Page 14 of Ensnared

The new image makes me smile.

“Well, collect them,” Axel says. “It’s time for us to leave.”

“To where? Where were you going that even had you here, by our den?”

“We were prepping the perimeter,” he says. “But something spooked the humans here.”

No kidding. “We have long-range communication devices,” I say. “I’m sure they sent out a warning when your dragons started popping up and massacring people.”

“Also, our costumes appear to be quite poor. No one wanted to talk to us even before all the attacks and killing began,” Blondie says.

Their costumes are poor?

“Why are you dressed like that?”

Axel sighs. “We saw lots of recent pictures being broadcast before our arrival in which humans were dressed exactly as we are now.”

Movie previews. They must’ve seen trailers for the new Star Wars film and dressed accordingly. I’m suddenly disappointed that there’s not a new Power Rangers movie coming out. That would’ve been even funnier than robes with brown hoods and tall, strappy boots.

“Too bad you didn’t craft a light saber,” I can’t help saying.

“Is that a sword?” Blondie perks up. “He does have two swords he doesn’t know how to extricate?—”

Axel’s the uncontested leader for sure. One glare from him and Blondie cuts off immediately. “Your den is?” He definitely sounds irritated.

“How about this?” I ask. “I’ll report to wherever you want me every morning, and I’ll train for as long as you’d like. Then my siblings can stay at our er, den, and I’ll just check in on them at night.”

Axel shakes his head. “I can’t protect them that way. They must be near me, or anyone could come along and?—”

I lift a hand. “Got it, got it. Okay, fine. They’re over here.” We only live three blocks from the entrance of the neighborhood, but it’s the longest three blocks I’ve ever walked, with three dragons-dressed-as-humans trailing after me in Star Wars cloaks and matching scowls.

“Is this how we’re going to go. . .where are we going once we get them?” Would it kill them to share any information at all without being prompted?

“Back to our den,” Axel says, as if that explains it.

“But are we walking there?” I ask. “Because I have a car, and it would be much faster than?—”

“Are humans always this irritating?” Blondie asks. “You talk and talk and talk and all the questions you ask are stupid.”

I’m standing right in front of my own door now, and I grit my teeth and say nothing. Being called stupid’s barely a blip on the radar compared to the rest of today.

“I’ll just grab them and be right back.”

“I think not,” Axel says. “I’ll come in with you.”

So much for grabbing Dad’s decorative sword from the study or a few other weapons on the side. “Of course. Come right on in.”

When I open the door, which apparently no one thought to lock, Sammy darts away as if we might not have seen him.

“What happened to your hair?” Sammy starts to cry.

“Are you alright?” Jade’s blinking repeatedly.

“Are they not bad guys?” Coral asks, stepping into the entryway. She glares at Axel. “What happened?”

I’m a little bit proud of her pluck.

“We’ve struck a deal,” I say, “and I think they’ll honor it.” I don’t have much alternative if they renege, but I don’t mention that. There’s no reason for the kids to be as terrified as I am. “Mr. Axel here has agreed to keep you safe as long as I do some work for him. Part of our deal changed my hair color.”