Chapter 8 8- Do Not Trust Anyone With That Smile
LEXI
I straighten a little, lifting my chin, and fix Professor Cage with a glare I hope conveys exactly how unimpressed I am.
“The dragon has a name.” I tell him sharply.
“And I will sit with whoever I want. Please don’t ask me to move again. Now, I want to go have lunch. Good afternoon, Professor Cage.” I say. I don’t wait for his response. I turn on my heel and walk straight out of the room, heart pounding. Hopefully I didn’t just destroy my chances of passing this class. The hallway is quiet, but not empty. Blake is there. He’s standing just outside the door, shoulders tense, but the second he sees me, the tension melts from him. His posture loosens, his expression softens, and he returns my smile with one of his own, small, but warm.
“What did he want?” Blake asks. I roll my eyes dramatically.
“Nothing worth discussing. Let’s go eat. I’m starving. I barely ate this morning, I was so nervous.” I admit. Blake nods, falling into step beside me as we start down the hall toward the cafeteria. His presence is… Oddly comforting. Quiet, steady and solid.
“So…” I say after a moment, glancing sideways at him.
“Are you shy? Or are you just really quiet? You seem to have mastered the art of answering me in as few syllables as possible.” I point out. His smile widens just a fraction, still small, but definitely there. “Neither, let’s just say I’m out of practice.” He says. I snort softly.
“I believe it. People here seem to have some kind of problem with you. Or with dragons in general I think... Most of them don’t seem to have ever actually spoken to you, though, so I have no idea what’s accurate.” I tilt my head, watching him carefully.
“Care to fill me in?” I ask. Blake immediately tenses up. His gaze drops to the floor, his shoulders tightening just enough for me to notice. Guilt prickles through me, I didn’t mean to put him on the spot. But I also don’t think wandering through a magical school with a dragon shifter while being completely clueless about dragon anything is the smartest move I’ve ever made. So… Awkward or not, I need to understand. And who better to ask about dragons than the dragon himself?
“Well… You’ve heard the stories about dragons…” Blake begins, his tone cautious.
“That we hoard treasures, burn down villages, kidnap maidens? They’re not exactly, completely, untrue. People avoid us to avoid drawing our attention.” He explains.
“Wow.” I say, utterly stunned.
“I don’t even know where to start with that. For starters, I was raised human, I haven’t heard any stories. So let’s break it down. First up, kidnapping maidens?” I ask as I arch an eyebrow at him, giving the most pointed look I can muster. Blake laughs, actually laughs, and I can’t help grinning back.
“Dragons like treasures.” He explains.
“Valuable things. Rare things. A girl can fall into those categories as easily as any gold. A guy could too, I suppose, but for some reason no one talks about that. Stereotypes, I guess. In the past, SOME dragons have gotten a bit carried away with their obsessions.” He admits.
“I think the maidens were the ones getting carried away…” I pause, fighting a smile.
“By dragons.” I finish. Blake stares at me.
“What? Not funny?” I wince.
“Sorry. I really have no filter. Feel free to tell me to shut up.” I tell him. He shakes his head.
“No, it was funny. I’m just… Confused. Most people would be running from me by now. Aren’t you worried?” He asks.
“That depends, are you my friend?” I say lightly, though my heart is thudding. The moment the question leaves my mouth, regret slams into me. Why did I say that? Who forces someone to define a friendship after five minutes of conversation? I am absolutely being too pushy. Too blunt. Too… Me. Blake takes a long time to answer, long enough that I’m certain I’ve ruined everything.
“If you want me to be.” He says finally, voice wary but genuine. Oh. That went… Way better than expected.
“Then no, I’m not worried.” I tell him softly. And I’m not. I believe that he has been honest with me. But it isn’t just what he’s said so far, it’s the way he moves, the way he holds himself. The way he steps aside so I can walk ahead of him. The subtle glances he keeps giving me, checking to see if I’m uncomfortable or scared. I just… Know. I don’t need to be scared of Blake. Besides, it’s the stuck-up, bossy types who usually cause trouble. The ones who rely on charm and popularity to make other people miserable. Blake doesn’t fit that at all.
Blake and I reach the cafeteria and get in line for food. It doesn’t take long, and soon we’re carrying our plates toward a small table tucked off to the side. The second we sit, I can hear the whispers start up again, hushed voices, quick glances, not at all subtle pointing. I force myself to ignore them and dig into my pasta salad. Blake is already halfway through some kind of chicken dish when he suddenly pauses and looks up at me.
“Do you dislike meat?” He asks, studying me with those strange, beautiful golden eyes. His tone is curious rather than judgmental, and it takes me a second to realise this is the first time he’s initiated a conversation. Progress!
“I don’t dislike it.” I say with a shrug and a smile.
“I eat it sometimes, but it’s not my first choice. Why do you ask?” I say conversationally. Blake drops his gaze to the table, expression thoughtful.
“I was trying to work out what kind of Shifter you might be.” He admits.
“You said you don’t know. I’ll stop if it bothers you.” He sounds apologetic… But also definitely reluctant to stop. I shake my head quickly.
“Oh, no way, go right ahead. I have no clue, and I don’t know enough about shifters to even make a decent guess. Any insight you have is welcome. It’s super weird attending a school for magical creatures when I genuinely thought I was human. I still feel human, but maybe I don’t even know what being human feels like since apparently I’m not one…” I trail off. The confusion has been swirling in my chest since the moment that bird dropped the letter on my bedroom floor. Blake nods once.
“Okay, good. Not the confusion part obviously, just the part where you don’t mind me investigating.” He takes a moment to assess me again.
“Well, you’re not a pack creature, so not a wolf. You eat meat, so we can rule out complete herbivores. You don’t NEED meat, so you’re probably not mostly carnivorous like me. You don’t seem aggressive enough for predatory creatures, but you’re not shy either. I really don’t know what to make of it.” He lists off.
“Woah, I think that’s the most words you’ve said at once. You’ve really thought about this, haven’t you?” I say, eyebrows lifting. Blake shrugs.
“You’re like a puzzle. And dragons love riddles.” He adds.
“Glad I can entertain you.” I tease.
“Now, where were we before… Maidens… Oh! Treasures. Do you seriously have a hoard of treasure?” I ask curiously. Blake smirks, actually smirks, and looks ridiculously proud of himself.
“Of course. I have lots of treasures. I keep them safe.” He says smugly. He pauses.
“Maybe I’ll show you someday.” He adds, almost casually. My smile stretches wider. Something about how he says that makes it sound like an enormous deal.
“Awesome.” I say.
“Okay, last topic. Burning down villages. Really?” I ask, tilting my head. Blake frowns, and for a moment I swear his golden eyes glow brighter.
“They should know better than to try and take a dragon’s treasure.” He says, voice dropping into something low and dangerous, a near-growl that prickles across my skin. I stare. Wow. Okay. That’s… Intense.
“Right. Note to self, don’t steal your stuff or risk a fiery death.” I mutter. Blake shrugs like it’s obvious.
“I haven’t burned anyone.” He tells me. He doesn’t say it, but I can practically hear the unspoken ‘yet.’ As in, he absolutely WOULD burn a place down if someone stole from his hoard. Which is… A little terrifying. But also? Kind of understandable. I mean, who would be stupid enough to steal from a dragon?