Page 155 of Change

“Bianca, look at me.” Titus’s voice was comfortingly calm, but commanding. “You’re going to be fine.” The chill receded, and my hands stopped shaking.

Still, though, this nervous energy hadn’t entirely left me, and I bit the tip of my finger as I took him in.

Titus was staggering to his feet, and his eyes shone with a dark crimson that—if I didn’t know any better—would have rendered me frozen with terror.

A low keening sound began to echo throughout the room as he pulled at the chains.

Instead of being afraid, a strange calmness protected my senses. Titus wasn’t explosive—yet—nor visibly angry at all. However, his muscles were tense—patches of ivory fading close to the surface of his lightly tanned skin before disappearing once more.

His jaw was clenched tight, and he grimaced, grunting once, before turning his glare to the ceiling. The chains on his wrist were lax while he was on his feet, but he still seemed unable to reach the locks or gain enough leverage to break free.

My skin crawled at the thought of touching the manacles again. I didn’t want to get hurt, but I had no choice. I needed to help Titus. I stepped into the circle, standing in front of the dragon. The top of my head only came to his chest, and I touched his elbow.

His tense demeanor relaxed as he looked at me. After a short breath, he lowered his arms, and my fingers trailed over the line of his forearms toward the chains at his wrist, but before I could touch them, my progress was suddenly halted.

Titus touched his forehead to mine and gently pressed his foot over my toes. “Thank you for trying,” he said, and the wave of his breath brushed over my cheek. My heart began to race at the reminder of our close proximity. “But these chains are reinforced with onmyoji magic, they’re not just going to open that easily,” he said, nodding pointedly to the pin gripped in my fingers then toward something across the room.

My gaze drifted across the room—to one of the imposing black mirrors—and a shiver shot down my spine.

“Bianca,” he continued, voice cautious. “Princess. Talk to me?”

My attention snapped back to his—sad eyes bore into mine. I’d never really focused on Titus’s human eyes from such a short distance before, and for a moment I was mesmerized by the mixture of emerald and crimson.

A strange, detached feeling began to wash over me once more: my skin buzzed, and the echo of a melody rang in my ears.

Why now…

Then he exhaled, and the spell was broken.

Titus was chained up, half-naked, and I was basically plastered against him.

The thought should have embarrassed me, in some distant recesses of my mind I was horrified. But at the moment, the knowledge was nothing more than an observation.

I felt numb.

I stepped back, biting my bottom lip as I studied the floor.

Mirrors.

How was it that Finn said that onmyoji used mirrors?

Titus said my name again, and this time there was definitely more crimson in his eyes. The shimmering scales under his skin seemed closer to the surface. “Are they dead?”

I blinked at him, torn between this short conversation and continuing the next phase of my plan to free the dragon.

His voice lowered and mouth twisted, briefly showing off his razor-sharp teeth. “I can smell them on you,” he said, and this time he enunciated each word. “Are the fuckers dead?”

A splash of cold broke through my quiet feelings, and my back straightened.

Smell…

I wiped my sweaty hands over the torn remains of my skirt. Though nothing had technically happened, it was still equally violating. My skin itched with the need of a good scrub, and heavy exhaustion loomed in closer. But I couldn’t focus on those feelings, I would be useless.

I nodded in answer to his question, backing up another step.

He watched my retreat and his brows drew together in concern.

“Bianca, listen,” he was speaking, his voice low and urgent, but his words fell around me like a mist. I was aware of it, but it was difficult to focus. “You need to find someplace safe to hide. Don’t worry about me.”