Page 11 of Ensnared

Axel slowly turns toward me, his eyes narrowed. “How do you speak our tongue?”

It hits me that I was using their language just now. “I—” I have no idea.

“She’s ensnared, Your Highness,” Blondie says. “That means she’s connected to you. Of course she can understand us. It’s part of the connection.”

Connection? To dragons? No way. Mom tasked me to keep the kids safe. I can’t be connected to a dragon. Especially not a weak one who’s not even supposed to be able to ensnare me or whatever they were just saying.

But it hits me, in that moment. They can be injured—the bleeding one is proof of that. And he just said that harming me will render Axel incapacitated for days. So they can be stunned at the very least. Which means. . .

They’re ignoring me again, in favor of arguing about what to do with me. I sneak toward the trash can, hoping to find a glass bottle or anything sharp. People here in Texas really like their beer. Is it too much to hope that they might have tossed a bottle or two? But, no luck.

Until I notice the broken umbrella.

The end of it’s pretty blunt, but with enough force behind it, maybe. I think about the stick sliding into that guy’s body and have to suppress a shudder. Sometimes we can’t choose to avoid conflict. Sometimes our fate’s thrust upon us. No one knows that better than I do. I grab the umbrella as nonchalantly as possible, and then I use the toe of my sneaker to pry the hard plastic bumper off the end.

At least now, it’s metal on the tip, even if it’s not any sharper.

“What are you doing?” Axel asks.

My head snaps back toward them. “Me?” I shrug. “Just what any good ensnared human should be doing.”

“And what is that?” Axel raises one eyebrow. “What exactly do you think your job will be?”

I step toward them, leaning on the umbrella like it’s a walking stick. “Oh, you know, general mayhem. Attacking. Razing. Murdering. Right?”

Axel rolls his eyes.

“Or did you want me to fetch you food? What exactly do earth dragons eat?”

“We are not dragons. We’re the blessed.” Axel frowns. “And your job’s to communicate with and control the local population so that we can more easily and effectively accomplish our task and leave.”

“Leave?” That sounds good. “What’s this task?”

“To find the heart,” Axel says.

“Should we really be telling humans?” the ruddy one asks.

“Does that stick not hurt?” I can’t help eyeing it. Why hasn’t he pulled it out?

“It does hurt. Thanks for reminding me.” He scowls and moves toward me with jerky movements.

“You can’t kill her, Gordon,” Blondie says. “Remember?”

“Then you come pull it out for me,” the ruddy-faced one says.

“You can’t claw her either,” Blondie says. “Axel will be able to feel it too.”

Gordon gnashes his teeth, which should look ridiculous given his brown robe and the fact that humans don’t really gnash their teeth. But knowing he’s a dragon helps me resist my urge to laugh. “She stabbed me.”

“With a stick,” Axel says. “It’s barely a scratch. Stop whining.” He pivots, his hand snapping toward his companion, and then he grabs the slick end of it and yanks. The stick shoots out, spraying gore all over. It looks even more grotesque because it’s splattered all over the bright blue and yellow-coated pavement. “Now heal up so we can go.”

“Yes, good idea,” I say. “You guys should go.”

Axel’s eyes swing toward me, intent. “You’re coming.”

“I can’t. I have family to care for. Sorry.”

“The young ones, you mean,” Axel says. “I imagine they’ll be bright too, once they’re old enough.”