Guilt pinched at her. Was he still feeling the loss of the diamond necklace? He’d given it up easily enough, but the town’s dragon guardian, Apollo, had told her all about how important a hoard was to a young dragon. Was the loss of the necklace making him feel insecure about the rest of his treasures?
He chirruped to her, tilted his head, and she just managed to wrap her arms around him before he shifted back to human. Her heart thudded in her chest, the same way it always did, seeing the magical creature transform back into her dark-eyed little human boy.
He stared up at her, confounded. “Muffins?” he asked.
She laughed. “Iwasbaking them, when you flew off on me. Shall we get back to it?”
“Yeah!” He hugged the bag to his chest. She smiled at the sight of the familiar treasures within it: the teaspoons he’d stolen from her kitchen drawer and the kitchen drawers of everyone they’d visited with in town, one of her old bracelets, some shiny rocks and shells from their beach walks…
And Corin’s watch.
Her smile fell.
“Let’s get back to our baking,” she said, infusing her voice with false cheer.
She was just putting the tray in the oven when someone knocked at the front door. Tomás muttered to himself, and Maya moved him to one hip as she went to open it.
Standing behind the door with her hand still raised to knock again was her best friend, and the reason she’d been able to build a home for herself in Hideaway.
“Felicity!” Maya blinked. “What’s wrong?”
“Not sure yet.” Felicity pushed her dark hair back off her face and wrinkled her nose at Tomás. “Hey, you.”
Maya wasn’t fooled. She’d known Felicity for years. She didn’t need the wispy blossoms of magic flitting agitatedly around Felicity’s head to know that, whatever was going on, it had pulled the rug from under her feet.
“What do you mean, you’re not sure yet?”
“Because I haven’t checked with you yet to decide how we feel about it.” Felicity took a deep breath and met her eyes. “Corin Blackburn is here.”
Corin was in Hideaway Cove.
Even half an hour later, Maya wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She just knew she felt it a hell of a lot. Her skin was scalded with the intensity offeeling. Of—of—
Anger. Frustration.Confusion.Hadn’t she made herself clear? She didn’t realize she had to add ‘And don’t come visiting either!’ to the note she’d sent with the necklace!
She wasn’t going to jump and run when he called, either. Let him wait until the muffins were cooked and on a rack to cool. She’d called Lainie to tell her she would have to rain check on their hang-out. And showered. And changed her clothes. Andnotchanged again, because Corin Blackburn was not worth worrying over what she was wearing when she went to meet him.
He was waiting at Felicity and Apollo’s house, though to hear Felicity describe it, it was more like he was jailed there. Which was something, at least.
“When did Mr. Blackburn arrive?” she asked Felicity, back downstairs.
“Not long ago. Mays—are you okay with this? The last time you saw him…”
“I was freaking out and acting like my whole world was coming to an end?” Maya huffed out a breath through her nose. “I’m not scared of Corin Blackburn. I wasn’t scared then, either—”
“Could have fooled me,” Felicity said under her breath, but with an elbow in Maya’s ribs to make sure she heard it.
“Fine. I was scared. Not ofhim.Of—of…” Her shoulders slumped. “Everything was so out of control. And maybe he could have helped. And then…”
“Everything would have been even more out ofyourcontrol?” Felicity suggested.
“I don’t need his help.” Maya glanced at Tomás. He was still holding his treasure bag in one hand. The other held half a banana-and-spinach muffin. “Did you sense him coming?” shewondered out loud. “Is that why you flew away to pick up your hoard?”
Tomás stuffed the muffin into his face, kicking his feet, and didn’t reply. Maya sighed. “I don’t need his help,” she repeated. “Not that he ever offered it. Come on. Let’s go find out what he wants now.”
Felicity and Apollo lived up the hill, in a buttercup-yellow house that looked like it was plucked straight from a children’s picture book. Apollo was waiting at the door to welcome them. He grinned widely at the sight of Tomás covered in muffin crumbs, and winked at Maya.
“Give the word and I’ll catapult him out of here,” he told her cheerfully.
