Page 27 of Rejected By Dragons

I stagger to my feet just in time to watch Fury transform back into a human. He stands before me, glowing with energy and strength, his dragon still dancing in his silver eyes. "You heard the king. I'll hunt you down myself if you even think about remaining on our lands."

The loss hits me all over again. Where am I supposed to go?

Hell if I'll let him see me shed another tear, though. "Good riddance."

He stalks closer, eating up the space between us in a move that's impossibly fast. I stagger backward, terrified and trying so hard to keep my shit together. "It's only my father's mercy that spares your life tonight, you hear? If I were king, I'd have ripped you open where you stood."

"Charmer," I mutter through gritted teeth.

He spits on the ground at my feet. "What my brother saw in you, I have no idea." Cruelty flashes in his eyes. "But remember what Storm said: you're nothing."

Stabbing pain lances through my chest. I must not be able to hide it, because he grins, showing his teeth. Rage screams inside of me. I want nothing more than to lurch forward and wipe that wicked smirk from his face, but it's all I can do not to collapse into tears.

Clearly knowing he's won, he draws back. A swirling gust of wind surrounds him, talons and scales replacing flesh and bone. His great wings unfold as his dragon manifests completely. He launches himself into the sky, not sparing a backward glance.

I still wait until he's gone to burst into tears. Betrayal flays me open, and I can't get enough air into my lungs. The past few minutes wash over me like a terrible dream, only it was real.

I want to laugh, but I don't have the breath in my body. Sobs rack my frame. I spent all this time and energy preparing to give Storm up, but now I've lost both him and any chance of ever connecting with my dragon in one fell swoop. I've lost my home and what pitiful excuse I had for a family as well. Aunt Helena won't care that I'm gone, but I'll have to find a way to get word to Brynn that I'm all right, wherever I land.

The fact that I'll never see my cousin-slash-best-friend again is another blow, nearly as painful and difficult to swallow as the rest.

I don't have time to dwell on any of it right now.

I have mere hours to flee the kingdom. Thankfully, we took a shuttle to the festival, so Aunt Helena's car is parked in the driveway. If I want to make it to the border by midnight, I don't have time to be dicking around, trying to figure out transportation.

Upstairs, I rip off the dress I loved so much and throw it in the trash. Even if it weren't ruined, I'd never be able to wear it again without thinking of this night.

I wish I had time to take a shower. My body still smells like Storm; his kisses are bitten into my skin. Vivid memories assault me of the way he held me and touched me and fucked me hard into the table. Of his moans and shudders of pleasure as he emptied himself inside of me. But those memories are all ruined now, tainted by the aftermath. By the cold distance in his voice.

She's nothing.

I blink furiously, willing him out of my head.

Once I've changed into jeans and a plain black tee, I start ripping apart my room. It's not as if I own much, but I can't take everything. I end up chucking a week's worth of clothes into a trash bag. A handful of my favorite books go in an old shipping box, along with a few keepsakes I can't stand to leave behind. The rest of the essentials go in my backpack. After a moment's hesitation, I stash a hunting knife in there, too.

With the clock ticking, I shove a hand under my mattress. The envelope full of cash is a lot thinner than I'd hoped it would be when I imagined my escape from this town in my head. It's even thinner by the time I drop a thousand bucks on the kitchen table to at least try to compensate my aunt for stealing her car. I scribble a quick note, thanking her for everything, even if the last decade under this roof was deeply shitty.

My phone buzzes in my bag, and I pull it out. I wince when I see at least a dozen messages from Brynn, asking in increasingly frantic tones what happened. Am I okay?

Ember: I'm fine.

Shit, I hate lying, but what can I say? I'm heartbroken and furious. With Storm, his brother, his father.

With myself.

Ember: Sorry to leave without saying goodbye. Love you X

I type send before I can think too much about it, then silence my phone. I take one last glance around the house that I called home for years. Closing my eyes, I breathe in deeply.

In my heart of hearts, I always knew it was impossible. But there was always this part of me that dreamed my mother would come back for me. For years, I saw her every time I opened my eyes. I imagined what it would be like. She'd take me into her arms and tell me she was sorry, she was so sorry. She loved me, and she'd done what she had to to protect me, but it was all over now. We were safe and together, and she'd never let me go again.

Now, even if she did come back...

She'd never be able to find me.

A final tear escapes my eyes. I flutter them open and swipe my hand across my face.

The door to my aunt's house slams shut behind me. I get behind the wheel of her car and fire up the engine.

---