Page 49 of Balance

But then Troy had to open his big mouth again. “In that case, you really need to watch out,” he began, pulling at his shirt as professional ranger mode took over. “The Snallygaster will non-discriminately kill everything in its path.”

No!

My throat closed in despair as Bryce, who had become disinterested, perked up once again.

“She might be okay though,” Troy said. “She’s cute, and dragons like pretty things.”

“Adragon?” Titus’s voice was thick with derision. “There’s no dragon here.”

His ironic statement pulled me from my spiraling emotions, and I turned my head to look up at him with narrowed eyes.

But there was no sarcasm in his expression—his features were perfectly calm.

“Of course there is!” Brayden—to my utmost horror—appeared at my side, pulling me from Titus as he swung his arm over my shoulders. “Forget it,” he whispered, “It’s time to move on to Plan B.”

Plan B?Whatwas Plan B?

“Didn’t you do any research?” he asked Titus, his tone accusing, completely unafraid of the dragon’s imposing figure. “How can you protect your mate like this? The Snallygaster is the vilest dragon of them all. It targets hikers, campers, and children alike.”

I blinked at Brayden, not entirely following. Why were children in a completely different category than hikers and campers? That grouping was all wrong.

“It doesn’t discriminate in its terror-filled reign. It has downed thousands of cheeseburgers, laying waste to every campground throughout the region.” He waved his hand in the air. “Countless clothes-lines and tents have been ruined in its reign of terror. These are, of course, all things dragons do.”

“Dragons don’t do any of those things!” Titus snapped.

I gaped at Brayden in horror. Why was he trying to make Titus angry?

“I bet, somewhere deep in the mountains, he even has a secret hoard.” Brayden sighed longingly, his gaze trailing along the tree lines. “Aren’t you just itching to find the treasure?”

“Shove off, Brayden.” Titus glowered, eyes flashing an eerie red. Clearly this dragon-talk was somewhat of a sensitive subject for him. “Miles is bad enough. Go wait for us at the hotel.”

Miles…

I twisted my hands together, breath catching at the sound of his name.

Did the witch know what lived out here? According to the articles, the Snallygaster was deadly and some sightings had been recent.

No, I believed hehadto know. It was the only thing that made sense. In his letter, he said he left to become a better man—and he did enjoy tormenting Titus.

He was trying to prove himself by battling adragon. The fool. What if he’d been eaten?

No… I shook my head. He couldn’t be eaten yet; we would know it.

Maybe?

I didn’t understand how this quintet connection worked, and how it was different than the bond Julian and I now shared.

It was difficult to explain. Since the events in the tower, Julian remained a constant presence in the back of my mind—unobtrusive and comforting. When there was a change in his emotions, I could easily reach out and tell how he was feeling.

He did a lot of moping around.

Meanwhile, especially as the days passed, my skin thrummed, especially as one of the boys drew near. I was constantly aware of their presence, even if they’d headed out for the day and we were separated. And it wasn’t until the evening, when everyone was back in one place, that my scattering nerves steadied.

Miles’s absence was something I was keenly aware of, even if the others seemed unaffected. Why couldn’t they feel it too?

No, they did feel his absence. Passing remarks over the past few days had proven that.

But hadn’t the boys claimed they believed I’d died at birth? What had severed the connection then?