Chapter 13

13

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Burnt Caramel Cream. Fireball Apple Cider Float. Flaming Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake.

The Little Dipper Ice Cream Truck was renowned for its flavor names. From Cherry Christmas and Happy Challah Days in December, to Liber-Tea green tea ice cream in July, the owners always incorporated the world around them into their flavors. Whoever designed the names for the most recent flavors had gone all out to match the fire.

And today, Simon needed a taste of his childhood to soothe his heart.

He hadn’t been able to get Lilis out of his mind all day. The pain in her eyes just before she’d shoved her food at him and stomped off. He’d been so certain her questions were designed to poke at him. To needle his pain until it reared up and broke him. He’d gone to the gym for two hours, trying to rid his mind of her.

But every lap in the pool, every weight he’d lifted and every bag he’d pounded had made him doubt his initial reactions. He began to suspect she’d never intended to hurt him.

He perused the delicious offerings of the menu, stopped at one.

Dragon Fruit.

He ordered two scoops.

And bit into heaven. The tropical flavor hit his tongue, sweeping him away. Sweet, like a blend of pear and kiwi, it enveloped his senses, reminding him of the other dragon he’d tasted that day. He pictured her as she’d been in his dream, remembered the reality of how she’d felt in his arms. He wished he could be tasting her instead.

He headed down the side streets, wandering away from crowds and toward the Barrens.

As the businesses thinned, the number of rescue vehicles increased. This area had once been a residential neighborhood and now looked like a retreat for rescue workers. Old brick buildings interspersed with storage depots and sheds.

The warm night air brushed past him as it blew through the trees, and Simon pushed through the burn of his muscles, enjoying the walk.

“You smell awful.”

Simon nearly laughed aloud at the comment that came from just behind him. Someone was in for a rough night.

“Hey. I’m talking to you. You really stink.”

What the hell? Simon glanced over his shoulder, tongue still sticking out of his mouth mid-lick.

A man and woman of average height strode toward him, watching him with matching sneers. Their silver hair hung partway down their backs in several small braids.

The woman sniffed at Simon and wrinkled her nose. She squinted and tilted her head to the side. “Why isn’t he running, Dimitri?”

Simon’s mouth dropped open. “Let’s just pretend you got the reaction from me you wanted.” He waved. “Now, if you don’t mind?—”

“Oh, we mind.” Dimitri took a few steps closer to Simon. “See, Alkmini and I know who you are. You’re not going anywhere.”

Simon backed away to keep some space between himself and the clearly enraged Dimitri. “Look, dude, you’ve got me confused with someone else. Maybe?—”

Dimitri was in his face before Simon had a chance to blink. The brick of a building pressed into his back, and Simon tensed, preparing to fight if needed. He’d always considered himself fortunate for his height and build. Few people saw him as a target.

But this guy still felt messing with Simon was worth it. Behind Dimitri, Alkmini giggled and crouched to all fours.

With a small flash of light, her body transformed, and where a human had stood, now a horrifying beast stalked toward him. It looked like a cross between a weasel and a lion, with porcupine quills covering its head and neck like a mane. It made a buzzing sound like a deafening purr, and screeched.

Panic gripped Simon. He tried to break free, but Dimitri wrapped a hand around Simon’s throat, pinning him in place.

He stepped aside to allow the weasel thing a clear shot at Simon. “I’m going to enjoy this. Dragon .”

Before the creature could leap, something swept past Simon in a blur, knocking Dimitri to the ground. He slid on his back across the pavement.

Simon breathed a deep sigh of relief as the weasel-lion froze.

“Touch him again”—Lilis planted a booted foot on his chest—“and I will rip out your spine and force feed it to you.”

Dimitri squinted up at her and sniffed. A slow smile broke across his face. “So, it’s you .” He chuckled, the sound pure evil. “No matter. And maybe you can’t count.” He tossed her foot off and stood, cracking his neck. “But there are two of us.”

