My eyes were locked on the side of his face as he turned back to the street below.

Nothing changed outwardly, but it was like I was standing completely naked. My heartbeat was fast, my mouth was dry, and I was frozen in place.

"That's none of your business," I finally said. "And no, you can't argue that it is this time."

He shrugged and turned to me, his blue eyes calm and watchful. "You've never been around dragons before, have you?" he asked after a moment.

I stayed silent.

"I can smell it on you, you know." His eyes scanned my face. "I knew even before you came out into the sun."

I swallowed, unable to look away from his direct gaze. "Smell what?"

"That you're not human." He frowned at me a little. "Or at least not all human."

He could smell it on me? No wonder everyone had been sniffing at me so weirdly. I had no idea a dragon's sense of smell was so acute. Spending my entire life in the city dome had left me at a real disadvantage. No wonder my mom didn't want me leaving.

I was so worried about my skin giving me away, I hadn't even considered my scent. I looked down at my arm. I had a rose-gold sheen to my skin, though it wasn't nearly as apparent as Ashur’s golden shine. At certain angles, he looked like he was made of the warm metal.

"You didn't know I could smell it on you?" he asked curiously.

"No." There was no point in denying it now.

"So, was it your mother or your father who was phoenix? And which side was dragon?"

I must have misheard him. "What?"

He straightened, keeping one hand on the railing. "Which side was which?"

"I...I'm part dragon. My mother was mixed. But I'm not phoenix." I'd always assumed my father must also have been at least part dragon.

Ashur took a step towards me. I stood completely still as he leaned in and took in another breath, this time close to my neck. When he exhaled, his hot breath sent tingles down my spine. My hands clenched into fists. He finally straightened, shaking his head.

"I'm not mistaken," he said confidently, watching my face. "You're also part phoenix." He took my wrist in hand and stretched my arm out, the contact sending a jolt through me. "Just look at your skin if you don't believe me. It isn't gold like a dragon or copper like a phoenix, but a shade somewhere in between. The shine is dimmer due to the human aspect, but the tone is unmistakable."

I shook my head, pulling my arm away from the callused heat of his hand and looking away from him to the city, though I wasn't really seeing anything.

"That's not possible," I said, even as doubt seeped in. "My mom would have told me. And I know phoenixes and dragons can't stand each other."

He watched me, thoughts running through his eyes. "True enough. But do you really believe intermingling has never happened? We didn't always used to be so separated. And in the end, we're all just people." I didn't know how to answer that. "Where is your mother now?" he continued.

I swallowed, tightness in my eyes and my throat. It would be really nice to have her to talk to right now. Someone I could confide in.

"She's dead," I said. An awkward pause followed, one I was familiar with since childhood.

"I'm sorry," Ashur offered, his voice softer now.

I shrugged. "It's been a long time." I liked to say that when people heard about my mother. Even though the truth was, it still seemed like yesterday. I didn't want to betray that vulnerability if I could help it.

"Maybe she was waiting to tell you until you grew older," he suggested gently.

"Hmmm." Mom never answered any of my questions. I didn't know if age would have changed that about her. But I was stronger and more assertive now. Maybe it would have made a difference. Not that I would ever know.

"Look," he continued, reaching out to touch my arm again lightly. "I'm not bringing this up for no reason. Your scent is very unusual. Any dragon and any phoenix, if they get close enough to you, will pick up on the fact that you're part phoenix, dragon, and human. I know I don't have to tell you how rare that is. The fact that you have such a significant amount of all three that I could scent them so clearly, means that you can't hide it. Not out here. Maybe among humans who can't smell worth shit," he added with a touch of derision.

"Watch it," I said mildly, though I wasn't really offended. "I'm part human too."

His lips tilted in a small smile. But it faded as he regarded me. "The only reason I'm bringing this up is because you're planning on taking that child to phoenix territory. Is that a good idea?"

I sighed. Not really. "It doesn't matter if it's a good idea. It's the job I accepted and the job I have to carry out."

He stared, his face stoic. "You shouldn't have taken the job."

"I didn't have a choice."

"Of course you did."

I didn't owe him an explanation. But maybe this was part of the reason he was keeping us here. "I have to take Omari to phoenix territory. His family is there."

"Are they?" he countered. "If they cared so much, why isn't he with them already? Why did he end up with you? I'm assuming you were in the city dome directly south of here, correct?"

I nodded. That wasn't a secret.

He continued. "I know you were trying to drive through our territory at night to avoid contact, so you had some reason to be wary of dragons. I'm not saying that instinct was wrong.” He paused for a long moment, his eyes far away, looking over the city to the horizon. “Do you know anything about phoenixes? Because they're much worse than dragons. Harsher. Especially their king." His mouth tightened. "It must run in their line, that thread of cruelty."

I frowned. "Harsher in what way?"

"In every way," he said, his face grim. "Harsher with their children, much harsher with outsiders. The idea of purity that started the war didn't disappear after it ended. If you'd attempted to travel through phoenix territory like you did mine, they wouldn't have hesitated at seeing the child. They would've killed you on sight."

I had the urge to point out that that was exactly what I'd feared would happen in his territory. Maybe his own suspicion was unfounded. But I shouldn't mention that. Hey, maybe as I got older I was actually learning how to watch my tongue.

"Are you sure you're not biased?" Or maybe not.

His face hardened. "You can choose to believe me or not," he said, his expression more distant now. "I have no reason to lie to you. And this isn't anything beyond a friendly warning."

"Consider me warned," I returned just as coolly.

He nodded once and stepped away. I watched his back as he disappeared through the door then I turned back to the view. Way to alienate the one person whose mercy we were at right now. Real smart move. In my defense, he'd completely blindsided me with this conversation, and it had left me uncomfortable and unsettled. What did any of this mean? Did it change anything really?

If I was part dragon or part phoenix, or both, that didn't change the fact that I was probably safest in the city dome where I didn't have a lot of interaction with either. Especially now that I knew both phoenixes and dragons would know that I was partially their blood just by scent. I was under no illusions that my mother was living in a city dome among humans because that was what she wanted in life. There was no other reason for us to be there other than for protection.

If what Ashur said about the phoenixes was accurate, should I take Omari there? Why would I be hired to transport him if there wasn't someone there who wanted him, who cared about him?

This wasn't a job I’d sought out, but now it was more than a job. I was involved way beyond a professional level. If I didn't take Omari to the final destination, Santiago would be sure to rat me out. However, if it was between protecting myself or Omari, there wasn't a contest. For better or worse, I was in charge of his safety. He couldn't protect himself yet.

I shook my head, bending over to rest my head in my hands, bracing my elbows on the railing. Somehow, this had turned into an even-more-complicated mess than it already was.

"Mia?"

I turned at Omari's voice to find him sitting up in bed, looking for me.

"I'm right here," I called out, hurrying over to him. His relieved smile when he saw me pulled at my heart in a way nothing really had for a long time. For good or bad, I was well and truly emotionally invested.

As I sat down next to Omari and hugged him back when he reached for me, I was more conflicted than ever.

What should I do?

What was the right thing to do?