Page 69 of Ensnared

As I follow Penelope, I actually feel a sense of purpose. I may not be able to escape with Coral, Jade, Sammy, and Gideon, and I may be stuck here all alone, but perhaps I can still contribute.

Plus, I’m a little excited. I’ve been scared and nervous at the prospect of meeting my mother since we arrived, but then it never happened. She’s bonded to an electro dragon, and that’s where we’re going, so. . . Surely I’ll meet her today, right?

I sort of thought she’d come by to visit me. I’m not sure why I expected that. It’s not like Axel and I have advertised about the kids being here, so she’d have no way of knowing that his ensnared was anyone special. To her, I’m just another human girl among many. But she did know I could hear the message that day, surely, since I listened to it and escaped with the kids. She might have been somewhat curious about the other ensnared in case one might be her oldest daughter.

Right?

Only, as we walk and walk and walk—I thought Axel said we were finally living inside the main area—I start to get nervous.

What if Mom’s not Mom? What if she’s evil or something? What if she doesn’t remember me? Or, worse, what if she does, but she blames me for not getting the kids free?

“What’s wrong with you?” Penelope’s a dozen feet ahead by now, and the other ensnared who came with her are another two or three feet ahead of her. “Hurry up.”

I inhale sharply and pick up the pace. “Sorry. I was thinking.”

“Less daydreaming and more focus,” she says. “Get your head in the game.” When I catch up, she hisses. “I vouched for you, idiot. I told them you weren’t so bad. Don’t make me regret it.”

Penelope vouched for me? Really? “Uh, thanks.”

“I didn’t like you at first, you know.” Her voice is low.

“I had no idea,” I lie.

“Really? I called your blessed weak.”

I shrug. “He’s an earth dragon, and I know all the others think they’re better.”

“They are better,” she says, “but that doesn’t mean you should be punished.”

I’m not sure I agree with her statement that Axel’s not as good as the other dragons, but I don’t get hung up on it. “I should hope not.”

“The world’s different than it was,” she says. “You need to catch up.” She snaps. “We’re almost there.”

Turns out, there is a car. “We’re driving?” I blink. “Then why didn’t you just drive to where I was?”

“We didn’t want to spook you,” the heavy lady says. “Penelope said you’re a little different.”

“I’m human, just like the rest of you. Axel’s an earth dragon, but really, I think they worry too much about that. They’re all dragons.”

Her look of disgust has me lowering my opinion of her. “I heard he doesn’t even have wings. Were you really bonded by an earth blessed?”

“Yep,” I say. “No wings at all, which isn’t really that big of a deal.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not a long drive,” Penelope says. “At least there’s no traffic anymore.”

Because all the people with ideas of their own aren’t around to cause it. That’s a sad thought.

“I thought the dragons all settled around here.” I point back the way we came, toward Clear Lake.

Penelope arches that eyebrow, the one she always arches around me. “Oh, hon.”

“What?”

“The water blessed and the earth blessed have chosen Clear Lake as their headquarters, since they need to be close to the ground and the water.” The ensnared who answers has silver hair, so I’m guessing he’s yet another strike blessed ensnared. He’s small and effeminate, which is quite a contrast to the larger woman who was just denigrating Axel’s affinity.

“Oh,” I say. “I didn’t realize the dragons didn’t all live in the same place.”

They all stare at me, then.