Chapter 4

A hand slammed down on the desk, crumpling the paper right above the brow of the character. Wynn jumped slightly before anger simmered under the surface. If he could look in a mirror, his ears would be red. Even his siblings didn't touch any of his work. He had nearly broken Franco's hand once because he placed his hand over a charcoal painting and had nearly smeared it. Wynn didn't play when it came to his artwork.

He looked up. Jarrod Wainscott smiled down at him. His sea green eyes twinkled, but Wynn couldn't tell which emotion was behind it. He had been warned about Jarrod; both by the people who wanted to be his friends and his gut. He wanted to believe everything everyone had said, but he also wanted to see the good in some people. Those who messed with his work weren't high on the receiving end of that spectrum.

As he looked at him, Wynn thought he saw something. He couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but it was something regal. Maybe what was transpiring between everyone was a battle of regality instead of hostility. But what he couldn't figure out was why they were acting like total snot heads over something so trivial.

Jarrod's hand settled over Wynn's that held the drawing pencil. The other boy looked down. The skin touching his did nothing but warm his knuckles. Wynn flexed his hand, testing to see if Jarrod would tighten his fingers and trap him. He didn't; instead he drummed his fingers but they rested loosely over Wynn's. It was as if he were waiting on something.

Turning his shoulders so he could get a full view, Wynn's head rested against Jarrod's shoulder. The taller boy turned his head to look at him. Their gazes met, and Wynn tried to understand what the others had said. So far all he saw was a boy who liked to bully kids simply because he could. Fortunately, Wynn didn't bully easily.

"Is there something you want?" he asked. There was a stutter that accompanied his lisp. It made his voice waver over something that he wasn't upset over.

Jarrod smiled, white teeth gleaming in the fluorescent lighting. "I'm just curious. Why do you keep drawing fairy tale creatures during class? Are you not interested in what it actually means? Or would you rather be oblivious?"

Talking in circles had always been Helena's way of getting his attention. Wynn had always hated it. It had never ended well because they had always gotten into a fight. One time he had cut his sister's hair so she would tell him where she had hidden his sketchbook. It had been in the back garden by the cherub fountain.

Where he had left it.

His mother had given him a good whipping then had sent him to bed without his favorite dessert. He had cursed Helena all the way up to the bathroom, throughout his shower, and all the way to his room. The next morning he hadn't been any happier. But he had learned then that talking in circles only made him angry.

Even now he hated it.

Wynn turned in his chair until his knees were resting between Jarrod's and tilted his head until he was looking him dead in the eye.

"If you're trying to tell me something, say it out loud and don't be vague. I hate when people talk around a topic instead of just saying it," he said.

"You sit in class and draw dragons all day. Do you have any idea why?" Jarrod asked.

Wynn shrugged. "I just like dragons. Every good fantasy has them. Even J.R.R. Tolkien said it's simply not an adventure worth telling if there aren't any dragons. So what if I like to draw them? It has no meaning to you. Now if you're done, I'll get back to work." He turned back to his desk.

Jarrod sniffed, ran his finger under his nose then grabbed Wynn's chair. He spun the other boy around until he was facing him again. Their faces were mere inches apart, so close their breaths intermingled. Wynn stared at him with mouth gaping in shock, giving Jarrod ample opportunity to press in closer.

"Do I concern you?" Jarrod mused. Wynn shifted his head to the left. His captor obviously followed, pressing his mouth against Wynn's ear. "You must be upset. I have that effect on people. They ignore me for some time but eventually they come around to me."

Wynn pushed against him. "Please. Stop."

The taller boy smiled, a devilish tilt of the mouth that clearly signaled nothing good. "It's all right. Everyone knows. I won't hurt you."

"Stop!" Wynn's lisp was very prominent when he was scared. He was certainly scared now.

He fought against Jarrod in the empty classroom. He knew he was no match for him, but he had to try. He wasn't going to be taken advantage of by a rich kid who thought he could do whatever he wanted, but Jarrod outweighed him by a good fifty pounds. He would have to get him off balance before he could do anything about getting away.

Wynn caught Jarrod's arm as he gripped Wynn's blazer and bit him. He felt the skin break, and a metallic taste dribbled into his mouth. Jarrod bellowed and struck him across the face with his free hand. Wynn reeled backwards, cracking his head on the desk behind him.

