Page 81 of Creatures of Chaos

I force myself to give her a smile of thanks for the compliments. I do believe that is what my parents see when they look at me, but they just don’t get it.

“I’m also magicless, Mom, and it’s no secret Becks is going to end up with a powerful female.”

My mom frowns. “Haven’t we always taught you a creature’s worth is measured by far more than the level of their magic? What use is a powerful creature who’s lacking in character?”

She’s right, that is what I was raised to believe. My parents never seemed fazed by my lack of magic. When the doctors came back and said that my magic must just be so small that it’s not registering, they didn’t even look surprised. Their support really helped me over the years, but in a weird way it also made it harder to talk to them about my insecurities. They just don’t get what it’s like to be magicless in a supernatural world. It’s lonely.

“Maybe you should tell the dragon council that,” I say with a self-deprecating laugh.

“Maybe I will,” she says, a fierce look sharpening her features. I’m familiar with that look. It’s the one that says, “Someone hurt my baby girl and I’m going to make them wish they were never born.” My mother might be petite, but she’s aforce to be reckoned with. I’d like to think I got some of my fierceness from her.

“Please don’t,” I say, half worried she’s serious. I don’t need to be coddled by my parents any more than I need to be by Becks or Ensley. “Let Becks and me work it out. If we can’t, we were never meant to be together anyway.”

I say that to keep my mom from doing anything rash, but the truth of that statement stabs me in the chest, stealing my breath.

Rather than finish the rest of the cake, I push it to the middle of the table and tell my mom I’m full. There’s sadness in her gaze as I get to my feet, but she doesn’t press the issue anymore. She tells me she loves me, and I say it back. It might seem like a small thing to most, but I find a deep sense of comfort in our relationship, because no matter what happens, I know that will always be true.

The rest of the weekend passes slowly. Becks doesn’t stop by again, and Monday morning Talon is waiting for me with his shoulder pressed up against my locker when I arrive at school.

“I filled my end of the bargain, Freckles. I got your princeling out of an arranged mating. It’s time for you to make good on our deal.”

I scoff and nudge him out of the way, and when I open my locker I proceed to shove books in harder than necessary. I had all weekend to stew on what Talon did, and I feel played. Sure, he got Becks out of an arranged life-mating, but he’s still under the council’s thumb, so Talon didn’t actually do much to help our situation, and he knows it.

I wait until I’ve loaded my bag with the books I need to slam my locker and face Talon.

“You know the council will never agree to let me be with Becks,” I hiss only loud enough for him to hear.

Talon shrugs, a lazy smile on his face that I want to smack off. “Then it looks like you are going to find out one way or another exactly how important you are to him.”

“How can you be so cruel?” I ask, my voice hitching. I hung all my hopes on Talon, and he let me down.

Something softens in his gaze as he sighs. “It was the best I could do. The council has their reasons for wanting Becks mated sooner rather than later. Even if my uncle could have been persuaded, the other members wouldn’t have budged. The ball’s back in your princeling’s court now.”

I shake my head. “He doesn’t have a choice.” Despite Becks’ confidence this past weekend that we’d find a way to be together, I don’t see how it’s going to all work out. And now I’ve lost my backup plan.

“We’ve been over this. There’s always a choice.”

When I look down, he uses two fingers under my chin to tip my face back up toward him. “Don’t you realize that you often have to fight for the things most worth having?” Reaching forward, he pushes a strand of hair behind my ear, and for some reason I let him. “You’re worth fighting for.”

I blink up at him, feeling raw and exposed.

“I know you’ve been fighting for your princeling, but has he really been fighting for you?”

“Yes,” I say, coming to Becks’ defense, but as Talon stares down at me I can tell he doesn’t believe that.

Talon’s gaze flicks over my shoulder. Straightening, he steps back. “And that’s my cue,” he says, and then abruptly turns and walks away, blending into the hallway traffic right away.

“Was that Talon talking to you?” Becks says behind me, and when I turn he and Ensley are standing there.

I nod. “I was just giving him a piece of my mind.”

A muscle in Becks’ jaw jumps. “Good. I always knew we couldn’t trust him.”

“At least the situation isn’t quite as dire as before,” Ensley says, trying to stay positive, but winces when she sees the look on my face.

“I’ll figure something out,” Becks says, and I can only hope he’s right, because I already played my ace and lost.

Twenty-Eight

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