Lilis tossed her jacket to Simon and kicked off her boots. She reached for the hem of her black shirt, drawing it over her head as her pants hit the ground. “I don’t care if there are eighty of you. You. Don’t. Touch. Him. Ever. ”

The last word became a roar as she transformed into a jet-black dragon. The silvery demon leapt at Lilis with a screech, but she caught it around the waist.

They tumbled through the trees with roars and flashes of black and bright white. Bushes rustled, and with a crack , a tree dropped in the distance. Another flash of light caught Simon’s attention just before a second quilled monster sprinted off in the direction of the battle.

Lilis.

For the second time in two days, Simon’s world was rocked to its core. Animals that shouldn’t exist, that didn’t exist, reared up and smacked him in the face with their existence. He shook, adrenaline and fear racing through his bloodstream like drugs, sucking him into a horrific hallucination. But the roars in the distance were very real. And somewhere among them, Lilis fought for her life.

Fought for his life.

Simon charged forward, following the sounds of the battle.

It was like following the path of a tornado. Downed trees, flattened bushes, shattered wood from buildings, and a motorcycle on its side, one wheel bent nearly in half.

Let her be okay!

He caught up to them in the semicircle of buildings serving as outposts and sheds to the ranger station. Two small silver creatures circled a midnight dragon, who crouched, watching.

One leapt at her head, and she reared up, releasing a stream of fire the color of a green Monster energy drink. The weasel lion was blown backward with a whine, and the smell of licorice permeated the area.

Green?

The weasel shrieked and ran out of the neon flames as the other one jumped on her back. It scrambled for purchase, tinkling like an out-of-key xylophone.

Simon shuddered, realizing he was hearing its claws on Lilis’ scales . She growled and tried to reach it, but it ducked her swiping talons.

The hell with this.

He would not let anything happen to her.

He glanced around, spying a pile of bricks and some air tanks near one of the sheds. Simon snatched up several bricks and chucked them at the creature’s head. The hollow clunks did nothing to deter it. It bellowed at him, and the other weasel raced toward him with a gaping maw full of razor-sharp fangs.

Simon grabbed one of the air tanks, brandishing it like a club.

Before it could reach him, Lilis blew a streak of violet fire, and the smell of caramel and burnt animal nearly overpowered him. Ignoring it, he took off after the steaming weasel. With a massive swing, he managed to knock it into the next tree.

It got to its feet and lunged with a hiss. Lilis careened into its path, knocking it aside and scooping up Simon. With two beats of her powerful wings, she deposited him in a branch thirty feet off the ground.

Away from the fight.

“What the hell , Lilis?!” Did she really expect him to just sit back and watch her get hurt?

She completely ignored him, diving back into the battle. Roars, thumps, and snapping jaws filled the air over a background of more xylophone notes. The weasels attacked mercilessly, biting and clawing at Lilis, but she matched them swipe for swipe.

And then they leapt at her together, tackling Lilis and sending her crashing through a nearby shed, decimating one wall, and collapsing the roof. Dust billowed outward to the clanging of metal air tanks and ladders. A low whine emanated from the rubble.

“ Lilis! ” Simon started climbing down, barely noticing the scrape of the branches, his gaze trained on the smoking spot where she’d disappeared under thousands of pounds of bricks and metal scraps. God, no one could survive that, could they? Not even a dragon.

Please, no.

With a satisfied snort, the two demons turned their attention to Simon and transformed back into humans. Naked humans.

“You can’t hide from us up there. We’ll get a bonus for you.” Alkmini wiped blood from the side of her face. “We’re gonna?—”

Splintered wood and brick fragments sailed through the air as Lilis exploded from the rubble and tackled them to the ground. Pinning them in place with a massive paw on each chest, she blew more shamrock-colored fire at them. Her breath seemed endless. The smell of singed hair, roasted meat, and more licorice filled the air around him, making Simon wretch.

But he couldn’t have cared less about the nausea. She’s alive.

Finally, a hiss that sounded like air escaping from burning wood rose over the flames, and both weasel things scurried out of her fire, racing away with their serpentine tails ablaze.

