“Right,” I say. “I’m sure if he doesn’t know, we can explain that. We’ll meet you, as suggested, south of Darwin tomorrow. You work on getting all the humans there by eleven. I know that won’t be easy.”
“That’s why we’re starting with the ones who are close,” he says. “And having companions who can fly isn’t going to hurt.”
It takes another hour or so to reassure the kiddos, make sure they have food, and work out some details, but finally, a few hours after the sun sets, I’m able to shower away the dried sweat that the trauma of today left all over my body and lie down on a very soft, very large, and very clean bed.
“Hey,” I say. “Thunar came, and then Thunar went, and we’re still here.” I can’t help my small smile.
He didn’t really leave. Azar isn’t hovering. A massive red dragon can’t really hover, but he’s watching me pretty closely.
“I know he didn’t leave.” I close my eyes and pull the blankets up to my chin. “I wish he would.”
Sleep now, and we’ll start working on solutions tomorrow. Until then, I’ll watch over you.
“I think I helped a little today, what with my transformation of a few of those blessed.”
You said blessed.
I arch one very tired eyebrow. “Sometimes we all make mistakes.” Then I yawn and close my eyes. “How do we choose which dragons get the humans tomorrow?”
Sleep now. Details later.
Which is his way of saying he’s already working on that. He’s probably jabbering with Hyperion about it right now. It’s nice to know that even after I pass out, someone competent’s still hard at work. “I feel bad for you, you know. Sleep is so refreshing. You feel far better after a nice long night’s sleep.”
Stop talking about it and do it already.
I give in to a very juvenile impulse and mimic him with my lip curled. “Just do it already. Meh.”
Meh? I didn’t say meh. What does that word even mean?
“Forget it.” I lie still for what feels like a very long time, but then my side itches. After I scratch that, my nose itches. Then my foot. My ribs on the other side. My left wing on the underside. My neck.
And I can’t even sleep on my back, because of the stupid wings.
What are you doing?
“Shut up,” I snap. “I’m tired.” But I can’t go to sleep. I’m not sure how long I toss, itch, scratch, turn, itch more, ignore the itching, toss, give up and scratch my nose, and then behind my ear. Turn again.
Then I hear the engine revving sound, and Azar has turned into human Axel. When he slides under the covers beside me, I feel less sleepy than I ever have.
I roll over. “Sleep’s overrated.”
He runs a hand down the side of my face, his fingers barely grazing the skin of my cheek. “I changed so you could sleep. You seemed restless and worried.”
“And you thought that, what with us having a terrible dragon out there who wants to kill both me and you, you ought to take your weakest form?”
“You’re right.” He pulls away to climb out of bed, but before he can, I snatch his wrist, tightening my fingers around it and tugging.
“Don’t go,” I say, but it comes out like a whispered plea. “Stay with me.”
His arms slide around me, his left arm snaking underneath my neck and sliding past my wings in a way that feels very nice, and his right arm curving around my waist. “For someone who has never done any of this, you’re pretty good at it.”
“What exactly are we doing?” He arches an eyebrow. “I’d like to know what I’m good at.”
I surge forward, sliding against the sheets, all my itching forgotten, and I press my lips against his.
He stiffens for a moment, and then he leans in, his hand on my waist tightening, his arm under my neck curving around to grip my shoulder. His mouth moves over mine much more than it did the last time, boldly, with an added element that he was missing before: familiarity.
He remembers how to kiss, and he seems to like it.
