Vane Page 4

  Juliette blushed. “He said that he helped you once, and that noble people repay things like that. That you would help when we needed it.” She touched her belly, winced as a kick rocked her. “I suppose we need it.”

  Ava chewed the inside of her lip for a moment. Shiloh, despite all his strangeness, despite all the pain he’d caused Cale while they awaited trial in the sky dungeon…he had helped them. And she told him, gave him her word, that she’d return it.

  “I really don’t understand what you think I can do for you, Juliette, that Shiloh couldn’t do himself.”

  “Hide us.” She blinked lashes against satin cheeks. “Hide us from them.”

  “From who?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Cale interjected from the kitchen. “You can’t trust her, Ava.”

  But Ava held a hand up to him. “From who, Juliette?” The no-ir—who every dragon race feared, whose mention made even the strongest cower—the no-ir needed help hiding a simple girl? “From who?”

  “From everyone.” She couldn’t hide the tremor in her delicate hands as she stroked her belly. “They can never know what we did. They can never know.”

  “You mean the baby?” Ava rolled her eyes. “Look, you had to have gotten married if you’re pregnant, right? Red dragons can’t have babies if they don’t wait until marriage. So why hide it?”

  Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up to Ava. “We didn’t marry. It just happened.” The tears spilled over. “I didn’t think…”

  Ava hopped off the counter, stood up straight. “You mean…that’s Shiloh’s baby?”

  Juliette nodded, and the droplets dangled from her chin.

  “That’s not possible,” Cale interjected. “She’s lying. Black dragons are born from death. They can’t reproduce.”

  Ava remembered the roof of the sky dungeon, how Shiloh had explained that he and Rane were born together, dragon and rider, from the carcass of a dead no-ir pair. They were death-bringers. The only way they could call life into the world was to die themselves.

  “I’m not lying,” Juliette shouted. It was the first time Ava had ever heard her raise her voice. The girl’s cheeks grew red. “I wouldn’t lie about something like this. And if you had my gift, you’d know I was telling the truth.” Juliette, who could see the truth, glared at the boy who had no choice but to speak it.

  “You can’t be pregnant,” he said.

  Juliette struggled to stand up, even with Miriam’s help, and walked over to Cale, who stood behind the kitchen counter. “Give me your hand,” she said.

  The look he gave her could have chilled stone.

  “Do it, Cale,” Ava said, crossing her arms.

  He had no choice but to follow his rider’s order. He reached out his finger and touched just the tip of it to Juliette’s belly. Whatever was inside kicked in response, and Cale yanked his hand away.

  “It’s alive,” he said, his eyes growing wide. That was not the only thing that had startled him. He had felt the life humming inside of Juliette, and he knew one thing…that it was good. So good it made his core burn. He knew it just like he knew Ava was meant to be his. It was real, unchangeable, inarguable truth.

  “Speak to it,” Juliette said.

  Cale hesitated. Speaking to an unborn child was usually done in ceremony. It was a formality, of course, for most red dragonlings, and nests used it to celebrate the race of the child. A parent, or the leader of the herd, would lean in to the pregnant dragon’s belly and speak in red tongue. When the child responded with a kick, it proved that it would be born red. And the nest ate and drank together, for a red life was on its way.

  Cale could only imagine how relieved his father had been to know for sure that his oldest sons were reds. He wondered what Mac felt, though, when his third son was undoubtedly blue, when he spoke to Karma’s bulging stomach and heard only silence in response. Did he know how foreign Cameron would be to him? How much they would resent each other?

  “Go on,” Juliette said. “Speak to it.” She bit in her lip. “I’ll never have the speaking ceremony anyway. I can never go back home like this.”

  With Miriam and Ava watching, Cale leaned over, careful not to touch the girl who would always be his enemy. He whispered in red tongue. Who are you, little one?

  And he waited to hear the answer that every red dragonling gave, from one core to the other. Waited for the kick, wait to hear, I am the same as you.

  And waited.

  “It didn’t answer,” Cale said, straightening back up. “It’s…not a red dragon.”

