Twenty-two

I screamed as Zargis lifted me over his shoulders and carried me away from Switch's house. He was unaffected by my fists and feet, but continued to carry me.

After his threat, Switch shot to his feet and pressed himself against the wall, letting Zargis haul me out of the house without a fight. I understood he was scared, but he could have done something.

Once we finally enter the castle, Zargis went to the throne room and dropped me onto the floor like a sack of potatoes. I scrambled away from him, half scared, half embarrassed. He leveled his threatening eyes on me and said in a low voice, "What do you think you were doing with that boy?"

I furrowed my brows. "I don't understand."

Zargis roared like a feral beast and stalked towards me. "You were kissing him! You were in his arms! You were in his house!"

I whimpered as I hit the wall behind me and he stopped a few paces away. "I was just spending time with him," I say, my voice shaking.

"That wasn't just spending time, Thelia!" Zargis growled. "That was intimate!"

I began to see where he was going and started my own glare. "I have the right to be with whoever! I do not have a claim!"

Zargis stepped towards me slowly now. "You may not be with anyone! I will kill the next person who touches you!"

"That's not fair!" I shouted. "I don't see any affection from you! So why the jealousy?"

His slap across my face came hard and so fast I didn't see it coming. The next thing I knew, Zargis changed. He went from man to dragon, from skin to scales, from nails to claws. I gasped and curled up into a ball, terrified of him for the first time in my life. His large black head tilted up and he roared with fury. I covered my ears, but nothing could stop the sound it was so loud.

I felt arms wrap around me and looked around to see Otreg pulling me away from Zargis. I clung to him, scared for my life, scared of Zargis, and terrified of dragons.

"Stay here!" Otreg ordered and I nodded, hiding behind the throne which we were near. He went towards Zargis with hands up, and I feared for him. "Zargis! Stop it now! Leash your anger before it's too late!"

Amber eyes leveled on Otreg in rage. Zargis growled from deep within.

"If you continue on, nothing will be resolved," he explained.

The beast, I thought, was going to give another roar, but then the eyes landed on me, shaking in fear of him.

The eyes softened and the dragon stepped towards me, almost whining like a puppy. I jerked behind the throne again, shaking, believing it was a trick. Then, "Thelia, come here, please."

I poked my head around and saw Otreg with his hand out to me. "I am not going near that thing!" I hissed.

I think the dragon flinched, but it was hard to tell. Otreg said, "It won't hurt you. Come here."

I narrowed my eyes. "Zargis already hurt me, Otreg! I don't want to be near him nor anyone else. I want to go back to Citron! I want to leave this place forever!"

"Thelia—" he started, but the dragon turned to man again.

"Otreg, don't." Zargis sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We set off in the morning. Pack whatever you want to take."

With that he walked out of the room.

Otreg walked over and helped me to my feet, then saw my face for the first time and sighed. "Let's get some ice, then to bed."

I walked with him to the kitchen where he grabbed some ice and told me to hold it to my face, then went to my room. He asked if I needed help with anything, but I shook my head. Otreg left and I was alone.

Zargis had hit me, turned into a dragon, then said I could go. He had acted like a jealous lover barging into Switch's home and claiming I couldn't be with anyone or he'd kill them. I was confused. I was hurt. I wanted to slap him back, or worse to make him realize just how much pain he caused me. Most of all, I was lonely and afraid.

I packed my little bag I brought from Citron's with two dresses, then I dressed for bed. Once I was curled up in the blankets, it took all my willpower not to cry. I closed my eyes and saw Zargis's menacing gaze on me, saw the way he wanted to rip me apart until I was scattered across the room. I wanted to be sick, but swallowed it down because I didn't have the energy to run to the bathroom.

It was almost dawn when I finally fell asleep.