"And then Cara changed and showed me her dragon form! She was this big!" Omari stretched his arms out as far as they could go and looked at them. "Even bigger than this!"

I laughed, transferring more fruit to his plate. "Eat the strawberries," I said.

He lowered his arms and happily stuffed his face. He was looking much better than he had just a couple of days ago. The gray tinge to his skin was gone and he had more energy than ever. He didn't lag anymore when the sun went down, either.

He was still spending most of his days up on the roof soaking in the sun, which Hathai had suggested—turned out she was a nurse who had some experience with children. It might have been why she'd been assigned to us in the first place. Some of the dragon children had started venturing out on the roof now, curious about who was up there. The guards were still very careful, staying close to us when their own children came near Omari or me. Not that I blamed them.

Omari had blossomed under the attention of the handful of children brave enough to wander up to him. At first, I was afraid they would be unkind, but they weren't. They were sure to include Omari in their games. Then I was afraid they'd change and fly off, leaving Omari out, but then I found out that dragons were only able to really fly after they turned eight. The young kids could glide if they jumped off the building and landed safely, but they weren’t yet strong enough to lift themselves using only the power of their wings.

In the last day or so, Cara had emerged as his favorite. All the kids would come up to the roof and play together, but Omari tended to stay next to his new friend. I was glad he was doing better, but I wasn't sure about the emerging friendships. I was happy that he had children to play with, but the longer we stayed, the harder it would be for him to leave.

I hadn't pushed about leaving yet because I was worried about Omari. Tomorrow or the next day, he would be in good enough health to travel again. And then I would have a decision to make.

Someone hired Santiago to find a way to get Omari back to phoenix territory. So, logically, he must have a family who wanted him. Or maybe the phoenixes were just good about looking after their own kind.

But Ashur was also right about the fact that Omari was in the city dome for a reason. Why would someone have brought him there unless they were trying to protect him? That was exactly why my own mother brought me to the dome to live among the humans. She thought it would be safer to stay out of contact with dragons and phoenixes.

Our lives there hadn’t been easy, and mine wasn’t now. I had to be careful always, had to hide parts of myself to make sure that I wasn't discovered. Had to lie to everyone, even the people closest to me.

It was one of the reasons why I didn't have friends.

When I was younger, I would make them, but I wasn't much of a joiner to begin with. Having to keep such a large secret made it difficult to maintain friendships. On top of that, my mom didn't really encourage those kinds of connections. I understood as I grew older.

The more close friends I had, the more likely I was to reveal who I was to them.

And mom always told me the only person you could trust with yourself was yourself. As I got older and more experienced, I understood why she had come to such a hard conclusion about people in general. And despite that care and sacrifice, I was still found out.

No, life in the city dome wouldn't be easy for Omari either. He would have to learn to be more closed off, to be more careful. To be less himself. Didn't I owe him a chance to be himself? Didn't I owe it to him to at least go and see if it was the place for him?

He was too young to really know what it was like to not truly belonging anywhere. Even when I thought I was just part dragon and human, I didn't belong among either group. Now that I knew I was also part phoenix, I was somehow even more isolated. Part of everyone but belonging to no one.

I responded to Omari's happy chatter while he ate, but the whole time I worried, wondering what the best course of action was. My thoughts and Omari's stream of consciousness were both interrupted by a knock at the door. Raising my eyebrows, I stood up to open it.

Who would be knocking on our door right now?

I opened it and looked out, not seeing anybody.

"Hello," came from a few feet below my eye level. I looked down into Cara's big brown eyes, a cute bob highlighting the roundness of her cheeks. Today, she was dressed in a bright yellow pair of shorts, a pink t-shirt with a cheery yellow sun and white sneakers with yellow laces on her tiny feet.

"Hello," I said, smiling at her.

She twisted her hands behind herself and shuffled her feet. "Can Omari come out to play?" she asked hopefully.

"Can I?"

Light running steps behind me were almost muted by the carpet as Omari hurried to the door. "Hi Cara! Can I go out and play?" he asked again, his eyes big as he looked up at me.

I look back and forth between the two large pairs of hopeful eyes. Cuteness overload. I smiled, shaking my head. I didn't stand a chance.

"All right."

He let out a whoop and ran out into the hall with Cara. "Make sure you stay out in the sun! Take your shirt off!"

"I will!" he yelled over his shoulder as they ran to the elevators.

Laughing to myself, I closed the door and sat down on the couch.

Without Omari in the room, quiet settled around me. I was really alone. Was I already getting used to having him around? Used to having his chatter fill the space around me, his quick smile, his enthusiastic bear hugs? If so, I was being very stupid. He wasn't mine to keep. And my life wasn't meant for a child anyway.

