There was a knock on the door as Kesar cleaned up. I wanted to hide, but he assured me I was safe, so I stayed where I was and waited.
When he came back, Zargis and Thelia were with him. I smile shyly at them. Thelia came over and hugged me. "I'm so happy you're safe!" she whispered in my ear.
"How do you feel?" Zargis asked me.
I nod, I then turn to Kesar. I didn't want to talk in front of the others, but I didn't know what else to do. But right as I opened my mouth, Kesar held a finger up to me and walked into the bedroom. He returned a moment later with pen and paper. I smiled shyly and took them, then wrote, "Thelia kissed boy."
Thelia looked at the words and grabbed the pen. "Is it a question?"
I nod. She drew something. "If you write a question add this symbol at the end."
I look and nod.
Thelia then answers my question. "The boy I kissed? Besides Zargis?"
"The boy Zargis angry."
Thelia smiled. "Switch?"
I leaned away and nodded. Thelia frowned, saw what must have been fear on my face and got closer. "Jose, did he hurt you? Did Switch hurt you?"
I gave a whimper. That made Kesar hurry over and kneel beside me. "What's wrong?"
Thelia put a hand over her mouth and shook her head. "It's my fault," she gasped.
Zargis frowned. "What is?"
I look to Kesar and point to the paper with my question on it. He reads it, is deep in thought for a long moment, then his eyes turn amber. "Switch!" he growls.
I whimper again to which he wraps his arms around me. Zargis also growls. Thelia is shaking, but not crying. They finally knew. I finally was able to tell them who the other attacker was.
"Both females need protection," Zargis said.
"But why would he come after Jose?" Kesar hissed.
I reach for the paper and begin to write. "Jose Thelia. Jose quiet. No pain."
"What do you mean, Jose?" Thelia asked softly.
I thought for a moment then leaned into Kesar's ear and whispered, "Replace."
He pulls back and stares at me. "You're to replace Thelia?"
I point to the words, "Jose quiet."
Zargis guessed it right away. "If she told anyone, she would be taken instead of Thelia. But I don't see him trading Thelia for Jose."
I shrink.
"Why though?"
No one came up with any answers.
Kesar took me outside after he spoke with Zargis and Otreg, leaving me and Thelia with Cam. Whatever Switch injected me with, it really did hemp. I was able to walk without pain. I was happy because Kesar let me explore the shops and parks, then led to to what he called the "Northern Edge of Korgenyegia" which was a perfect name. I was about to walk right off that edge if Kesar hadn't stopped me. I blink down at the long drop below, then slowly backed away.
"Be careful, Jose. Always watch where you're going."
I nod and sit on a bench. He sits beside me, one arm slung over the back of it and around my shoulders. I point to him. "Kesar dragon?"
He smiled. "Do you want to see my dragon or my wings?"
"Kesar dragon. Kesar wings."
He chuckled and took his shirt off. Immediately, his wings spread , one going behind me and curling around. I smiled, reaching out to touch it. "There are a lot of dragons here with different color wings," he said softly.
"Jose-" I halted, unsure what the word was that I wanted to say. "-happy Kesar wings."
"Like. Jose likes Kesar's wings."
I nod.
He stood, then began to transform. In seconds he was a massive green dragon again, green and beautiful. I was hesitant, but said, "Jose touch Kesar dragon?"
The dragon rumbled, nodding its giant head. I jumped up and went over, gently running my fingers over his scales, along his snout, to the end of his tail.
"Kesar dragon pretty," I say.
It growled and I looked at it, seeing it was scowling at me. "No?"
A laugh from behind me made me hide behind Kesar's ears. Otreg laughed again and sat on the bench. "You're not supposed to call a male dragon pretty, Jose!"
I frown. "Kesar dragon pretty?"
He shook his head. "Kesar is handsome or cute. Pretty is for females."
I mouth both words he suggested and shake my head. "No."
