Page 172 of Whispers of Wisteria
Titus.
I’d forgotten that he was here too! I wasdefinitelythe worst.
I couldn’t leave without him.
Maria tried to pull me with her, but I locked my legs.
“Youhaveto get out of here,” she argued, correctly interpreting my stillness. “Titus will lose his mind when he finds out you’re here, if he doesn’t know already. But he’ll rage—especially atmein particular—if I let you stay.”
I looked at her and narrowed my eyes.
“No, Bianca.” She shook her head. “You don’t get it. Titus is adragon. He’ll hold a grudge forages. He won’t move on. He’ll see this as a failure to keep you safe, and it could end up affecting your relationship.”
My mouth went dry and, for an instant, my resolve wavered.
I… I didn’t want to make him angry. I just wanted to help.
Would this really make him mad at me… forever?
But that’d mean no dragon babies.
It was hard to breathe. I clutched at my chest, over the ruined remains of my clothing, trying to soothe the ache while Maria waited for my response.
No… dragon babies. Why should I care?
Did I really?
“No…” I shook my head as my whisper broke. Maria dropped her arm, her eyes widening, but the rest of my words were locked away by the lump in my throat.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about the possibility, but I didn’t have time to think about it. Titus was the most important. There could be no dragon babies without him either.
I refused to leave him.
“So stubborn.” Maria’s words were harsh, but her mouth quirked. “You’re perfect for each other.”
Ada returned and shifted back into a human.
“There are multiple tunnels,” she said, looking at Maria. “You’re better at tracking. I can take her—”
I stepped back and shook my head.
Thatgot Ada’s attention, and she warily looked at me. “She is leaving, right?”
Maria rubbed her fingers against her temples. “No.”
Ada’s stern mouth tightened further.
It would be easy, so easy, to let them take me away from here. But I wouldn’t leave him.
“We can’t waste time,” Ada said. “We can’t babysit her and deal with Jameson. He can already kick our asses. Plus, she’s hurt,andwe can’t risk losing them both to the Guild.”
She said that, but only one thing stood out.
Babysit.
I was a burden.
Dizzy, I staggered sideways and leaned against the wall.