Lilis snorted a puff of steam at their departing figures. Then she trotted over to the base of the tree holding Simon prisoner. She grabbed the trunk, and the tree swayed under her bulk. But it held as she clawed her way up the branches to him. When she was just under his feet, she stopped and positioned herself so he could climb onto her. The minute he was secure, she launched into the night sky with a roar.

“Lilis!” Simon clung to her neck as the wind raced past his face. Her wings beat a powerful rhythm, and the earth disappeared below them, the lights becoming tiny specks in the distance. The air around him grew cold, though her metallic scales under his hands emanated heat. Finally, she leveled out, gliding through the air, and Simon was able to relax his grip and sit up.

Freedom.

The thought filled his mind, relaxing his body. His grandparents. Bills. Expectations, patients, tests. All of it lay far below them, unable to touch him in the sky. The feeling was incredible.

After a few more minutes of sailing—or perhaps hours, Simon couldn’t tell—Lilis dove for the earth, dodging pines with graceful ease. Simon’s heart flew into his throat, but he exhilarated in the sensation. Her feet touched down on the needles of the Barrens, and Simon slid from her back as she shifted into her human form.

“Lilis! That was?—”

She wrapped her arms around his waist in a fierce hug, her unique blend of frankincense and flowers surrounding him. Simon’s arms came around her automatically, holding her body as close to his own as possible.

“Are you a complete and total idiot?” she grumbled into his shoulder.

Simon’s brain stalled. “What?”

She backed up with a scowl and started walking around their little clearing, naked in the moonlight. Simon reeled from the myriad of cuts and slices that crisscrossed her body. She’d bled for him.

“You’re hurt.” Simon reached for her. “I’m so sorry. Let me help.”

“I’m fine. But you . You tried to beat up a manjeja demon with a tin can !”

“I… what? The air tank?”

“Yes, the air tank. I had them, Simon. I didn’t need your help. And why the fuck were they attacking you anyway?”

“Apparently, I stink.” Simon struggled to hold onto his temper as she berated him. “I don’t see how it’s my fault when a fictional creature takes issue with the fact I didn’t shower well enough after the gym.”

Lilis stopped pacing and stared at Simon, brow furrowed. “Say that again.”

“What? You really need me to repeat all their insults about me smelling bad?”

“Yes, I do. Everything they said.”

Something about her tone pierced through his anger, and Simon took a steadying breath to avoid shouting at her. “They said I stank or something. And then wanted to know why I wasn’t running away.” He thought back to the attack, trying to sift through memories clouded by fear and confusion. “And I think Dimitri called me a dragon.”

Lilis’ eyes grew wider the longer he talked, and her breathing sped up. “What else did they say?”

“Nothing. You showed up.” Simon watched her with growing alarm. He put a hand on her shoulder. “Lilis? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Glowing hunter-green eyes met his in the moonlight and the sheer terror there floored him.

“They didn’t say anything else? You’re sure?”

Simon shook his head. “Not before you arrived.”

“And after? Simon, what did they say after?”

“Something about me being a bonus? I don’t know, it’s hard to remember. A building had just fallen on you, for shit’s sake. I was a bit preoccupied.”

Lilis visibly paled. “Hells.” She whispered so quietly he barely heard her. “This can’t be happening again.”

“What can’t be happening?” She shook her head, and Simon squeezed her shoulder. “Please, Lilis, tell me.”

She shrugged off his touch and resumed pacing. “Remember the demons I told you about over breakfast? The ones that smell like dogs? They’re called manjejas, and they’re one of the few that can do serious damage to dragons. They’re sturdy as fuck and damn near fireproof. They’re also excellent trackers with a sharp sense of smell. But their eyesight is crap. They attacked you tonight because you smell like me . They mistook you for me. And from the sound of it, someone hired them to come after me.”

Simon felt the blood drain from his own face at the thought of someone deliberately hunting Lilis. She appeared terrified as well, raging around the clearing, crimson blood running down her sides from the dozens of cuts across her. “Hold still. You’re going to pass out from blood loss if you’re not careful.”