  Juliette gave a little smile, one flooded with the currents of fear. “You must believe me now.”

  Cale took a step back. He needed to think. He needed to process what was standing before him. A black rider, who could not feel, could not touch, could not love, had somehow become responsible for the life inside of Juliette.

  “We need to hide them,” Cale said. It came out hushed, as if someone might be listening.

  Ava approached, wanting to touch Cale’s forearm, but pulling her hand back at the last second, for reasons she didn’t understand. “Hide them from what?”

  “From people who won’t accept what happened. And from the greys. Sirce will kill them.” Cale licked dry lips and stared at Juliette’s full stomach. The unborn dragonling, the red dragon girl, and the no-ir pair who had brought them to the O’Hara house for safe keeping. “Sirce will kill them all.”

  ***

  Ava woke up dripping with sweat. She shoved Cale’s arm off her, scrambled to her feet and stumbled out of the ivory room with its olive curtains and chestnut furniture. With the bathroom light on, she could see for herself the shimmer of gold beneath her skin. It ringed her irises, followed the curls of her hair. And it burned.

  Ava flipped the faucet on and ran her arms under the gush of cool. It didn’t help. There was a crackle of heat on her skin, in her very eyes, that wouldn’t settle. She didn’t feel like herself. She didn’t feel centered or safe. She felt frantic. Hot and frantic.

  She gripped the rim of the sink and forced herself to breathe. In and out, Ava. In and out. Then she closed her eyes. You’re alone. It’s just you in here. No one needs you. You don’t need anyone. It’s just you. She said it until she could open her eyes again. The world stopped spinning so quickly, and the burning heat subsided.

  She was shaking when she looked at herself in the mirror again, her brown skin blanched, her lips pale. All she could think was that Cale would know. He’d see and freak out.

  “Ava?”

  She blinked the salt out of her eyes. She couldn’t find enough of her voice to answer. So she ran the water again and swallowed a bit of it. It made her want to vomit. I don’t like water anymore?

  “Ava, you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she managed. You liar, she shook her head. God, I lie to him so much.

  “You don’t sound okay.”

  She swallowed past her dry throat. “I just need…” Space. “I just need a minute.”

  He rattled the door knob. “Let me talk to you first.”

  And without knowing she’d do it, she turned to the bathroom door and banged her palm against it. “I just need one minute alone!”

  Silence.

  Ava was so glad she couldn’t see his face. But she needed it. She needed to know he wasn’t waiting for her, wasn’t needing her, wasn’t caring about her. She sat down on the floor, her back to the bathtub, and pressed her forehead to her knees.

  “Rothai?”

  It wasn’t Cale’s voice. It was familiar, but Ava couldn’t place it right away. It sounded like a child, but hoarse, the red dragon word for ‘rider’ enunciated as if the speaker carried an accent. “I know you must be very preoccupied—”

  “Maurice?” Ava stood up and opened the door to find the little boy-man frowning. “Maurice, what are you doing here?”

  He gave a frustrated sigh. “Melting. Florida is uninhabitable. The heat is a strange sort, even to a red. It clings to me and
won’t let me go. They should close the state down.”

  “You came all the way to Miami to test out the weather?”

  “Don’t be daft, rothai. We came because we need you.”

  Ava choked on her sigh. And then over Maurice’s head, she caught sight of Cale. He was still in one piece, but he wore no smile. His eyes looked her over quickly, the blue dragon in him assessing her in seconds. Then he looked away as if he couldn’t figure out what he saw.

  He hates me. Fantastic.

  “Maurice did you pull her out of the restroom?” Emaline said, reprimanding her old friend as she assended the stairs. “You could have been more considerate.” She shook her head. “Forgive his crassness.”

  Ava ignored the niceties. “Why don’t we skip this whole part and you tell us why you’re not in Ireland?”

  “Great Nest is a small village. You know this. And since you left us, we have become overrun by red dragons who have been displaced by the surge of siren violence.” Emaline always got to the point.

  “You mean…like refugees?” Ava crossed her arms so she could think. “That’s never happened before, has it?”