Maybe it never would be.

Sighing, I stood up.

I could just sit in the room and mope, feeling sorry for myself. Or I could go outside. Maybe to the car my employer had so graciously provided. All my stuff was still in there. The clean pair of sweats and the t-shirt I had on were courtesy of the guest clothing in the closet, but it would be nice to have my own things.

Maybe I could do some reconnaissance while I was out there.

I slipped my feet into my boots and left the room, closing the door behind me. The carpet sank under my feet as I traced the same path the children had just taken. As I looked around, I still couldn't get over how much money was spent on this building. The sconces, the carpeting, the paintings, the wallpaper—even the air freshener smelled expensive. Some kind of citrus and herb mix.

I stopped at a painting of a lush forest that I passed every day. A river flowed through the center, with the sun sparkling on it. I took a step closer to get a better look. The variations of green, from dark and rich to light and bright, the white edges of the water that indicated rushing motion, the clear blue of the sky... It was beautiful. It made me want to step right into the painting and revel in my surroundings.

But nothing like that was left on Earth anymore. Not after all we had done to it.

I stood and admired the beauty that once was, keenly aware of the loss of it. Shaking my head, I stepped away. Dreaming of what could have been was no use. It was one of the mottos I lived by.

Life was too painful otherwise.

When I reached the elevator, Enzi stepped up smoothly next to me. I had wondered where he'd gone. There had been a guard on me the whole time I had been here. I would do the same in their shoes. Not that I had my own palace where I could invite strange guests…err, well prisoners to stay. Though that would be pretty awesome.

"Hey," I greeted him as I stepped into the elevator.

He followed me in. "Hello. Where are you off to?" he asked nonchalantly, but his eyes were sharp.

I pressed the button for the first floor.

"I want to go take a look at my car," I said. "Is that okay?"

He hesitated but then nodded. "That's fine. I just have to come with you."

Fair enough. We were silent as we descended.

"Omari seems to be adjusting well," Enzi commented.

I nodded. "Yes." I looked over at him. "It isn't a problem that he's playing with other kids, is it?"

"No," he said. "He's just a child. And if it were a problem, we wouldn't have let them up on the roof in the first place."

True. And they also had an eye on the children the whole time to make sure nothing bad happened. I'd noticed the discreet tail before.

The doors opened into the front lobby, and again the detailed carvings and the chandelier drew my admiring eyes. As we walked through it, I wondered what it was like to grow up like this. Wealthy. Powerful. Secure.

"Was Ashur's father the Dragon Lord before him?" I asked as our footsteps echoed through the large room.

There were people hanging around now because it was daytime, and I could see the sideways glances they sent my way. I stared back and they looked away. I had the sudden urge to say boo.

"No," Enzi said. "Do you think we're a monarchy?" he asked, sounding offended.

I shrugged. "I don't know what you are," I said honestly. "It isn't like we're taught much about Phoenix and Dragon political structures in the city domes."

"You aren't? But that's ridiculous! We're taught about human culture and city dome politics in elementary school."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you. We mostly just get a dose of how dangerous you are and why we need to be separated from you."

He shook his head, looking irritated. "Figures," he muttered. "Humans."

We stepped onto the bustling street. It wasn't nearly as crowded as I was used to streets being in the dome. The fact that there was basically no automobile traffic helped. Other than the wideness of the streets and the slightly different styles people wore—more loose and light colors, which made sense in the desert—I could've been in the city dome. Well, except for the fact that the sun was beating down on us.

"I don't have any idea where I'm going, by the way," I admitted. "Feel free to lead the way."

Enzi chuckled and took a step in front of me. "Your car was moved to one of the garages," he explained. He walked me down a block and then turned into what looked like a standard parking garage. I guess there wasn't really any better way to store cars.

I was surprised to find ones I recognized, familiar makes and models, along with more exotic ones. Enzi saw me looking.

"Ashur likes cars," he explained as he led me to the back corner. "There's a level of just motorcycles too."

"Must be nice to be the Dragon Lord," I muttered.

"It is," Enzi agreed. "But he works his ass off for it. He's the reason why our skein is doing so well in the first place. He has a head for business and the strength to keep everyone in line, keep everything stable."

"Keep everybody in line?" I asked.

"Yes." He frowned. "Dragons and phoenixes both have very territorial urges. If we didn't have someone strong at the helm, our instinct would be to overthrow him. So, even though our Dragon Lord is chosen through a consensus, there's a chance he won't stay in the position if he isn't strong enough."

I blinked. "Must make elections pretty exciting," I said finally.

He grinned. "You have no idea."

