Chapter 15 Arya

It was around noon when the aches and chills flared back up again, making it impossible to sleep any longer.

I scowled at the bottles sitting on my nightstand. I didn't want to take more of that shit, but it was Saturday, and I didn't want to spend the rest of the day in bed and miserable. I'd been holed up in my room for what felt like weeks—even though it was only about a day—and I needed to get out.

I sat up and grabbed a bottle of were remedy. Opening it, I stared at its contents, willing the vile liquid to somehow taste better. I took a deep breath and held it as I chugged it down as fast as I could. When I had it all down, I shuddered and stuck out my tongue as if exposing it to the air would remove the foul bitterness. Throwing the bottle to the side, I grabbed one of the mints and popped it in my mouth.

The flu-like symptoms cleared up almost immediately, just like the last time. At least the bad taste was worth it.

I threw on a t-shirt and jeans and pulled my hair into a low ponytail. Ashlyn had said she was going out today, and though I had refused the invitation to join her, I missed her company now. But I had been in no way fit for an outing. I still wasn't.

I was just about to go to the dining hall for lunch when a soft knock sounded on the door. When I opened it, Tobias was standing on the other side. His eyes seemed to smolder as they took me in, and he winked, making my belly heat.

"Got any plans today?" he asked, an almost boyish uncertainty behind those honeyed eyes.

I had the sudden urge to pull Tobias into my room and close the door. Why would I need to leave the shelter of my cave if I had him to snuggle with? But then I remembered Ashlyn's smartass comment about hibernating, and I was determined to prove that notion wrong. I did not need to hibernate.

I cleared my throat, hoping the heat blooming from my neck didn't make me look guilty. "Nope. No plans."

His sexy grin widened. "Good. Let's grab some food, and then I want to show you something."

I slipped my hand into his and closed the door as I let him usher me to the dining hall.

As we walked, I couldn't help but smooth my hair with my free hand and try to catch a whiff of myself when I lifted my arm to fluff the back of it. Did I look like as much of a mess as I felt? Could he tell something was off about me? Did I smell different?

I spotted Cora and her posse chatting near the entrance as we approached, and my worries were immediately replaced with apprehension. They fell silent when they saw us, focusing all their energy into glaring at us.

Cora opened her mouth as if to say something but then closed it again, giving a faraway look. As her eyes began to uncross, she frowned and folded her arms, looking both uneasy and frustrated. I smiled and waved as smug satisfaction spread across my chest, wondering what kind of nightmare Cora had just lived through at the hand of her own cruelty. Karma really was a bitch.

"What was that about," Tobias asked.

I shrugged, holding his hand a little tighter. Celeste was the only person who knew about my little siren experiment on Cora—not even Cora remembered what happened—and I wanted to keep it that way. Being able to manipulate people like that was exhilarating, but also terrifying, and God only knew how bad things would get if that skill entered the rumor mill.

Tobias and I got food from the buffet line and sat down at our usual spot.

I took a bite of sausage and sighed. I was craving meat like nothing else and had loaded my plate with anything even closely resembling protein. Again, I silently thanked whoever had made that drink. The flavor was nearly gone, but I didn't have to worry about nausea getting in the way of my voracious appetite.

I suddenly realized I must look like a huge slob, so I slowed my chewing and wiped my mouth with my napkin. "So, what did you want to show me?"

"It's a surprise." Tobias looked at my plate with a quizzical expression on his handsome face. "Are you on a special diet or something?"

I paused midchew. I wasn't ready to tell him. Not now that everything was going so well. "Umm—"

"Dude! Who's up for smashing some serious zombies?" Brett said, dropping into the seat next to Tobias. "Most of our clan should be online today. You in?"

My hackles rose at his sudden presence. Why did Brett always have to interrupt us? Why was he always trying to hog Tobias's attention? And did he have to put on so much body spray?

"Maybe later. Arya and I already have something planned." Tobias winked at me, then grabbed his own bite of sausage.

"Gee, thanks, Arya. You finally get this guy to loosen up, and then you monopolize all his time." Brett's stupid, playful smirk only made my blood boil faster.

"Maybe if you did something besides play games all day, he wouldn't be so opposed to hanging out with you," I snapped.

Brett leaned back, holding up his palms. "Whoa. Okay, then. Not like I got him the game for Christmas." He leaned toward Tobias and muttered, "PMS much?"

I narrowed my eyes as I leaned toward him, placing both my hands on the table. "I'm sorry, but does me being a girl offend you?"

Tobias placed a hand on my shoulder, and the tension coiling in my chest unwound. "Are you okay?"

I knew I was way overreacting, that I was acting like a raging bitch. But my emotions were so sensitive, it was like every action by others was a trigger. I needed to get a hold of myself. This wasn't me.

I blushed, shrinking in my seat. "Yeah. Sorry. Just haven't been feeling well the past few days."

"Told ya," Brett whispered loudly, and my rage was back in an instant, urging me to rip his fucking face off.

