Page 22 of Entwined

“Sure, yes, that sounds right.”

I’ve had a lot of strange conversations with Axel in the last few weeks, but this is definitely the strangest of all.

By a wide margin.

“Let’s go.”

He nods woodenly and follows me down.

Only, as the elevator door opens onto the little anteroom on the kids’ floor, another elevator on the opposite side opens too.

And my mom walks out.

“They’re alive?” Her eyes are wide, her lips parted in what looks a lot like hope. “The rumors circling say that you have siblings here with you. The ensnared I spoke with said that Azar’s protecting them.”

Right now, as I’m about to go inside and tell Gideon that I’m supposed to. . . my mom shows up. I thought this couldn’t get more awkward, but apparently I was wrong.

“When he bonded me, Axel and I made a deal,” I say. “He said he’d keep them safe as long as I did as I was told.”

Mom scowls and for a split second, it feels like the old Mom’s back. “You made a deal?” Her eyes swing to Axel. “Why would you do that?”

Axel shrugs. “Your daughter’s persuasive.”

Mom’s still staring. “But you could have just forced her to do what you wanted. Why would you make a deal to secure the same behavior you already owned?”

“Let’s say that Liz intrigued me.”

Mom frowns.

“Do you want to see them?” I ask.

“They’re really fine?” Judging from the look on her face, Mom can’t take another big disappointment. I don’t blame her.

“They’re fine.”

Mom steps toward me, her hand outstretched. “Did you really save Sammy from falling off the tower today? Or was that Azar?”

“Azar wasn’t here,” Axel says. “Neither was I. That was Liz.”

Sammy didn’t fall so much as careen through the wall on the back of a dragon he was racing, but I don’t figure Mom needs all the details. She doesn’t look like she’ll ever approve of the idea of Coral, Jade, and Sammy having dragon guards turned babysitters turned friends. “It was me.” I can’t help smirking a bit. “Being entwined has a few perks, I guess.”

“What else can you do?” But Mom looks decidedly uneasy.

“I’m still figuring that out,” I say. “But for now, let’s go inside. They’ve been asking about you.” Which isn’t strictly true, but they did when we first joined the dragons with Axel.

Before I can push through the door, Mom grabs my wrist. “Don’t talk to them about Ocharta.”

“Mom, they saw you get bonded before we left. They know.”

She shakes her head, her eyes on her feet. “Not that—don’t tell them how bad it is. Or what happens if. . .”

If Ocharta dies.

“We’re still working on a solution for that,” I say.

For both of us.

She bobs her head, which I take as some kind of acknowledgement. As I reach for the door, I barely hear her words. “Any word from your father?”