Dragon Witch ✔️

41 - Crush

Kyton stared at me. "You're kidding."

I stared right back at him. "I wouldn't kid about something like that. If I said I'll get you dragon's blood, I'll do it."

Piper laughed nervously. "Yeah, I don't think that's what he meant." She poked me in the shoulder. "A dragon almost just killed you, and you're going to go out and try to take its blood? It's suicide."

I crossed my arms. There wasn't any point in arguing. She was right. Going up against the dragon would probably be suicide. But it might not be. And that little chance of success would be worth the risk if I could save just one person. One normal, non-monstrous person.

"Oh." Piper sighed frustratedly. "You know that, don't you. Eva said you were afraid of your instincts, that's why you ran away tonight. You don't want to survive another run-in with the dragon."

I changed the subject. "So, how did you get Starling to keep quiet about what happened? Grandpa should be charging in here already."

"I hexed Starling's memory. Don't change the subject."

Kyton grabbed my arm. "Forget about the dragon. You're going to bed, and for the sake of all that is decent, stay in bed until the morning. I'm exhausted." He dragged me to my feet.

My back twinged with every step, but I let him pull me inside and guide me toward the bed. "I'm going to have to take a shower first."

"Fine." He let go of my arm. "Just don't leave this room. You need to rest and heal."

I wanted to hold my tongue. Letting him pretend to care about me wouldn't hurt anything, and it was painful enough just knowing how much he hated me. Hearing him say it out loud would've been too much. But I couldn't keep quiet. Better to be hurt now than later.

"What do you care if I rest and heal?"

He was halfway to the door when he stiffened, wings sticking straight out. "What do I care?" He flicked his wings down and turned to face me. "What do I care? What kind of question is that? Just because I'm only a walking buffet to you doesn't mean-" He threw up his hands. "Forget it. You wouldn't understand." He stormed out of my bedroom.

"What just happened?" I muttered to myself. I checked the fireplace. It was roaring, and Eva rested inside.

"You really are oblivious," Piper said, scaring me half to death.

I'd almost forgotten she was still here. "What do you mean?" I turned to face her.

She was standing in the doorway to the balcony, holding her tranq rifle loosely by its strap. She tossed it on the ground next to my bed and started digging through her bags.

"Lilly, that fairy has a crush on you." She pulled out a set of clean clothes. "Where's another bathroom?"

"What?" How could she be so casual about something like that? Kyton couldn't have a crush on me. Maybe I'd been wrong and he'd liked me, not her, before he knew I was a changeling, but there was no way he could like me now.

"I'll just use Kyton's bathroom. It's right next door, isn't it?"

"I-" I nodded. "What did you mean, when you said he has a crush-"

Her cheeks reddened beneath a layer of dirt. "I asked him out a while back, and he said he liked someone else, another witch. It's obviously you. He's not faking it. He's a clever guy. If he lost his contract with your grandma, he would find another way to get the money he needs."

"But-"

She waved a hand at me. "You're a changeling, Lilly. He's a fairy. His dad is dying because of a dragon attack. Any other fairy would've left you to die, but he trusts you, for the same reason I trust you. Normal changelings don't help fairies, and they definitely don't run away when they have the chance to kill one. You're not normal. In this case, that's good." She grimaced at her clothes. "Now, do you mind if I take a shower? I'm filthy."