"Youheardhim."Fury'sgirlfriendJasmineinspectshertalons,hereyesflashingintoglowingslits. "Moveit."Shelaughs,anditreachesintomyheart. "Sopathetic."
Fightrisesinsideofme,butBrynnisstilltuggingmealong,andit'sasifshecan'tseeFuryorJasmineoranyofthem,butthey'regettinginmyface.Ican'tmovepastthem.
"Youshouldjustputyourselfoutofyourmisery,"anotherofthemeangirlsjabs.
"Dousallafavor."
Jasmine'sthereagain,closerthistime,thatsharpnailslicingintomycheekanddrawingblood,andshe'ssocloseIcansmellthebrimstoneandsulfurofherbreath. "Noonewouldmissyou."
"Fuckoff,"Ibreathe,buttherearetearswellinginmyeyes.
I'vealwaystriedtopretendthattheirbullyingdidn'thurtmyfeelings.I'maboveitall.Idon'tcareaboutanyofthemorwhattheythink.Itdoesn'tbothermethatIhaven'tEmerged.Mydragonisinsideme,somewhere,andI'llfindhersomeday.
Onlyeverythingwithinmeissilentandcold,andohGods.Whatifthisisit?WhatifIreallyamnothing?Rejected.Defective.Broken.
There'saringinginmyears,andJasmine'sgone.Idartmygazearound,butBrynniscallingmyname,andItakeastepinherdirection,onlytoscream.
TheoldwomanIspottedearlierisstandingrightinfrontofme.
"What--"
Thewomanispaleandstooped,withdisheveledgrayhairanddeeppurpleinhereyes.Shebeamsandclaspsherhandstogether. "Ohthereyouare,dearie."
"Comeon,Ember,"Brynnurgesagain,lesspatientthistime.
"Don'tpayheranymind."Theoldwomanshakesherhead,andI'mprettysureIshouldberunningawayfromher,butsomethingmakesmestop.
"DoI--DoIknowyou?"
Theoldwomanlaughs. "Oh,dearie,youhardlyknowyourself,doyou?"
Okay,nevermind,Iwasrightthefirsttime.Thisladyisactingaskookyasshelooks.Ishouldgo.
"Sorry."Istartmovingawayfromher. "Ishould--"
Shedartsoutahand,fasterthanshehasanyrighttobe.Asshegrabsmywrist,hertonedips,thefriendlinessfadingtorevealanedgeofdesperation.
Andmaybeforesight.
"Theywon'trememberyou,"shesaysgrimly,andit'sawarning.
Myheartpounds. "Who--"
"Yourmates,ofcourse."
AndIlaugh.Whowouldn't?
Idon'thaveamate.I'mnotevenadragon,really.I'llneverhaveamate,andthere'sabitternessinmychest.Thetangofbile.
Whocouldeverwantyou,withoutyourpowers?
Idon'tknowwherethequestioncomesfrom,butitshiversrightdowntomybones.
Andbesides.Didn'tshesay "mates"?Plural?
It'sridiculous,impossible--unheardof.
Sowhydoesitsoundsofamiliar?