Dragon Witch ✔️

14 - Lizard Man

Fruit trees swayed overhead as I walked through the narrow orchard rows, trying not to look at the adorable phoenix chick in my hands. If I looked at her, I just might change my mind about what I was doing. And I couldn't change my mind, not now. This deal with my parents was the only way to keep them on my side. If they figured out I'd broken it already--accidentally or not--they would never speak to me again.

Eva twisted her head around to look down the orchard row. White-rimmed black ovals on the back of her neck made it look like she had a second pair of eyes.

She chirped curiously. Where going?

Just to the end of the orchard. There's a great place for you to nest there. A great place where my parents wouldn't find her. Hopefully, she would be okay there until after this no-magic deal with my parents was over. After all, I definitely wanted a familiar eventually. Just not right now.

My parents hardly ever came this far out into the orchard. It was as good a hiding spot as any. Even Kyton agreed that it was a good idea. That might've just been because--as my bodyguard--he would probably get in trouble with Grandpa for not keeping me away from magic.

Turning her head back around to look at me, Eva peeped. Want some for nest.

I couldn't help but look at her. She was just a little fluffball with eyes and claws. The orchard was pretty safe, but there were still bobcats and coyotes that ran through here occasionally. What if something tried to eat her?

"Some what?" I asked as I moved down the row.

An image of my hair popped into my mind, and Eva fluffed up contentedly. Want that.

"Sure, you can have as much as you want." I sped up a little. The faster I went, the faster this would be over with. Eva would be fine in the orchard. I shouldn't worry. If I worried, I would forget to guard my thoughts, and Eva would see what I was planning.

No matter how much I tried to not look at her or think about her, I couldn't help it. Her adorable orangy eyes drew my attention like a magnet. It was more than that. Her scent might not have been as strong as Kyton's, but it was still as fragrant as a freshly-baked apple pie. What was I supposed to do with myself? How could I ever have a familiar if her magic made my mouth water?

Maybe it was just a weird witch phase, and I would grow out of it soon enough. Or maybe it really was a disease, and I would find it in one of Grandpa's books after he went to sleep this evening.

Not like here. Eva shivered in my hands.

What do you- When I looked up, thick trees crowded in around me. Thorn bushes and dark shadows grew all around us. I was in the forest. Spinning around, I couldn't even see the estate barrier. How far had I gone without realizing it? It didn't matter. I had to get back before the dragon came after me.

I started back toward the barrier, then paused. My parents never went into the forest. This might be the best hiding spot in the world for Eva. And it wasn't like fairy dragons ate phoenixes, right? They ate fairies. Eva would be fine here. Wouldn't she?

She was a wild animal, and she'd been living in the wild her whole life. If she stayed quiet, she would be fine out here until I could finish the deal with my parents. I swiped at my watery eyes. I couldn't stop now. If I brought her home, she'd get me in serious trouble. Or worse, I might suck her blood in a moment of weakness.

Only, she'd been living inside the barrier before. It wasn't exactly the wild in there. I kicked at an exposed tree root. What if Eva didn't stay quiet? What if something got her before the deal with my parents was over? I could never live with myself if something like that happened.