His head swam and black spots dotted his vision as he sat up, but it was clear enough to see a blond head come around the corner. Jarrod turned quickly only to be shoved backwards. It took Wynn a moment to regain his entire vision. When he did, he saw Jarrod and Gray standing toe to toe. Jarrod said something, and Gray's response was to punch him.

Wynn finally had enough place of mind to get up and get between them. He was jostled around a bit, but he finally separated them. They were all breathless as Wynn looked between the two.

"Have you lost your minds?" he demanded. He shifted his gaze from Gray to Jarrod and back again. "You can't be fighting in school."

"He shouldn't have pushed you," Gray growled.

Wynn caught him as he lunged for Jarrod again. "I'm okay! Don't put your future at risk because of me!"

"My future is set in stone. You don't have to worry about me," Jarrod quipped.

"That's still no reason to make fun of him!" Gray argued.

The taller darker headed boy looked at the blond. "I'm not making fun of him. I'm merely letting him know what to expect. He wouldn't be the first."

Wynn looked at Jarrod, well aware that his cheek was swollen from where he had been struck. "I'm not prone to anger, Jarrod, but what you have done today is inexcusable. My father and older brother have never treated me in such a manner, and neither will you. Do not ever think I will not retaliate next time you lay a hand on me. I held my temper today due to shock. If there is a next time, you will not be so lucky."

With every ounce of strength he could muster, Wynn grabbed his bag and strode from the room. His legs turned to mush and refused to hold him up as soon as he was far enough away from the classroom. For all his blustering, he didn't want either one of those boys walking out of the room to see him kneeling on the floor, hand covering his heart as it slammed in his chest and blood thundered in his ears.

He had never been so humiliated, and yet at the same time he had known Jarrod was posturing. He couldn't explain it, but deep down there was nothing Jarrod could do to hurt him. It had been like he had been prohibited from harming him. The only reason he had slapped him had been Wynn had surprised him by sinking his teeth into his flesh. He had been scared and had reacted as such, but the Wainscott boy hadn't been able to hurt him.

