Page 96 of Creatures of Chaos

“That’s not unexpected since you both are under a considerable amount of stress right now. You have to admit the last month and change hasn’t exactly been typical. There have been some pretty big speed bumps.”

I sigh. She’s not wrong.

“Change can be hard,” she continues. “But some things are worth it. Don’t you think you two are worth it?”

“I do.” But I’m not convinced Becks does. At least not anymore. “I don’t know, Ens. Maybe this is just it for us. We gave it a try and it didn’t work.” My heart screams at me to shut up even as the words come out of my mouth.

Ensley sighs. “I think you just need a little time right now. And I think Becks needs some time as well. Boys are slow. We can’t expect them to be as quick on their feet as we are,” she says with a grin that makes me laugh. “You know Becks. He overthinks everything. Give him a chance to catch up.”

I make a noncommittal noise in the back of my throat, and Ensley gives me an encouraging smile. I guess only time will tell what happens between Becks and me, but in the meantime I should probably put my energy toward Chaos anyway now that I’m stuck seeing it through. The competition seems determined to take its pound of flesh from each competitor, and I’m starting to worry that it’s going to try to take a lot more than that from me.

I manageto avoid Becks for the entire day, and after two bus rides and a long walk I make it to Talon’s house on my own. He lives with his uncle, Drake Brayden, in Crested Heights, a gated community on the west side of Everton. The homes here can’t really be considered houses. They look more like mini palaces and castles, each on their own sprawling multiacre lot. Once I make it past the gate guard at the base of the neighborhood—at least Talon remembered to give him my name—it’s another ten-minute hike up a steep hill to his uncle’s mini castle. My body is already worn and exhausted from lack of sleep and the physical and emotional stress of the trial the night before, so by the time I find myself in front of his door I’m mentally cursing Talon for making me come here. Couldn’t we have just met in the academy library or something?

To my left and right, stone dragons flank the ten-foot black double-door. When I raise my hand to knock I half-expect a butler in a suit to answer. What I don’t expect is for Drake Brayden himself to open the door.

With black hair and steel-gray eyes there’s a faint resemblance to Talon, but the similarities stop there. Standing at least six seven, Drake is broad chested with a full beard and wearing an imposing frown. He’s a large man—then again, most dragon shifters are—but as he stands looking down his nose at me he seems even more so. I’m not ashamed to admit, at least to myself, that I’m intimidated. Talon’s warning about how ruthless his uncle is comes back to me, and I’m suddenly very glad he handled Drake himself.

Drake doesn’t move, blocking the entrance with one hand on the door. He cants his head, and I realize he’s waiting for me to say something.

“Oh, sorry. I’m here to see Talon.” I didn’t mean to, but it comes out a little like a question instead of a statement.

“Are you now?” he asks, not cracking a smile or moving an inch.

“Yes. We’re working on a project together,” I say, using the same excuse I gave Becks a couple weeks back, and Drake’s eyes narrow. Shoot, maybe Talon told him something else. I shouldn’t have said that. “We go to school together. I’m Lock?—”

“I’m very aware who you are,” he says, taking me aback.

“You are?” I ask, confused.

Drake’s gaze travels over my shoulder and I twist to see Titus come up behind me.

“Titus. What are you doing here?”

His gaze bounces from me to Drake and back again. “Probably the same thing as you. I was summoned by Talon.”

Just then the second double door opens, and I can finally see past Drake and into the two-story grand foyer. To say it’s opulent would be an understatement. There’s a sculpture of a fire-breathing dragon in the middle of the room that’s at least ten feet high, and beyond that a double curved stairway leads to the second floor. Everything is decorated in shades of black and gray with hints of gold.

After opening the door, Talon steps forward, casual as usual in dark jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. His hair is damp like he might have just gotten out of the shower, and his feet are bare. There’s no denying he looks good, but I quickly acknowledge it and move on. I’ve always thought Talon was attractive, but I don’t miss the dark circles under his eyes as he invites us in.

Talon doesn’t hold my attention too long because Drake stares me down as I pass him, his gaze stormy and hostile. Doeshe know I was going to try to blackmail him? The look on his face says he does; there’s a real possibility Talon told him.

I avert my gaze, pretending to be interested in the gaudy dragon statue, but Drake’s stare makes the fine hairs on the back of my neck stick up.

“This way,” Talon says, waving Titus and me to follow him without so much as acknowledging his uncle.

I sneak a peek over my shoulder as we follow Talon up the stairs and find Drake’s gaze still trailing me, just as dark as it was before. A chill races down my spine, and I’m relieved as soon as we are in the hallway and out of view.

I come even with Talon and hiss quietly, “Does he know?”

“Does who know what?” Talon asks, looking down on me.

“Your uncle. Does he know about the thing that we had planned?”

“No. Why?”

“Because it looked like he’d like nothing more than to barbecue me back there. And he knew who I was when he opened the door.”

Talon’s eyebrows lift at that. “Interesting,” is all he says before falling silent again. His nonchalance makes me want to wring his neck, but instead I just clench my fists and follow him through the maze that is Drake Brayden’s home.

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