Page 68 of Creatures of Chaos

“Why would anyone think that I’m a weak spot for you?”

Talon pulls off his knit cap and plows a hand through his hair, making the dark waves go every which way. He runs his tongue over his bottom lip while scrutinizing me, making up his mind about what he wants to say next. Finally, he lets out a long breath of air. “Probably because I helped you during the first trial and then went easy on you during the second.”

My mouth quirks to the side. “Went easy on me. You knocked me out cold in that fight.”

“Yes and no,” he says mysteriously, and I narrow my eyes. “I used my powers to make you pass out,” he explains. “I think that tipped them off to who I am and painted a target on my back, and in turn yours as well.”

Used his powers?But creature magic was nullified in the cages, so how was that even possible? Is Talon so powerful that he fought the magic dampener? And tipped who off to what?

I take a long look at Talon. He isn’t as antsy as he was before, but I start to wonder if I know him at all. I thought I was peeling back some of his layers, but what if everything has just been smoke and mirrors?

“What kind of creature are you?” I ask bluntly.

Talon pokes his tongue into his cheek and looks away for a second. “I can’t tell you,” he says.

I scoff. “Won’t is different than can’t.”

He barks out a laugh that’s devoid of real humor. “If you only knew,” he says without really addressing my comment. “But I need you out of the competition so that you stay safe. Ihaveto get Shadow Striker, but I don’t want you to get hurt, or worse.”

“Is getting the dagger for your father really that important?” I ask.

He tilts his head and shoots me a look. “I think we both know by now that I’m not looking for a kitschy gift for my dad.”

I feel my eyes widen. Could Talon be after Shadow Striker for the same reason I am?

“Well then, why?” I challenge. “Explain to me why it’s so important for you to get that dagger.”

Talon clamps his mouth shut. I know I’m making him uncomfortable, but since it’s apparently my life on the line, I need him to level with me once and for all.

With a sigh he relents. “That dagger has been in my family for generations. Someone stole it a few months back. We’ve been looking for it ever since. We got a lead it was in this area, so I came here to check it out. Our lead was right because it popped up as the Chaos prize. I entered the competition to get it back.”

“You used to own Shadow Striker?”

“As much as any creature can own it,” he says. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to get it back.”

I take a moment to mull over everything. Does Shadow Striker really belong to Talon, or is he lying to me? I look into his eyes and my gut says he’s telling the truth, just not all of it.

“Why would someone steal the dagger just to give it away?”

A shadow crosses Talon’s face, and before he even says anything I know it’s going to be a lie.

He shrugs, and the movement looks too practiced. “How should I know that?”

I narrow my eyes at him. Even if he doesn’t know for sure, I’ll bet he has a theory, and I don’t like that he won’t tell me what it is. “You’re not telling me everything.”

Talon sighs and walks a few feet away to lean up against the wall. “None of that information really matters anyway. The important facts are that the thief knows who I am and that I’m here to get the dagger back and that they are going to try to use you against me in these last two trials. I don’t want you to get hurt, least of all because of me.”

He says he doesn’t want me to get hurt, but I see through the layers of what he’s not saying. If it’s between me and that dagger, he’ll pick the blade over me, letting me get hurt. I try not to be offended by that because the ugly truth is that if it came down to Talon or the blade I’d be tempted to pick the magical object over him as well.

Talon crosses his arms. His face is passive, but his eyes sharpen. “I know why you entered Chaos. And let me tell you, he’s not worth it.”

My stomach drops and I look away. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I snap.

“Don’t I?” he says, and then pushes away from the wall to stalk toward me. He only stops when he’s standing right in front of me, close enough that I can see the silver flecks in his blue eyes. “Then let me tell you what Idoknow. If I had—” He snaps his mouth shut. His nostrils flare as he sucks in a breath.

If he had what?I wonder, but when he starts talking again he doesn’t pick up where he left off.

“You shouldn’t settle for someone who doesn’t accept you for who you are. You need someone who sees you.Reallysees you and recognizes that you are enough,morethan enough, just the way you are. It’s not magic that makes the creature powerful, it’s the strength of their character and the depth of their soul, and you, Freckles, are the most powerful creature I’ve ever met. If that pathetic excuse for a dragon heir doesn’t recognize how powerful, strong, and beautiful you are, he’s not worth your time, let alone your life.” His gaze skips over my face, his eyes softening. “You’d be a fool to change one thing about yourself. You’re already perfect.”

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