Why?

~~~

Gray stared at Jarrod, arms trembling at his side and hands balled so tightly that his knuckles were white. This wasn't the first time Jarrod had tried and/or had succeeded in swaying Gray had been close to. That person had left the state after being completely humiliated by the other boy's friends. The student had been harassed on multiple occasions that had resulted in no punishment happening. Even now Gray didn't speak to him or her due to it.

"Do you not have any remorse?" he wondered. "You could have killed him with a hit like that."

Jarrod shrugged. "He bit me."

Gray's shoulders tightened as anger pulsed through him. "You cornered him! Even animals fight back when cornered! And this isn't even the first time! Jarrod, you can't call people out like that. What if you had done some serious damage?"

The darker headed boy shook his head. It was an absentminded move that he was so used to doing it was almost second nature. "He'll survive."

Gray's eyes nearly bugged out. "You slapped him so hard he flipped over two chairs and hit his head on the desk. You're lucky it didn't break his neck or crack his skull."

Gray had been on his way to the classroom when he had heard Wynn cry out. He had run down the hall so fast if anyone had seen him all they would have seen was a blur of black and blond.

He had arrived at the door just as Jarrod had slapped Wynn. the other boy had tumbled over two chairs and had smashed his head on the first desk in the other aisle. The hit had been so hard that the desk had shot sideways into the wall then had bounced off and into the desk diagonal to it. That desk had collided with the teacher's desk. There was a dent in the metal frame of it that hadn't been there this morning.

Wynn had looked fine as he had stood between the two fighting boys, but Gray had seen the goose egg that had been steadily growing on the back of his head. Even his curls hadn't covered the redness of his noggin. The new kid hadn't been all right, but he had stood there like a man who hadn't been terrified or in pain.

Gray shook his head. "You were wrong for all of that, Jarrod. I overlook most of your transgressions but this one takes the cake. Don't mess with Wynn anymore."

"Oh, come off it!" Jarrod roared. "You're so keen on protecting everyone that you didn't stop to think that he could be tied to me."

"He isn't," the blond argued back. "Once you touched his skin you had to know."

"You don't know that! You don't know anything about him so you can't claim him."

"I didn't claim him. I merely stepped in when you started bullying him. He doesn't know about me, and he would be deeply concerned if it was you. Besides, I have a little bit of tact. I don't claim anyone without their consent, unlike you who takes whatever the hell he wants."

Jarrod surged forward and grabbed him by his lapels. Gray grabbed his wrists and squeezed tightly. They stared at each other, one set of eyes crystal blue while the others were sea green. They looked to be equal in strength and intensity.

That is until the blue eyes started to catch fire. The flames blazed a hot white over the blue as the owner started to change. Gray only allowed this to happen in desperate times. Or when he couldn't anymore control the pain or anger he was experiencing.

This was one of those times. As his anger blazed, Gray's skin morphed. His smooth flesh became patterned, taking the shape of interlocking seashells. His arms were still smooth, but anyone who looked at him would think it was textured.

As his skin changed, so did his face. His eyes sank into his face as his brow bones protruded prominently. They pulled closer together as his nose widened and lengthened. His nostrils started to point up, and it heightened his sense of smell. He could sense Jarrod's determination that masked his fear. He had never seen this side of any leader. His fear was so potent Gray could taste it, a sharp acidic flavor that filled every taste bud.

Cat eyes could see through his foe. Jarrod was very strong since he came from a pure family. But it didn't hide him from the power Gray wielded. The eyes always told how someone felt. And right now Gray was able to see it all.

Clear blue eyes saw it all through the slits of dragon's eyes. Cold and heartless, they watched every twitch and movement of the other boy's as they stood momentarily deadlocked. The oval orbs watched him struggle. They watched him tire briefly then the fire was built back up. Jarrod wasn't giving up, but Gray was far superior in this state.

He flinched once, and Jarrod went flying backwards. Just like he had sent Wynn flying. It gave Gray time to settle down. For some of his changes to return to their original form.

"You may have all the rage in the world, Jarrod, but it will do nothing for you in the long run," Gray said. His eyes still blazed as he watched the other boy pick himself up off the floor. "Don't bother Wynn anymore. You won't like the outcome."

Jarrod sat against the desk as Gray left him in the empty room. Very uncommon but a testament to the rage simmering in Gray, thunder echoed the blond's sentiments. He wasn't joking anymore, not that he ever did. If Wynn was under his protection after having been here for a mere two weeks, there was no way Jarrod was going to make it through that barrier. Thirteen people stood between him and the boy he wanted. The twelve that guarded Gray were the best of the best, chosen by their Elders to protect the Keeper. They weren't going to budge simply because he asked them.

He was just going to have to get through somewhere else.

~~~~~

Wynn sat with Helena in the library as his sister pressed ice to his swollen cheek. He had run into her on his way to the cafeteria for something to ease his swelling. She had nearly lost her temper when she had seen him, and it had taken Wynn nearly ten minutes to curb it. She had set all yelling aside when she had realized how much his face had hurt when he had spoken.

She had put him in the library while she had scurried to the lunch room. Luckily there hadn't been any classes that had needed the library so Wynn had sat by the window quietly. When Helena had returned, she had been strangely quiet but her strength hadn't subsided. She had shoved the ice right on his bruised cheek without preamble.

He hadn't said anything to her, but it hadn't been like she didn't know. She had always known her brother didn't fight unless provoked. Wynn also didn't invite conflict either. She had known what had happened without having to be told. He had also been certain the underclassmen would have heard the scuffle and yelling, and rumors would have already started without them having to see it. It had been a well-known fact that Jarrod had been picking on Wynn and Gray had put a stop to it.

"Do I need to call Mom?" Helena asked. She looked at the known on the back of his head and hissed. "You're lucky you're not shell-shocked. It looks like you hit pretty hard."

Wynn shook his head in a manner that didn't hurt. "No, don't call Mom. I'll be all right. There are only two classes left. It doesn't make sense to leave now."

Helena licked her lips but didn't say anything. He wasn't going to listen to anything she said. Whatever had caused the friction between her brother and Jarrod Wainscott was going to reside in Wynn's mind for however long he decided to keep quiet. That meant Jarrod was going to get Scott free from any punishment.

