Chapter Six
Vaughn shook his head. "Absolutely not."
Avalon picked out a sapphire necklace and tried it on. "It's the end of the semester. We're practically the only ones that are staying for summer school. I want to go and say goodbye to my friends. It's been four months since the ironide incident and I'm bored."
"The more time that goes by and the less vigilant we are, the more likely the assassin will strike again."
"Who is it? Tell me who wants me dead and then I'll think you're not paranoid," Avalon a raised brow at the dragon, who flushed and looked away, his expression unhappy. "That's what I thought. You know what I think? I think you're just jealous and you don't want me making out with any of the hot guys that are going to be there."
Vaughn's face went the same color as his hair. "That is not true!"
"Because that's exactly what I plan to do. I'm going to find a guy and we're going to make out. And if things go well we're going to find a room and do a little more than making out. In the morning he won't remember my name, I won't remember his and if he comes back for fall we won't even remember who the other is and it will be all fine."
Vaughn's jaw dropped and he stared in horror.
Avalon began applying her lipstick. "Going to call me a slut now?"
"I… no!" Vaughn spluttered for a long moment. "But what if you choose the assassin?"
"There is no assassin!"
"There is an assassin! And if you go to this party I am going to be right by your side at all times, including if you go find a room!"
"I didn't know you were into that sort of thing," Avalon said nastily, then regretted her tone. "It's not that I want to make your job harder. And I probably won't end up doing that. I'm just bored and—"
"Horny?"
It was Avalon's turn to blush. "Maybe, yeah."
How could I not be when I'm stuck in such close proximity with you all the time?
"It's been a couple years since my boyfriend broke up with me, and… And I guess I'm really just a little lonely. I've never had a one night stand and I don't really want to start now but I just… I want to be able to just cut loose for a few hours and not worry about being in control."
Vaughn stepped closer, looking at her seriously. "Avalon, you've been working hard. I understand that. But putting yourself in danger like this isn't the way to relax."
"I'm not in danger."
"How many people know you're staying for the summer? Now would be the prime time to target you, while everybody is letting loose and getting too drunk to notice when suspicious things happen."
The urgency of his voice made Avalon hesitate. She cast a glance in the mirror. Blue sequined top paired with tight black slacks. She looked fantastic! No guy at Elsa's dance would be able to resist her.
But she didn't want any of those guys, anyway.
She wanted Vaughn. He didn't want her, though, that was obvious. So she had decided to move past him, find some other guy to quell her physical urgings.
But she didn't want a one-night stand. She just wanted to move on from this hang up she had. If Vaughn was going to be her bonded dragon one day, her protector for life, then she couldn't have this simmering desire for him. It would screw her up for the rest of her life.
Tonight might not be the best time to try to force herself to move on, though.
"Fine," she relented. "I'll tell Elsa I'm feeling sick and can't go."
Vaughn put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. This means a lot to me."
Looking at him, Avalon was almost overcome by the desire to kiss him. So she hurriedly turned away and tried to think instead of the five steps of making a dreamless sleep potion to distract herself.
***
The vase exploded when Avalon tried to wrap a shield around it. She shrieked, hiding her face as shards of glass flew at her. Vaughn was there in an instant, shielding her with a pillow.
The glass didn't get quite that far, but a scratch of Avalon's cheek showed where Vaughn had been a little too slow the previous day and he wasn't taking any chances.
"I'm getting worse!" Avalon waved her hand at the shattered glass, banding it back together as a vase.
Why couldn't fighting magic come as easily to her as everyday grooming or housekeeping tasks? The vase was soon back on the small table, no indication that it had been broken in the first place.
"Let's take a break from this," Vaughn suggested. "Let's work on levitating while fighting hand-to-hand."
"I'm tired. I don't want to do this anymore."
Avalon grabbed a towel, checking it for glass shards before she mopped the sweat off her face. It had been a week since the end of the last semester and the new one was meant to start again in a couple of days. But all throughout the break she had been distracted and couldn't control either her earth or fire magic.
It was worse than ever and Avalon just wanted to run away, find a hole in the ground and become a hobbit.
"What's holding you back?"
"If I knew, don't you think I'd be able to figure this out?" Avalon glowered at him, though she knew he was just trying to help.
Vaughn's expression was just as frustrated as hers and he beckoned her with one finger to join him on a bench. Avalon reluctantly did so. Tears pricked her eyes.
"I just don't know how I'm going to do this," she whispered.
"You just need to use your strengths. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, hold it… now release," his hand touched hers. "Tell me what you're thinking."
"I wish I'd gone to Elsa's dance," she blurted. "I'm angry at you for not letting me go."
Vaughn's jaw dropped. Avalon flushed. She knew she had no right to still be angry over that, but it was as close to the truth as she could say out loud.
"Avalon, I didn't want you to go because—"
"Because of the danger. I know. I know, but I had… reasons for wanting to go. And I just feel like if I had been able to go, I might have been able to—" She cut herself off before she could say “get over you.” That wasn't a confession she wanted to make right now.
Vaughn was silent for a long moment. Eventually, his hand moved over hers and squeezed. "I may have been overly cautious–okay, paranoid." That half-smile was back, looking smug even though he had nothing to be smug about. "I just… I could never live with myself if something happened to you because I wasn't careful enough. It's more than just my duty, Avalon. I…"
Avalon's breath caught in her chest. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Her heartbeat increased and her hand in his suddenly felt clammy. She wanted him to say the words so badly…
"My life depends on your safety. I couldn’t live if anything happened to you," he grinned suddenly, eyes twinkling. "Uncle Stane would kill me. Now come on, break's over."
Avalon's heart fell as quickly as it had risen. Her shoulders slumped and she dragged herself off the bench, trying to ignore the pit of disappointment sinking into her stomach.