I ask her, holding out my hand for her keys.
“Sure, I could use checking the fridge once more before I leave. You never know, I could have left something off my list,” she says, sliding the keys into my hand. I slide my boots on, pulling my dressing gown tighter around myself as I walk out the house and to the car. I pop the boot open, picking up the daggers and putting them inside a spare plastic bag Jules always leaves inside the car. Thank god for the ban on free plastic bags in England, that’s all I can say. I walk back into the house to find Jules is waiting in the hallway, looking through her bag. I slip my boots off, and hand her the keys.
“Okay hunny, see you later tonight,” she says, eyeing my plastic bag for a second, before she walks out the door. I watch through the small glass window until her car pulls away and drives off before getting ready. I pull my dressing gown off, leaving my pyjamas on as I will just have to take them off anyway. No magic clothes here. I pull my wellies, thick coat and hat on before stepping outside, still holding the plastic bag. I look up, seeing the dark clouds and smelling the rain in the air. It’s actually a good thing, the rain will hide my dragon well when we fly up. I shut the door, and start walking towards the woods, keeping an eye out around me to make sure no one is following. Once it’s just me and the trees, I look down at my tree mark on my hand. I miss Bee, even though we didn’t get that much time together. It just feels like it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen her. It's almost like I can feel our bond growing weaker by the day.
“Do you miss Bee? Can you sense her?” I ask my dragon, wondering what the bond to Bee is like for her.
“Bee is bonded to you like I am, but she is not bonded to me. She is your human side, not your dragon side Isola,” she explains to me.
“I understand, that’s why I miss her as much as I do,” I say.
“Like you miss me,” she replies sadly.
“I will never lose you,” I reply, feeling a wave of warmth and love come from her. I smile, walking quicker through the woods. About an hour later, I get to the clearing I used to shift in with Jace.
“Jace,” my dragon whispers.
“I miss him too, so much more now that I’m here and surrounded with our memories. Do you think he would hate me for moving on?” I ask her, being that she is the only person that remembers him. Even if she is an animal that relies on instincts for everything, she still loved and bonded with him in the same ways I did. She still felt heartbreak, she felt the same fear of being alone like I did.
“No, it was never your fate to be with just one,” she replies, sounding so sure of herself.