Page 50 of I Am Salvation

They both drop their jaws.

“That’s seriously your name?” the one named Zachary says.

“Says so on my birth certificate,” I say.

I’ve been saying that since I got to the other home. Truth of the matter is, I’ve never seen my birth certificate. Once I’m eighteen and get the hell out of here, I’m going to find it and see if Dragon is truly my name. My mother swore it is. Says she had a thing for mythological creatures, so that’s why she named me Dragon and named my sister Griffin.

Zachary sticks out his hand. “I’m Zach.”

“Good to meet you,” I say.

“Miguel,” the other one says. “You can call me Mike.”

“Okay, Zach, Mike.”

“You two show Dragon how things work here,” Leon says. “This is his first meal.”

“Yeah, sure,” Mike says.

“Come on, Dragon.” From Zach.

New meat.

I follow Mike and Zach to the front where a line is already formed.

A couple of older boys shove Mike out of the way. “Go to the back.”

Leon clears his throat.

“Sorry, Leon,” one of the boys says.

“Fuck,” Zach says. “We’ll pay for that later.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Mike says. “Just close your eyes. And remember, one day you will be the big one.”

Present day…

I stand out on the balcony, looking at the dark night. The stars over Taos.

So many secrets I’m still hiding.

As much as I’d like to be with Diana—try to make a life with her—it’s not in the cards for me. I’m broken.

A broken man.

Seeing my mother tonight only confirmed it.

She’s as broken as I am, perhaps more so.

And I hope she is.

She abandoned one child because she didn’t believe in his innocence. I was nine years old. I didn’t even understand what was happening. I picked up the bloody knife because that’s what little boys do. They put their hands on everything. They try to figure things out.

And when their little sister who they adore is screaming, has been cut on her face and on her body with blood soaking through her pink pajamas with little blue hearts, they get angry.

I was angry.

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