Dragons didn’t have that problem. They were free. They could go anywhere, do anything. Ever since I was young, I always admired their strength of will. That was something I never had. Neverwouldhave.
A chill ran down my arms. I hugged myself, but it paled in comparison to being held by a friend.
Or by...
I chased that thought away and clenched my eyes shut, rocking slowly back and forth in the plastic seat. I was good at self-soothing. I had plenty of practice.
As if trying to escape the dark aura of my thoughts, I stood abruptly and strode to my bedroom. The light was off. I kept it that way as I crossed the space toward my bed. But I didn’t climb in.
I turned to face the opposite corner of the room. A crumpled blanket lay on the floor. On top of it was an array of old and abandoned stuffed toys I’d collected over the years. It was their own little space. Their home.
Shedding my human skin, I slipped into my wolf form and padded into the cozy corner. The plush toys welcomed me withopen arms. I felt like they were watching over me as I slowly drifted off to sleep.
After a stringof disjointed and troublesome dreams, I woke up with the weariness of someone who fell asleep mired in anxiety.
The sunlight streamed in through my window, alongside the bustling city noise. I remembered where I was, and what happened last night.
With a burst of panicked energy, I ran to the kitchen and pawed the phone off the table before shifting to pick it up with shaky human hands.
The message was still there. I hadn’t imagined it.
I had to return Jade’s message.
A lump formed in my throat. I was never very good at talking on the phone.
Suddenly, I found myself in anxiety’s vise grip. I wanted to call Jade, but my doubts and fears sank their claws into me.
But if I didn’t message him back, he might think I wasn’t interested. He might forget about me and move on.
That fear was worse than the others, so I picked up the phone and met my anxiety halfway.
I texted him back:Good morning. I’m here.
Heart racing, I put the phone down like it was a bomb.
Seconds later, it rang.
I yelped, nearly leaping out of my skin. For some reason, I was afraid to pick up. What if he said something I didn’t want to hear?
I bit my lip hard, then picked up the loud, buzzing device. At least accepting the call would stop the noise.
My throat felt dry. “H-hello?”
“Good morning, Poppy.” Jade’s familiar voice put a small dent in my flailing nerves. “How are you?”
Whenever people spoke to me with such niceties, I never knew how to respond. It always felt fake, even though I knew I meant it.
“Um, I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile so I’d sound like I was smiling. “How about you?”
“Fine, thank you,” he replied. His rhythm was friendly yet curt, ready to cut to the chase, which spiked my anxiety again. “I’m sorry to bother you. Are you busy?”
“You’re not a bother,” I said, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see it. “And, um, no, I’m not busy.”
With every silent millisecond that passed, my chest grew stickier with anticipation. Time seemed dilated because I was so nervous.
I heard a metallic creak that must’ve been Jade sinking into his office chair. “I’ll be frank with you, Poppy. We’re aware of some connection between you and Viol.”
My stomach lurched.
