Page 18 of Ensnared

Can Axel really protect me from that?

Can anyone keep us safe when a creature who eats missiles and melts fighter jets is flying around loose? I need to figure out what they’re here for if we’re going to have any chance of getting rid of them. The last desperate strings of hope in my heart that the government might appear to save me are gone.

I’m all we’ve got.

And maybe the other ensnared. He did say I’d be training. Surely I’ll meet others, and if we work together. . .

“Liz?” Coral’s trembling.

If my bravest sibling’s shaking, it’s time to get them somewhere safe. Warm. They’ll need food, too. My stomach’s rumbling, and I’m not even growing like they are. I take a good look around the furniture store to identify the exits and the closest bathroom.

“Let’s head over here,” I say, pointing at the bathroom near the bedroom section. “We can each pick out a bed, alright? Any one you want.”

Sammy’s hand slides into mine. “Can I sleep with you?”

“Me too.” Jade takes my other hand.

Coral sets her jaw. I wonder what it costs her to always be the brave one. The one who has to walk alone, because both my hands are taken. “I’ll take this one.” She points at the king-size bed closest to the bathroom.

“That one looks amazing,” I say. “I wonder if it would fit all of us.” I hate sleeping in the same bed as anyone else, but if it helps them, I can do it.

“Yay.” Sammy drops his backpack and scrambles up onto the bed. “Can we jump on it?”

I open my mouth to say no, but somehow, I can’t do it. “Sure, why not?”

Five minutes later, the two girls have changed into pajamas—I told them to bring essentials, and they all brought not one, but two pairs of pajamas. Sammy’s still wearing the clothes he had on—minus the Ben Ten jacket that he put in his bag with his Legos. I think that tells you something about our family. We like to be comfortable. And Sammy does not care about clothes.

They’re all jumping on the bed together.

Sure, they could bump into one another and get a black eye. One of them could break an arm. It might not be good for the mattress or the box springs. But when the world’s ending, you do what you can to find joy.

That’s how Axel sees us when he hunches over to squeeze through the massive Star Furniture sliding doors and drops the back half of a mangled cow on the ground.

I brought food.

All four of us stare, gape-mouthed.

“Is that a cow?” Jade’s lip quivers.

Blood’s pooling under the cow, which is apparently quite fresh.

Coral covers her eyes.

Sammy starts to cry.

What do you eat? Another ensnared told me that you eat cows.

Oh, good heavens. “We do,” I say. “It’s just usually cooked when we do.” I swallow, not able to look away. “And in smaller portions.”

The enormous dragon tilts his head. Then he snorts. I had no idea dragons could roll their eyes, but this one does, right before he picks up the cow haunch and drags it back out.

I’m unsure whether I should ignore the enormous pool of congealing blood on the floor of the entryway, or whether I’m supposed to clean it up. Is it rude to clean up the entrails from a dragon’s gift? Or as the human vassal, is that my job?

“I should have gotten a manual or something,” I complain. “I mean, how hard is it to give me a little more direction, really?”

Jade laughs.

“His royal scaliness probably doesn’t know what you’re supposed to be doing either,” Coral says. “He seems pretty clueless, like a puppy or something.”