“From that fight?” She paused her march to laugh in his face. “I don’t think so.” Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and released a slow breath. Several of the smaller cuts on her sides closed, like a time-lapse healing video played on fast forward. “See, Simon? I’m fine. I’ll always be fucking fine. But you… you could’ve…”

Her voice sounded choked. Realization floored Simon. None of her fear was for her own safety. Yes, she was petrified.

For him.

“Lilis. Come here for a minute.”

“Are you blind? Look at me, Simon.” She spread her arms to show him skin that was almost completely clear of open wounds. Light brown skin that shone in the low moonlight and pink nipples that pebbled in the cool air. His hands itched to touch her, to be filled with her breasts.

She swallowed, her gaze locked on his bright white shirt, generously speckled scarlet with her blood, and Simon shoved his desire aside. She didn’t need that from him now.

“I see you.” Simon made his voice deliberately low. Calm. Without breaking eye contact, he drew his shirt over his head, showing her his unmarked skin. He took one of her hands and placed it against his chest, where his heart beat a strong rhythm. “Now see me. Feel me. I’m okay, Lilis. Thanks to you.”

He dropped his hand, and Lilis splayed her fingers over his skin. Her touch seared him, made him yearn to touch her in return, and he was grateful for the jeans that did a far better job hiding his undeniable attraction to her.

“Whatever.” Her tone was blasé, but she pulled him into another hug, her soft black hair tickling his chest.

Her stomach growled, and Simon’s heartbeat sped up again. “Hey Lilis?”

“Mm?”

“Just out of curiosity, why was your fire green? And purple? Are you about to throw up on me, and will I die from it if you do?”

She shook against him, and Simon released her immediately, taking a healthy step backward, out of fireball vomit range.

Her shakes turned to laughter. “I was doing shots with a few guys from my team.”

He took another step back. “That doesn’t answer my question about puking.”

Lilis snorted. “Really strong spirits can change the color of my fire because of the chemicals. Carter, Johnson, and Shepherd switched up liquors faster than pro bartenders, but they’ll be the ones to regret it in the morning. Little do they know I can’t get drunk.”

Simon’s jaw dropped. “Alcohol turns your fire green ?”

Lilis rolled her eyes. “Blame that one on the absinthe. Fucking nasty stuff. I couldn’t wait to be rid of it. The purple was probably the rum. Besides, you’re one to talk, with your hot pink ice cream.”

“I don’t breathe pink just because I eat it!”

Lilis laughed, the sound light. Simon couldn’t help it. He drew her back into his arms, holding her until the tension drained from her body.

Hugging her with only his jeans between them, he burned for more of her. As much as she would give him and as often as she wanted.

But he refused to push her.

As though reading his thoughts, she released him and backed away. “We should go. I need to get my clothes before someone else finds them, and people ask more annoying questions. I can get you home.”

The flight back to the spot where he’d initially been attacked seemed to take almost no time at all, to Simon’s disappointment. She didn’t bother transforming when they landed. Instead, she waited while Simon gathered her clothes, then flew them both to his apartment building, following his directions.

She landed with the barest rustle of grass in the middle of the enormous backyard of the house that contained his studio apartment and four others. The windows were as dark as the night around them, the other tenants either asleep or out for the evening.

Simon slid from her back, keeping his hand on her neck. The soft light of the moon glinted on her scales, emphasizing their deep blackness. The ivory ones on her tail shone brightly, offering comforting familiarity. “Stay with me. I need you tonight.”

Christ, the truth of that statement nearly sent him to his knees. He didn’t want her for protection. He just needed to hold her. All through the night.

And maybe into more nights.

One step at a time.

She didn’t move for so long that Simon thought she would leap into the air at any moment, soaring out of his life as quickly as she’d sailed in. Finally, the slits of her pupils rounded, and her body shrank to its human shape. A breeze picked up, the only sound in the hushed yard as she watched him.

He held out his hand to her, and she accepted it.