She watched her brother as he stared out the window once again. Quiet and steadfast, Wynn had never invited trouble to his doorstep. In fact he had done his best to keep it away from his family.

He had been bullied at their old high school in Tuscany for his sexual orientation, and their parents hadn't known about it until one family night. They had all shown up for one of Wynn's art showings, and another art student had poured a whole bowl of punch over Wynn while calling him a fag in the process. Wynn had calmly wiped the sticky red juice from his hair and face while their father and older brother had raised hell on his behalf.

No matter how much their father had grilled him, Wynn hadn't uttered the names of the others even though Helena had known as well. One look from him had silenced her on the matter. Though he didn't start fights with her, he had and still knew how to keep her from talking. And all it took was one look; one look from a set of eyes that seemed to have been far older than their then sixteen years.

Even now as he stared out the window, her big brother looked far older than he should. His brown eyes held a knowledge that only those in their seventies and eighties should know, but here was an eighteen-year-old who could probably tell the truth behind the mysteries of the world.

There was a commotion outside the wooden doors. The siblings turned to look just as it slammed open. Artie led a small group towards them. Helena recognized two of the girls as her classmates but the other two were complete strangers.

Wynn seemed to recognize them though. He waved them away as they tried to fuss over him. He started bantering with the red-headed girl and a boy that was platinum blond. They argued about who was wrong, but Wynn wasn't giving up. He had never liked being fussed over when he was sick. He was going to hate it now.

His lisp was much more pronounced as he raised his voice. "Artie! Leave me alone before I rip your ears off and show them to you!"

Artie laughed at what he thought was an empty threat. Helena couldn't tell him it was actually real. "I'm just trying to help."

She shook her head. "He doesn't like to be bothered when he's not feeling well."

The senior turned to argue with her. "He looks like he's gone twelve rounds with Mike Tyson. He needs someone to fuss over him."

"Leave him alone, Artie."

Wynn looked up to see Gray, Autumn, and another girl walk into the library. It gave Maggie ample time to put another ice pack on the back of his head. He couldn't be bothered about that though.

Something was off with Gray. He could see it in the way he walked. His skin was shining, a silver hue that made it glow in the fluorescent lighting. As he saw him, Wynn noticed the changes in his face. It was slight but they were there.

Forgetting all about his aches and pains, he got up and went to the newcomer. Gray stopped and flinched back as he reached for his face. The shorter boy's fingers were gentle as he felt the slightly protruding brow bones that Gray thought had receded. His fingertips skimmed over his cat eyes as they trailed down over his skin. They fluttered over his arms, but Wynn was muttering under his breath so he didn't notice the effect his touches had on Gray.

"Dragon scales… His skin is glowing. Why? What does it mean? I must draw it. I've seen it somewhere before. In a book? No, it was somewhere recent. Somewhere that…"

Wynn trailed off as he scuttled back across the library before anyone could ask what he was talking about. Gray looked at his sister. Helena was just as baffled. She shook her head at his questioning gaze then looked at her brother.

One thing was certain. He had heard the word dragon. Did Wynn know? Had he actually overheard one of their conversations when they had thought no one had been around. Did he know what they suspected him to be?

"Gray? Are you okay?" Autumn asked. She was his right hand in everything he did so it was no surprise when she picked up on his inconsistencies.

He nodded at her but his eyes were elsewhere. She knew this. "Is he always this strange?" Her question was directed at the one person who would know best.

"No," Helena argued. Her smile was kind and knowing when she finally looked at them. "He's got something on his mind. You'll never reach him until he's done. He locked himself in his room for days when he was working on a showing. My mother threatened to break down his bedroom door if he didn't come out. Even when he did, he was doodling on napkins. Mom had to hide any and all drawing utensils downstairs just so she could spend five minutes with him. This could take a few minutes or a few days."

Wynn's hand was furious as he drew in his ever present sketchpad. The book rarely left his side. Unless someone stole his things. Then he became an unholy terror. It was that terror

that Gray needed. He needed to know what Wynn knew.

"Helena," he said, "do you mind if I monopolize your brother for a while from here on out?"

The younger Esposito waved her hand dismissively. "Be my guest. He needs someone to shake him up."