“What are you doing?” I ask, though I don't push him away. This close, I notice he still carries the smoky scent of his fire dragon, and it makes me want to press myself closer to him.
“Mine,” my dragon whispers and Elias’ eyes widen in surprise. He grabs my chin to look at me closer as I feel my eyes fade back to their normal blue. He saw them silver, he must have.
“Let go,” I demand, and he narrows his eyes at me.
“Your eyes, they changed colour,” he exclaims.
“You’re seeing things Elias,” I reply nervously.
“Don’t lie to me, I don’t like it,” he demands and lets go, stepping back and shaking his head.
“Eli?” I whisper, watching him hold his hands to his head for a few moments. When he finally looks back at me, he seems so lost.
"Class. We need to go to class, and then we will have a long chat tonight," he orders. "I don't like lies," he repeats, and I turn around, walking the rest of the way to class.
“I know, but I don’t have any choice," I whisper to myself.
Chapter Seven
Isola
Issy, come on, we are going shopping, remember?” Hallie asks as soon as I step out of our final class. I feel Dagan, Elias, and Korbin follow me from the room. Someone has arranged it so we all have the same classes together. Probably the same person who made it possible for them to live with me. Something is going on, and I’m starting to feel like a puppet on a string, yet I don’t know who it is that is controlling me. The guys haven’t spoke to me much, not even at lunch, though they sat eating their food next to Hallie and me. It’s awkward between us all, but I’m clueless to why it feels that way.
“What?” I ask her, snapping out my thoughts.
“Shopping? We made plans to go tonight,” she says, and I vaguely remember making plans with her in my fake life last week.
“Alright,” I concede. When I drop the book I'm holding, I stop to pick it up, and someone slams into me. We both fall to the floor, and I land on something hard. I open my eyes to see Dagan underneath me, his hands on my waist and a serious expression clouding his eyes.
“Are you always this clumsy?” he asks. This moment reminds me of when we first met, how he jumped on me to save me back then. Not that he is saving me this time, but still.
“No… well, yes. I mean, I can be. I try not to be if that helps,” I grin, and he shakes his head at me as I get off of him.
“Here,” he hands me my book, but doesn't let go. He stands there, still staring at me with confusion written all over his face.
“Thanks Dagan,” I say, as he finally lets go of the book and steps away, rolling his lip ring. He always does that when he's thinking about something.
“No problem, kitty cat, see you at home,” he replies and turns around, walking over to where Korbin and Elias are waiting for him by the door.
“At home? What have you not been telling me?” Hallie gasps dramatically, pushing her long hair behind her shoulders. I sigh, watching the guys disappear through the doors.
“They all moved in yesterday. Apparently, they need a place to stay for a while, and Jules is completely okay with it,” I say, and her eyes widen. I walk to my locker, letting her process the shock, and shove my textbooks inside, before closing it to face her.
“Holy fucking shit!” Hallie exclaims, whacking my arm and making me laugh. I actually like this girl.
“Please, please say you’re going to sneak into at least one of their rooms…like naked, so they can’t resist,” she begs, and I laugh.
“I don’t think I need to do that, besides, I have a date with Korbin on Saturday. It's a long story, but I kind of lost a bet," I tell her.
“Then we definitely need to find you something tight and sexy to wear,” she wraps an arm around me and leads me to the door. We go in Hallie’s car to the shopping centre, parking up, and walking in. I look at Hallie, trying to find something from our fake past to ask her about. It's getting harder to remember, the memories becoming more distant.
“Are your mum and dad still arguing?” I finally ask.
“Yeah, and when it’s over you, you can’t help but feel bad,” she admits, and I remember how her father wants her to join the family business after school, and how her mother is completely against it.
“It’s not your fault,” I reply gently.
“It really is though. I’m their only child, and dad is head of their business. Mum lets me work with him sometimes, but she still hates what he does. I’m not a fan, but understand it’s needed. It’s just complicated at home,” she sighs.
“What is the family business? I can’t remember,” I ask her.
“My dad works for the government and has his own facility, but I can’t tell you what they do. It’s all top secret and whatnot. I have told you this before,” she laughs. I laugh it off with her because the truth is, I don’t remember asking her that before. The fake past is slipping from my mind faster than I thought it was.
“I know, I thought I’d just try asking again. But seriously, it’s not your fault. You can be anything you want when you finish school,” I tell her.
“Not when you have to keep your parents happy, and have responsibility thrown at you from birth,” she says and then shakes her head. “Anyway, less depressing talk about things we can’t change, and more shopping.” I smile at her, and let her lead me towards the clothes shops we usually buy from. We have a lot more in common than I ever knew. Both of us never really had a choice about our futures and what we get to do. Freedom was never an option for us.
I walk up the stairs quietly, holding three bags at my sides, and make my way into my bedroom. I put the bags on the floor by the door, shutting it, and switching on a light as I go. I turn around and jump at the sight of Elias on my window seat, smoking a cigarette out the open window.
“What the hell are you doing in here? You have your own room,” I exclaim. Internally I groan when I realize my plan to sneak out later, and go to the woods to let my dragon out won't be happening. I feel her grumble in my mind, her annoyance isn’t too bad though.
“I said we would talk, and I meant it. I don't forget things," he says, and I mentally cringe. He has forgotten things, he’s forgotten everything. Everything that makes him Elias Fire, the deadly dragon guard I know. I watch him finish his cigarette, flicking it out the window and shutting it before facing me. I keep my back against the wall near the door, unsure whether to approach him or not.
“What do you want me to say?” I ask, knowing I can’t tell him about the real reason my eyes changed colour, or why I lied to him. I have a feeling Elias knows when I’m lying, and at the moment, I'm having to lie about everything. How I feel, what is real, what isn’t, and my entire life.
“I dream about kissing you, not in a made-up dream, but an actual memory. I remember kissing you. How is that possible? We have never met, but I know your mine. That dream fucking haunts me even when I’m awake,” he tells me as he gets up and stalks over to me, never taking his eyes off mine. Every step he makes to get closer to me is dangerous, because of what I’m feeling, what I’m thinking. I don’t want to lie to him, and yet, I can’t let him closer. I can’t tell him anything, but he doesn’t remember enough to save himself. He pushes me further into the wall, his body pressed against mine. I close my eyes, knowing I can’t be trusted to look at him.
“I know if I kiss you right now, you will taste as sweet as a peach, and more addictive than anything I’ve ever tasted in my life,” he growls, and I feel a finger tracing down my cheek, towards my neck. His hand slides to the back of my head, gripping my nape and angling my face towards his. Even then, I still don't open my eyes, not even when I feel his warm breath on my lips. I know he is inches away from me and if he kisses me, I won’t have the power to stop him. To fight what feels right.
“Open those eyes and tell me the truth,” he urges, yet it feels like a demand. A dark, seductive one that sends shivers through me.