Page 31 of Bewitching the Dragon
Because bodies didn’t spark and magic didn’t exist.
So what the hell just happened?
“How?” she muttered, still staring at her own hand.
“You know what’s interesting?” said the older lady with the long, straight, midnight-black hair who kind of looked like a witch. “She’s definitely a half-breed, but what else is she?”
It sounded like her question was serious.
“Half-breed? Like, am I black and white? I mean, yes, my mother was white and my dad was black, but seriously, half-breed? That’s how you describe it?”
“Not that,” the lady—Delilah, that was her name—said, flapping her hand in dismissal. “Your species.”
“Myspecies?” For the seven billionth time she looked to Rahu for help, but then she quickly glanced away because he had started talking like he bought into all this half-breed, magic crap too.
Fated mates. Dragons. Magic. Oh, and now witches. Delilah had mentioned gargoyles too. As if all those stone statues in Aunt Pacey’s yard were real. Well, more real than being ugly lawn ornaments.
“Is that why you dress like this, keep your hair dyed like that?” she asked Delilah, not bothering to hide her derision. “Because you think you’re a witch?”
Delilah snorted. “I started doing it a while back because humans like the idea of magic and witches, and it helped me sell more merch when I ran my antiques shop down on Royal Street. Now I maintain the look because a certain someone in my life thinks it’s hot.”
She waggled her eyebrows at the white-haired, bearded guy who had been talking about dragons and fated mates. He gave her an exaggerated wink in return. The really tall lady, Antoinette, rolled her eyes. Becca swore Rahu’s lips were twitching.
Dear God, she had fallen down the rabbit hole. Not an hour earlier, she’d thought herself fortunate, had been so glad she’d finally made the decision to move away from her overbearing, overprotective aunt.
Now she missed that safe, secure,saneplace.
“You know what? I’m just going to pack my stuff and go back to Aunt Pacey’s. I think, uh, I think that’s best.”
She started to head up the stairs. Antoinette grabbed her arm and that light flared again, so bright it was damn near blinding. Antoinette pulled her hand away like she’d been scalded.
Holy crap, that really just happened.
Becca dropped to sit on the step and lifted her hand to stare at it once again. “Okay, somebody explain this to me. Somebody who can speak plainly, so that it makes sense to me, please.”
Nobody said anything for long moments, and then someone cleared their throat, and finally, Antoinette said, “What you’re trying not to believe is actually true. You aren’t human.”
“I’m not human,” Becca repeated like a robot.
“None of us in this room are, actually,” Antoinette said.
Yeah, right. “So what are we?”
“Well…most of us are dragons. Except you. And Delilah is half dragon, half witch.”
“Half dragon, half witch,” Becca parroted. She hadn’t torn her gaze away from her hand, which was doing nothing at all except looking like a plain old hand.
“Witchand dragon,” Delilah spoke up.
More throat clearing. “Yes,” Antoinette said.
Finally, Becca lifted her gaze. It skimmed over Rahu, who appeared both worried and frightened. What was he scared of? Her calling the authorities and reporting him and his buddies here? Was this some sort of cult? Was that why he’d been so insistent she move in here? So they’d have more opportunity to brainwash her?
“Prove it,” she blurted, shifting her gaze to Antoinette, who was acting like the leader of this, er, cult. Or whatever.
Antoinette exchanged a look with the dark-skinned guy with the short-cropped hair. He nodded, and she blew out a breath. “Okay, but we have to go outside. We’re, um, really big when we’re in dragon form.”
Dragon form? Was she serious?