Tobias ignored him, giving me a concerned look. "You mentioned that yesterday in your text. Is everything okay? Did you go see Ms. Heather?"

"I thought harpies didn't get sick," Brett commented, and I really just wanted him to shut the hell up.

I bottled my irrational fury, clenching my fists under the table to vent some steam as I answered. "Yeah. It's nothing. I'll be fine."

Despite my super casual tone, Tobias didn't seem convinced, so I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Well, I'll just have to beat Flesh Eaters 4 without you," Brett said, ducking out of Tobias's reach with his tray. "Later, suckers!"

"You be careful with that game," Tobias called after him. Brett waved and laughed. "It's a collector's edition!" he yelled over the din of the dining hall.

I shook my head and popped a chicken nugget into my mouth. I was glad that he had left us, but the idea of him damaging the game I got for Tobias had my left eye twitching. If he got so much as a scratch on it, I'd—

"Seriously, though, are you okay?" Tobias asked as he turned back to me.

I shoved another nugget in my mouth, hoping the chewing would muffle my words and make them more convincing. "Yap, jus' tye-erd." I swallowed. "Sorry if that makes me a little moody."

He nodded, though the crease didn't leave his brow. "Do you feel up for a flight?"

I stared at him dumbly for a moment, like he was speaking a foreign language. "A flight?"

He chuckled. "Your harpy, my dragon, topside. What do you say?"

My eyes widened as understanding finally dawned on me.

"Yes! Ohmygosh, that would be a-may-zing!" Since learning how to fly, I hadn't done it outside of a training room. Now, the idea of spreading them through fresh air under the unfiltered sun, with Tobias by my side, made me positively giddy. "Where will we go?"

Tobias smirked. "You'll see."

"Wait. Topside?" The memory of his last tantrum flashed in my mind, and I folded my arms and fixed Tobias with a stern stare. "Last time I went topside, you went berserk on me. What makes this any different?"

Tobias made a playful grimace. "Yes. And I believe I've apologized for that. But now that I'm your boyfriend, I can go with you and personally see to it that you're safe."

"Ooh, boyfriend . I'll never get tired of that word," I mused with a coy smile.

"It's a good word. Almost as good as girlfriend ." He nudged me with his shoulder, and I leaned my head on it, trying to draw as much comfort as I could from his presence.

This flight would be a good thing. A great thing! It was going to be a completely new experience. I just hoped that the were potion would last until I came back.

* * *

I watched Tobias take off his clothes with my mouth practically watering—apparently, it wasn't just my mood and appetite that were affected by my erratic ursa hormones. Were all weres this horny all the time?

I glanced around the rooftop as I stripped down to my smart suit. I was grateful that my harpy form allowed for privacy, but despite Tobias's insistence that this spot was safe from prying eyes, I still felt exposed. I'd never shifted outside of the Dome before, and paranoia was an easily accessible state at the moment.

The smart shirt I wore was long-sleeved and warm enough to wear without a coat despite the deep chill in the air. My toes felt like they might freeze when I took my shoes off, but as soon as those black talons emerged, I was good to go. I reveled in the transformation, circling my shoulders as my wings came out, enjoying the lightness in them, the soft feathers tickling my hands.

Tobias smirked at me as he rounded his shoulders, letting the shift happen in a flash. I stood mesmerized at the sheer size of my now-dragon boyfriend. I'd seen him in action several times, but it still seemed startling. Even though I'd been at this school for a few months now, sometimes I still struggled believing such fantastical creatures were real.

And I was dating one of them.

He flicked his scales, and suddenly, his image melted into the access door behind him.

"Whoa," I gasped, stumbling backward slightly. I hadn't been expecting that.

"Try to get above me once we're in the air," his disembodied dragon voice rumbled. "You shouldn't be too conspicuous at the height we're going, but it doesn't hurt to be safe."

I blinked at the seemingly empty air before me. "How will I know where you are? I can't even be sure where you are right now, and I just saw you disappear."

"Here." There was a sound like playing cards being shuffled, and a strip of gray scales appeared, marking a patch along Tobias's back. "That will let you know where I am."

"Neat trick," I commented with a nod of approval.

"Yeah, about that," he said, the gray strip bending back and forth like a snake. "It's not really widespread knowledge that I can change the color of my scales."

"Oh, that's not some advanced dragon thing?" I asked.

"No. So I'd prefer that we keep that knowledge just between us." Even through the rattle of his dragon timber, I could hear the intimate nature of his tone.

Not all dragons could change the color of their scales, let alone go invisible as he just had. When he'd done that in the sim before, I just assumed every dragon could learn it. Now, knowing that he was trusting me with this knowledge, even though he kept it well guarded, made my insides tug with a strange sort of pride.

Tobias, the stoic, closed-off dragon, was trusting me with a secret. And yet, I was unwilling to share mine with him.

I smiled and shrugged, the gesture feeling a little odd with my wings out. "Of course. My lips are sealed."

"Thanks," his dragon voice practically purred. "Ready?"

