Page 25 of Entwined

She squeezes. “Thank you.”

Then she turns around and heads for the door.

“He’s right.” Gordon’s voice is a surprise to me. He doesn’t talk a lot when I’m around. Or, not to me, anyway.

“What?” Mom’s hand is on the door handle, but she turns back, looking at us over her shoulder.

“Sammy’s right.” Gordon looks as sincere as I’ve ever seen a dragon look. “Other than Rufus, he is my best friend. I’ll do anything I can to keep him safe.”

“Thank you,” Mom says, like she believes him.

Strangely, I do too.

Not that it’s super comforting, given that he has no electricity powers or water powers or flame blowing capabilities. At least he could. . .burrow underground with Sammy? Or shoot dirt at any attackers?

Sheesh.

But when Mom leaves, I’m reminded of my real purpose in coming down here. All three kids and all three dragons are staring at me. I’m not about to talk to Gideon out here.

I point at him. “You.”

“Me?” Gideon’s smile rolls slowly over his face.

I nod.

“What about me?”

I point at his room. “We need to talk.”

“I’ll come,” Axel says.

I shake my head. “Nope. No way. You’re staying out here. Or, you know what? Maybe go check on your girlfriend.”

“My—what?”

Shoot. Sometimes I forget that I’m the only one who knows he’s Azar. “Your boss’s girlfriend, I mean,” I say. “Didn’t Azar tell you to go make sure Asteria’s alright?”

Axel frowns.

“I have to talk to Gideon, remember?”

Now he’s scowling. The bond is a dark amber color I’ve never seen.

“Or stay here if you want. I don’t care.” I grab Gideon’s wrist and drag him through the doorway to his own bedroom door. I’m sure everyone’s staring at us, but this whole situation is like a stinky, sticky old band-aid, and I’m about to rip it off.

Only, now that we’re inside his room, Gideon’s staring at me, and I’m starting to lose a little bit of steam.

“What’s going on?” His eyes study me intently. “Did you. . .break through their control?” He looks absurdly hopeful.

“I think—” I swallow, and I try again. “I think that part of my problem is that I need a connection to humanity again. I’m disappearing,” I whisper. “I think I’m disappearing into the dragons.”

As I say it, I realize it’s true.

The bond shifting was awesome and insane and terrifying, and I have no idea what it means. I know I feel less myself than I ever have before.

“I have these powers.” I shiver, and my hands wrap around my own body, rubbing up and down my opposite arms. “I don’t even want them, but they’re—I don’t know what to make of them. And they come with strings I don’t want either. So Azar and I had this idea that maybe we could get a little space if only we each tried to connect with someone else.” I lift my eyes slowly until I meet his.

They’re practically burning.