Page 61 of Ensnared

“What about that red monster?” Gideon asks.

Axel stands up, his face stormy. “What about him?”

“Let’s maybe not call him a monster,” I say. “Azar saved my life.”

Gideon’s head swings my way. “Excuse me?”

“He’s Axel’s best friend, and once, when Axel was busy, he sent Azar to save me.”

“Liz had just killed two of my dragons,” Axel says. “But I didn’t punish her. I sent him to save her.”

“Twice, actually,” I say.

“Why?” Gideon asks.

“Apparently if I die, it means a bad few days for Axel here,” I say.

Axel grabs my arm. “You can’t share that kind of information.”

“So you’re his weakness?” Gideon’s eyes narrow. “Interesting. Is that true for all the ensnared humans?”

“She’s much more powerful and much stronger than she was, thanks to our bond.” Axel drags me next to him. “I wouldn’t call her a weakness.”

“Compared to a dragon?” Gideon scoffs. “I would.”

“Alright,” I say. “I think we’ve made some good progress, but I’m tired.” I fake a yawn. “Let’s go to bed. Alright?”

Gideon’s glaring at Axel.

Axel looks ready to flay him wide open.

I shake loose from Axel’s grip on my arm and shove Gideon toward his door. “You, there.” Gideon looks back over his shoulder, but he goes.

I grab Axel’s arm. “And you.” I try shoving him toward the front door, but he’s so solid, it doesn’t work right.

“Yes?” His eyes stare into mine. They’re so bright. So intense.

“You don’t have to stay. You can go, like you always do.” Why do I sound so bitter?

“The humans have pulled back,” he says simply.

“Wait, so all those times you were gone. . .you were, what? Fighting?”

He frowns. “What did you think I was doing?”

My shoulders droop. “Looking for the heart.” It never occurred to me that he might be in danger. Or, you know, doing horrible things to other people. That’s the bigger issue. Obviously.

“We are searching,” he says. “The water blessed have explored the entire floor of the Gulf of Mexico and they’re working their way outward. Meanwhile, my earth blessed have already checked as far north as Pilot Knob, and we’ve scoured all eighty-six of the active surface faults in the area.”

“You think it’s hidden inside the earth?” Is it a rock? Is that why they think that?

“We’re keeping our options open, but yes. We believe that it must be hidden or buried somewhere. Otherwise, surely the humans like you would already know about it.”

“Huh.”

“Now that we’ve explored most of the areas around our settlement, we’ll need to expand our search.”

“But that’s not why you’ve been gone.” I don’t really want to, but I have to circle back to the whole humans attacking thing.