I nudged my discarded coat and shoes a little further against the wall with my talon. "Whenever you are."

"Then come on!"

There was a whoosh of air as Tobias launched himself, and I followed behind him. It was a little difficult to keep track of his exposed gray patch of scales as I shot into the sky, but thankfully, the sky was clear enough to spot it.

I chased that patch higher and higher, then when I saw its direction level out, I swooped above it and found a current to soar on.

The air flowing over me felt delicious, the bite of cold dampened both by my shifted form and the heat regulation of the smart clothing. I had known it would be different than flying inside, but I didn't expect it to be so exhilarating.

Up here, I was completely removed from the vampires who wanted to capture me, the general who wanted to wield me, the teachers who had all their expectations. Up here, I was free, untouchable. And even though I couldn't wholly see Tobias, it was nice to know he was with me, that we were free together.

Once we traveled far enough past the city, I decided to test out some of those trick maneuvers Ms. Heather had shown me. Arching backward, I managed a shaky loop-the-loop that I was sure looked very ungraceful, but it felt so cool.

"This is amazing!" I yelled over the wind rushing past my ears.

"I always love a good flight topside," Tobias's voice came from my right. "The Sim Room is great, but there are subtle things missing. But today is the best."

"Why's that?" I asked, turning in that direction.

"Because you're with me." Even though I couldn't see his face, I could imagine his dragon smiling.

We were well away from Chicago by now, the wind at our backs speeding their flight.

"I want to try something," Tobias said, and suddenly, all his scales seemed to materialize from the air, turning a deep shade of red as they flipped and flattened.

I gasped at the stunning display, admiring the fact that this was a skill no other dragon had. But my moment of affectionate reverence completely shattered as his scales began to rescind, exposing smooth flesh.

"Catch me!" he called as he flipped over and spread his arms and legs wide in free fall.

My heart just about exploded in my chest with terror. I didn't think. I just dove after him. I tucked my wings in to reach top speed, begging gravity to pull me closer to him before we reached the earth.

Every second that I stretched toward him felt like an eternity, driving my pulse to breaking point. Twenty meters. Ten meters. Two feet. Two inches.

Finally, my outstretched hands reached his chest, and I grabbed him, wrapping my arms around him under his arms.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I shrieked at the playful smirk on his face.

"This."

And then his lips were on mine, delicious and warm with that tantalizing hint of cinnamon. For an instant, I almost forgot we were still falling.

Tobias broke the spell as he pulled away from our kiss. "Spread your wings."

"What if I can't hold on?" I called above the howling wind. Tobias easily weighed seventy pounds more than me, and I wasn't so confident I could carry him.

Tobias smirked. "Then I'll fly."

Holding on as tight as I could, I fanned out my wings. The action was like pulling the chord on a parachute, our fall slowing instantly. Gravity jerked Tobias downward, but my hold was so desperate that not even the force of the earth's pull could take him from my embrace.

"I did it!" I squealed with excitement.

"Yeah, and you're crushing my ribs," he grunted. "Let go."

"Oh!"

I reluctantly released him, my eyes widening as I finally saw just how close to the ground we'd gotten. He twisted in the air, bursting back into his dragon form and pulling into a glide barely a tree's-height from the frozen earth. I hoped I hadn't hurt him too badly with my new ursa strength.

Tobias banked to the side and pulled up into the air again, hovering over a specific spot.

"What is it?" I asked as I came up beside him.

"Aw, it's gone already," he lamented, looking down at the ground.

"What?"

I followed his gaze, trying to figure out what he was looking for. After a few moments of staring at the snow, she could see the faint traces of a giant heart. But that wasn't it. There was something in the middle.

I blinked a few times, squinting as the letters KD + MF became slightly more visible. And then its meaning hit me, warming my chest with so much joy.

"You did this?" I asked, grinning.

Tobias nodded, and I couldn't decipher the lingering look he was giving me in his dragon form.

"You're not thinking of taking another dive, are you?" The thrill of that trick was a dead match for the terror he'd put me through, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to try it again or punch him in the arm for it.

"No. We're too close to the ground. Hey, that was some strength back there."

Arya shrugged, ignoring the bear in the room. "It was probably the adrenaline. You scared me half to death, asshole."

A chuckle rattled up his dragon throat. "Just trying to keep you on your toes."

"Uh-huh. Well, just know that if you ever try something like that again, I will get you back," I threatened.

A devilish glint sparked in his large dragon eye. "Don't tease me with a good time."

Something must have been seriously wrong with me because my core tightened with desire at the dangerous rumble of his dragon voice. I was going to blame it on my weird ursa hormones.

"I think it's my turn for a game," I said, flashing him an impish smirk.

"Oh yeah? What kind of game?" he asked.

"It's called"—I spun around and shot off into the sky with several forceful pumps of my wings—"Catch Me If You Can!"

He immediately took chase, and a giggle peeled out of me as I flew as fast as I could.

I would eventually tell Tobias about my ursa. But for now, I was going to enjoy this outing. Leave everything else under the Dome where it belonged.