Page 9 of The Naga

Grabbing my wallet (a soft black faux-leather thing with some fake diamonds on the clasp) I stuck my phone inside, checked I had my cards, then made my way into the living room. I had to skip around to keep Scrappy from rubbing her fur all over my legs, but I finally escaped my apartment unfurred. Now if I could only get there on time.

Four

Khush

"You sure you don'twant me to stay?" Bellamy asked, and I shot him a look.

"I'm sure."

Out of all my friends, I wasn't really all that close to Bellamy. He was one of the newest residents of the Sanctuary, and he was a human. But I knew that out of the people able to accompany me, he was the least likely to gossip about me and my date with the others.

Bellamy listened whenever someone talked to him, but he never said more than he needed to unless he was talking to his mate. I respected the hell out of him for that.

"Okay, then. I'll be at the coffee shop over there. Text me when you're done, and I'll come get you."

The headmaster had opened a portal for us close to the movie theater, and it'd stay open—but only accessible by Bellamy and me—until we returned. Bellamy could just as easily go home and come back later, but he knew that, so I didn't mention it.

"Sounds good. Thank you for coming with me," I said, and Bellamy nodded before making his way to the coffee shop.

I'd parked myself out of the main path, my senses on alert for anything out of the ordinary.

Slipping my tongue out, I scented the air. While I could use my nose, my tongue was much better at parsing all the smells, and I preferred it to my nose.

I didn't have to wait long before I spotted Dustin climbing out of a car. I watched him as he started walking toward me, and marveled again at how lucky I was.

Dustin looked stunning in a pink sweater, jeans that clung to his legs, and heeled boots that made him at least four inches taller than he was. A few strands of his wavy brown hair hung over his forehead, and his light blue eyes brightened the moment he spotted me. He waved at me as his pace increased, and he almost ran the rest of the way, coming to a stop before me.

"Hey," he said, panting slightly as he smiled at me.

"Hey, Dustin." I returned his smile, taking a moment to just admire him. He really was a stunning man.

Dustin glanced at his watch, then smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry I'm a bit late. We should get going if we don't want to miss the previews."

"Lead the way," I said, grabbing the wheels of my chair.

Dustin opened his mouth as if to say something before snapping it shut. Nodding, he turned around and started walking, and I wheeled after him, making sure not to trample anyone.

I knew exactly what Dustin had stopped himself from saying. He'd been about to offer his help, and I was glad he hadn't.

I'd spent most of my life swinging from tree to tree using my arms and tail, and I had more than enough strength to wheel this chair around for a few hours without breaking a sweat. As a naga, my strength was considerably more than the strongest human too.

"Here we are," Dustin said, and I stopped at his side, glancing up at the entrance of the movie theater. There was a ramp leading into the place, and I wheeled inside, Dustin following close by.

Dustin showed the tickets on his phone, and then we made our way to the lift. I'd never been in a lift before, and I was surprised how smooth the ride was. Humans sure knew how to get around their distinct lack of magic.

"This one's ours," Dustin said, pointing to a door. "There's still a few minutes left. Wanna get some snacks?"

"Sounds good," I said, wheeling toward the concession stand.

We picked a giant popcorn tub with cheesy popcorn, and some cold drinks. I placed the tray on my "lap," then followed Dustin to our screen.

The previews hadn't started yet, and the lights were still on, so we quickly made our way to the middle where a bunch of empty areas were coupled and sometimes grouped with seats.

"Here we are," Dustin said, stopping at a seat beside an empty spot. It was just the right distance from the screen so we wouldn't need to crane our necks, and the platform was just high enough that I could see over the head of the person in front of us.

Dustin took his seat as I parked my chair into the spot properly, and then glanced over at me. "Is this okay?"

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