  “Never before.” Emaline grew grave. “The humans will be fair game if our numbers continue to dwindle.”

  “Who cares about the humans?” Ava said. “It’s the dwindling dragon numbers that’s scary.”

  Emaline’s somber brown eyes didn’t waver in the slightest. “A red dragon is born to protect humans. That’s why we’re here. We don’t live to worry about ourselves.”

  Ava nodded. “And that’s why you have riders, Emaline. Someone’s got to worry about you.” She nodded over to Cale. “Ready to fly?”

  His eyes stared into her, his face emotionless. “A word, rothai.”

  Him calling her that made her shiver a little. So serious. Emaline and Maurice left in silence, and Cale walked over to the bathroom. He shut the door.

  “Hey, about earlier…” Ava started.

  “I don’t think we should go.”

  Ava blinked at him. “What?”

  “We should tell them no.”

  “What? Cale, they came all the way here.”

  “I know.”

  “And they asked specifically for our help.”

  “I know.”

  “People might die.”

  “Yeah. They might.” He didn’t budge. “I’m not going.”

  Ava pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to alleviate the headache forming. “Is this because of what happened a minute ago? Because—”

  Cale shook his head. “You don’t have to explain.”

  “I don’t?”

  “We just got back from facing our deaths, Ava. And I’m tired. You’re tired. They can be all right without us for a while. We’ll catch our breath and keep an eye on Juliette like we promised.” He paused. “I’m not going.”

  “But….”

  “You go back to bed. I’ll tell them what we decided and get them out of here before they see Juliette.”

  And he left. Closed the door behind him. Ava was amazed by the flood of relief. Yes, Great Nest needed them. But Cale had made the decision for her. They could rest for a while. And maybe I can catch up with my regular self. Maybe I can be normal again. She lay down and sighed. Normal. Tomorrow is day one of normal.

  ***

  Juliette wore one of Ava’s gray hoodies over her dragonthread dress. It would have been funny to Ava, seeing her in the “I heart NY” paraphernalia. Juliette had only ever been to two places: Great Nest, and the O’Hara residence in south Miami. It would have been hilarious, if the soon-to-be mother wasn’t curled up in the cupboard, rejected pots and pans strewn across the floor to make space for her.

  “Let me be,” she kept saying, wrenching the cupboard door from Ava’s hands and pulling it in. “I don’t want your help. Just let me be.”

  “You can’t stay in there all day, Juliette. You have to eat, you have to sleep.” She talked through the little door. “Think of the baby.”

  Juliette didn’t answer. Just hummed to music no one else could here, her knees pulled up tight to her chest as she straddled the darkness.

  “She won’t come out, Cale,” Ava said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “She’s going to starve in there.”

  Cale frowned. He didn’t want to care about Juliette. If it was just her, he’d let her wither in there. But it wasn’t about Juliette. Not anymore. “She’s being irrational. And she’s not listening to either of us.”

  “Very good. How about I take a stab at stating the obvious?”

  “You already did,” Cale pointed out. “You told me she wouldn’t come out, remember?”

  Ava stood and crossed her arms. She did her best to keep her calm, to breathe out her anger. Then she tried again. “Is this normal? Do pregnancies make dragons go crazy?”

  Cale shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  Ava tilted her head at him. “Tell me.”

  Cale’s eyes darted to her. “Tell you what?”

  She nodded her chin towards him. “Whatever you’re hiding from me. Tell me.”

  Cale opened his mouth. He wanted to say he wasn’t hiding anything. He wanted to say he had no idea what she was talking about. But none of it came out. It wasn’t fair that Ava could keep her own secrets, tell her own lies. So he braced himself for the ugly, stupid, indignant truth he knew was on its way. “My mother—I mean, Karma…she would know.”

  “How would Karma know about red dragon pregnancies? She’s blue all the way to her core.”

  Cale sighed, flipped the faucet handle and watched as the clear water rushed to the bottom of his empty glass. “Karma knows everything.”