Otreg raised a brow. "No?"
I shake my head and remembered what Einnig called Kesar. "Cuddly?"
Otreg burst out laughing. I glared at him while Kesar scowled at me. I shrugged, not understanding what was wrong.
Kesar rolled his eyes, nudging me to his back. I pat his nose and hold up a finger, then turn to Otreg. "Otreg dragon tiny. Kesar dragon eat Otreg dragon!"
Otreg stopped laughing as I got onto Kesar's back and held on.
He flew for hours, letting me experience the wind and freedom and the weightlessness. I loved flying, loved seeing the ground rush passed, seeing Kesar's claws skim the surface of the waters. It was beautiful.
It was dark when we returned, and I was elated. I felt like I was floating on bliss. When I got off Kesar's back, he became man and chuckled at how unsteady I was on my feet. "We call those airlegs."
Instead of me trying to walk, he carried me inside the castle and towards a pair of double doors. When we entered, I saw a large kitchen, people cooking within.
Kesar sat me down in a chair and asked, "Hungry?"
I nod, stomach growling. A young girl hands him two plates and he sits beside me, handing me a utensil. I look at the huge portion and glance worriedly at Kesar.
He notices. "Don't worry about finishing it, Jose. They just like to make sure everyone gets enough."
I nod and begin eating. An older female with grey hair comes over and sits down, looking at me then turning to Kesar. "Any luck?"
Kesar shook his head. "Trust me Sayma, if there was any luck, at all, Zargis wouldn't be guarding Thelia so heavily."
Sayma huffed. "She's human! Why would they want her? She's nothing to them!"
"She's bait." Kesar finished his food then looked at the woman. "If it is then, and the boy has allied with them somehow, then Thelia is bait. It's not good, not good at all. Zargis will be beyond control if she is taken."
Sayma glanced at me. "And you, Kesar? What happens if your human is taken?"
Kesar didn't answer. I glared at Sayma. "Kesar strong."
Both looked at me in surprise. Sayma came out of it and said, "That he is, girl. But everyone has a weakness."
"Sayma!"
The woman glared at Kesar. "You are keeping things from her! She has the right to know, just like Thelia had the right!"
"There's nothing to tell!" Kesar hissed.
"You are as stubborn as Zargis! This isn't protecting her, Kesar! You're only going to hurt her in the end!" With that, Sayma stormed off.
Kesar said something under his breath then helped me back to his rooms where I bathed then went to bed.
The next day, Thelia and I were in the library when I wrote, "Zargis hide Thelia secret?"
Thelia shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Thelia know Zargis secret. Sayma talked Thelia know Zargis secret."
Thelia furrowed her brows. "Zargis has only ever kept one thing from me and it wasn't really a secret."
I tilted my head in question.
"Dragons have mates. Someone who is right for them. Someone who completes their life and can create new lives with."
"Kesar?"
"I don't know about Kesar. I know there's one possibility, but he's denying it."
"Deny?"
"It means ignores the truth. I think he's afraid of getting hurt."
I nod, a dark feeling of jealousy rising in my gut at the thought of Kesar having another female.
"Jose?" I look to Thelia. "Kesar won't only hurt himself if he continues, but the female. He's been hurt enough."
"Pain?"
Thelia shook her head. "That's for him to tell. It's his story."
"Girl Kesar?"
Thelia shook her head and corrected my words to "Who is Kesar's girl?"
"I can't say. It's for him to reveal when he deems right."
I frown, say goodbye, then leave. I didn't know what I would do if Kesar had some other female, didn't know where I would go. My heart hurt. I longed to beg him to tell me, but didn't want to sound petty.
I didn't know where I was going when I ran into a body. I looked up to see Zargis. He smiled. "Jose, how are you?"
I smiled back and nodded.
"Is Thelia still in the library?"
I nod. He thanked me then continued on his way. I stood there, watching him when a hand clamped over my mouth and I was dragged through a door.