“My powers?”
“Yeah, your dragon powers. You have powers, right?”
“I can change into a giant beast, if that’s what you mean.”
“Can you do anything else?” Julie cocks her head, studying me. I like her eyes on me more than I’m willing to admit, but she’s not looking at me like I’m a piece of luscious man-meat. She’s looking at me like she wants to study me.
Like she wants to learn everything she can about me.
“Like what?”
“Can you breathe fire?”
“Not all dragons breathe fire.”
“Can you become invisible?”
“No.”
“What about flips?”
“Flips?”
“Yeah,” she smiles and twirls her fingers. “Like when you’re flying in the air. Can you do air flips?”
I chuckle. I can’t help myself. Who the fuck is this girl? She’s freaking delightful. If any other person was here trying to help me make sense of this situation, I’d be stressing out. Even the human girls I like being around, like Peggy or Natalie, wouldn’t have me in stitches over what’s basically a horrible situation.
I like that she’s trying to make me laugh.
I like that she’s helping me to keep the focus off the inevitable danger.
If Nicole has more friends in the area, they could already be hunting us. Somehow, I don’t think that’s what’s happening. I’ll have to interview her – or Cameron or Wilson can – and discover what secrets she’s still holding close. Whether the clan will release her or imprison her, I’m not sure.
“Is that a yes?” She asks. “Because you know, I’ve never seen a dragon do an air flip.”
“Have you seen a dragon do anything before?” I’m curious about her. Who is she? Where is she from? Why is she so comfortable around me? I suppose part of me thinks she should have run off the moment I showed up and distracted Nicole. Part of me thinks it would have been smarter for her to just take off in a move of self-preservation, but I don’t get the impression that Julie is actually worried about that.
“Nope.”
“Never?”
“Not unless you count cartoons. Sorry, buddy boy, but you’re my first.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “I hope that doesn’t bother you.”
“I’m honored,” I tell her honestly.
Honored indeed.
Chapter Ten
Julie
THIS BANTER IS GETTING me fucking wet. Am I seriously doing this? Playfully flirting with a guy that’s actually a shape shifting monster? Okay, get it together, Julie. It’s been awhile, but has it really been so long that you’re going after a guy that’s...okay, well, he’s built like he was carved out of fucking stone. So, yeah. I really am. I really am flirting my damn heart out because righ
t now, laughter is the only thing keeping me going.
I know that if I stop to think about what’s really happening, I’m going to completely freak out. If I take too long to consider that I was this close to dying, I’m going to lose my damn mind. Nicole could have turned her weapon on me and shot me. She could have gotten me with one of those darts. She could have gotten me with a fucking bullet.
The fact that I’m alive right now is kind of a joke.