Ember (The Dragao 1)

“It’s late.”

“I know.”

He exhaled and ran a hand over the back of his head, looking behind him at where Leland had long since disappeared. “You need some fresh air?” He looked back at me, and I nodded.

A long moment of this weird silence stretched out, one where he just watched me as if he were working out some kind of plan in his head. It set off all kinds of warning bells inside me, but before I could say never mind, he cleared his throat and nodded. “Okay, come on then.”

He gestured for me to follow him, and I did, in silence. I could’ve seen myself liking Bryce if he wasn’t a power-hungry asshole. And although he was nothing like Leland, not a sadistic bastard, he had no qualms about using people to get what he wanted.

I followed several steps behind him, my focus trained straight ahead even though I couldn’t see much past Bryce’s big body. We made a few turns, walked a long while more, and then he slowed as we neared one of the back entrances to the Pit.

I could see one of the guards up ahead, the makeshift door he guarded made from the thick, almost stone-like wood that grew from the gnarly, crazy-looking trees that surrounded the encampment.

Bryce and the guard spoke in low tones, and then I watched some kind of exchange happen as he reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and handed it to the guard. I really shouldn’t be making deals like this, because no doubt Bryce would want something in return. But I needed some space, fresh air. Silence. And right now I felt desperate.

And then the guard was pulling open the heavy door and allowing us entrance to the outside. Bryce looked at me and inclined his head toward the exit, and I followed behind him once again.

Once we were outside, the door was closed behind us, sealing us out from the safety of the tunnels and caverns. I shivered as I looked into the sky, expecting to see a massive dragon flying overhead.

During the day, the temperature outside was stifling because of the dual suns, and although it was now night and dark, the massive moon in the sky couldn’t ease the stifling temperatures much.

I took several steps forward and tipped my head back, staring at the large moon in the sky. It was massive, so monstrous it was like a single eye staring down at the world and casting this eerie silver glow along the land. I didn’t know how long I stood there, but once again I felt like I was being watched. I blinked back to the present and glanced over my shoulder to see Bryce leaning against the scarred door, his gaze locked on me. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and I shivered again even though it wasn’t cold.

“Thank you for taking me outside.” He didn’t say anything in response, and I wanted to look away but couldn’t. “Do you think… Do you think I could have a couple of minutes alone out here?”

“It’s not safe, especially alone and without the security of the suns.”

I didn’t respond because what could I say? He was right, of course, but I was only feeling the fear from Leland, the Pit, and right now the way Bryce looked at me.

Long moments passed where he didn’t speak or move, and then he pushed off the door and made his way toward me. I stepped back when he stopped beside me, his focus on the moon. Bryce stared down at me then, this weird expression on his face that had me taking another step back before I realized I’d done it.

“If you were mine, he wouldn’t bother you anymore. No one would dare.”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t know how to. What he was implying was obvious. I licked my lips and wanted to look away from him. But his gaze was like a trap, a vicious one you couldn’t escape unless you chewed off your own arm.

“If you became mine, Emma, nobody would fuck with you.”

I was shaking my head before I realized I was doing it. “I-I don’t want to be anyone’s. I just want to be left alone.” The last part was whispered from my lips.

The grin he gave me wasn’t pleasant or humorous or anything that came from a warm place. It was sardonic and dark. It held a promise I didn't want from him. “Don’t you understand, Emma?” He took a step toward me, and I took one back. “The world we live in is all about owning things. It’s about having the control and power to survive. That’s how it’s always been and how it’ll always be.” He held out his hands. “You can either choose to be at the top—‘owned,’ as you put it once before—and protected. Or… you can be on your own. And we know how that works out.”