  Ava pressed a hand to her chin in thought. The situation was becoming even more delicate. Cale couldn’t just go over and ring the doorbell at his old house. Mac would…would…

  Ava didn’t really know what would happen, but she knew it wouldn’t be good. The last time she and Cale were in the Anders’ house, Mac had threatened Cale, exiled him for his affiliation with Ava, and cursed him.

  “Maybe…I could give her a call? She’d talk to me, I’m sure,” Ava offered.

  “You don’t have to.”

  Ava could see the tension in his shoulders as his eyes met hers. “Cale, it’s just a phone call. It can’t hurt.” She pointed to Juliette’s makeshift cave. “Watch the girl.”

  She stepped out onto the over-sized lanai that occupied way too much of the O’Haras’ back lawn and pulled her cell out of her pocket. She sighed, knowing that the next month’s bill was going to go unpaid. Better use this thing while I still have a provider. She found Karma’s number easily, ‘favorited’ right below Cale’s, right above Miriam’s. She called, tapping her long fingers against the railing as the tone buzzed in her ear.

  “Ava.”

  Ava couldn’t help the little surge of relief at hearing that voice. It was the same as it used to be. Flat but full, careful and well-placed—every inflection and tonal choice deliberate.

  “Hey Karma. I don’t know if it’s okay to call you like this, but…”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Ava almost laughed. Where to begin? I think I’m wilting. I can’t handle being close to my favorite person on earth. Everyone hates me. The sirens are taking over the world.

  Karma didn’t wait for Ava to say anything. “Is Cale not well? No he’s fine, or you would exhibit more anxiety. It’s some other pressing matter. Go on, Ava.”

  Ava looked at her phone for a moment. Really? Karma was capable of asking a question and answering it herself faster than Ava could form her one word. “No, it’s not Cale. We’re back in Miami.”

  “I deduced as much. The reason for your call?”

  A smile tickled Ava’s lips. Polite, but Always to the point. “We didn’t know who else to call. There’s a pregnant girl in the cupboard.”

  A long pause for Karma to think. “I will be there shortly, if that’s not an inconvenience for you, my d
ear. I may need to see this for myself.”

  Ava glanced inside the sliding glass door. Cale was uncomfortable about even calling his former mother. Now she was coming over.

  “Karma…”

  “I won’t stay long, Ava. And Mac doesn’t have to know everything, now does he?” The sound of a car engine coming to life. “Perhaps Cale can step out for a moment if he’d prefer.”

  “I’ll talk to him. But we’re staying with Onna and—”

  “No need. I already know where you are.”

  Ava stopped. “What? How?”

  “Let’s just say Rory has been keeping tabs.”

  “Ava!” It was Cale from behind the glass door. “Ava, get in here!”

  “Hurry,” Ava whispered into the phone before she hung up and slipped back into the kitchen.

  Cale shut the door behind her, his eyes wide. He didn’t have to explain what the problem was. From inside the little cabinet, Juliette had moved from humming to a strange rumbling moan. Every few seconds she’d pause, and then shout complete nonsense.

  Ava felt warm, sticky. “What’s wrong with her?” She took a step back, wanting nothing more than to run back outside and down the road, away from the problems. “I’m not equipped to handle something like this.”

  “Maybe you could talk to her again. You are both girls, right?”

  Ava shook her head. “I’m barely a girl, Cale.”

  And then, two minutes later, through the unlocked door came a dark haired, pale-skinned woman. Her blue eyes were deep, rich, unreal in the way they scowered and observed. She never turned off her need to see, understand, to know.

  Cale stopped. He stopped and stared back at the woman in her sharp gray dress and sturdy heels. “Mom?”

  Ava bit her lip. “Oh…yeah. Your mom is on her way over.”

  Cale stared at her, expressionless. Karma waited in the doorway. It was a blue dragon courtesy to cease what one was doing while the other was clearly in thought. She had already absorbed most of her surroundings—the odd living arrangement, Ava and Cale’s physical conditions, even the sound coming from the cabinet next to the two-story stove.

  “Cale?” Ava put a hand on his shoulder. For a moment, she thought he felt cold. But no, he was his normal warm self. “Cale, Juliette…”