We reached the small tank that was my car and Enzi opened the driver's side door for me. "Sweet ride, by the way," he commented as I crawled inside.

"Thanks. It's just a loaner," I clarified.

"Ah."

I grabbed my bag and my eyes fell on my bows. They might take it as a sign of aggression if I just carried them around, but... I took them as well. I figured Enzi would tell me if I couldn't bring them up. I left the extra knives, but I took the sword. I wouldn't reasonably be able to fight my way out if I had to, but having a few more weapons would make me feel better.

When I stepped back out, Enzi's eyebrows went up.

"Planning on murdering us in our sleep on your way out?" he asked dryly.

I shook my head. "I know I wouldn't make it," I said honestly.

I now knew exactly how secure they kept the perimeter. Even if Omari hadn't screamed, I was sure they'd have known we were there anyway by the time we hit the city. Maybe the people Jacob had heard about succeeding had gone through territories where the dragons weren't as vigilant.

Enzi nodded. "You wouldn't," he agreed. "But I don't know if Ashur is going to be okay with you having that much weaponry inside."

I sighed. I tried.

"It was worth a shot," he said, echoing my thoughts with a grin. "Where should I–"

A blaring alarm sounded, interrupting what he was going to say. I winced, covering one ear with my shoulder because my hands were full.

"What's that?" I yelled over the racket.

Enzi's face was grim. "We're being attacked!"

That's when the screams started. And the roars.

Cursing, Enzi turned and ran back the way we'd come from, straight to the street. I ducked into the car and strapped the extra knives and my sword to myself. Then I grabbed only the compound bow I used for long distances, along with my quiver.

But then I hesitated. It wasn't really my place to help them defend against anyone. And this was a perfect distraction. I could grab Omari and run, take him to the phoenix territory. But first I needed to find him. I ran out the way we'd come in, Enzi already long gone. When I reached the street exit, I slowed down and looked out.

People were running in all directions, seeking shelter in the buildings, clutching children, older people. Trying to get the noncombatants out of the way.

Hathai ran down the street, her face grim, her attention on the sky above. She crouched down and burst into her dragon form, a beautiful matte gold with a darker ring around her neck. She launched herself off the street in a powerful surge, her wings flapping hard enough that the gust of wind pushed me back.

I chanced a look up.

The air was filled with dragons, the golden-hued ones that I was used to seeing, but also ones with lavender-tinted scales, their mouths open as they shot fire.

I watched as one of the attacking dragons made a beeline for Hathai, breathing fire as it flew. It clawed at her wings with its talons before she'd had a chance to fully get her bearings.

My heart was in my throat as I watched. Come on, Hathai.

She tore herself free, leaving small rents in her wings, firing back just as harshly as she rose in the sky. But she was hurt, her wings a little off from the tears. It was clear the moment she decided she wasn't going down alone.

I held my breath as Hathai angled her body and shot right at the dragon who'd attacked her. They slammed onto the street in front of me, the ground cracking underneath from the impact. Hathai was on top of the purple one, both of them clawing and biting at each other.

They were occupied. I could run right past, back to Ashur's building where Omari was.

The lavender one lurched and rolled, shoving the golden one underneath it.

Shit.

I hesitated for another moment. I remembered Hathai watching over Omari, her face soft.

"Fuck," I muttered.

I pulled out my release and looped it over my hand. I took one of the arrows out of my quiver. They were formed to puncture the thick hides of dragons and cut through phoenix plumage. I'd never used them to do that, but I practiced constantly.

Something about focusing on a target and trying to hit it was always calming to me. Even now, as I nocked the arrow, clicked it into place, and pulled back on the string, my eye focused on the sights and my heart beat slowed, my breathing evening out.

Stilling my body, I aimed. I didn't know how well these arrows worked on an actual dragon so I needed to aim at a vulnerable spot. The eye was a good bet.

I waited until the lavender dragon reared back, opening its mouth to bite. Got it. I tapped the release.

The purple dragon's eye sprouted an arrow.

Bull's-eye.

It went limp almost immediately. The arrow was embedded in the brain. It may not have been dead, but it was definitely incapacitated.

My stomach rolled but I pushed past it. This wasn't a game. They were the ones that had attacked.

Hathai looked over at me and nodded her large head in acknowledgment. Then she launched herself into the air to rejoin the fight in the sky, wings apparently judged good enough.

I needed a better vantage point. I ran down the street, hugging the side of the building as closely as I could. I hoped I wouldn't be fried before I got back to Ashur's. I ducked as another dragon fell into the building across from me, crumbling the front of it with the impact. Its golden scales glimmered as it struggled to rise from the rubble.

The smart thing to do would have been to take cover and wait this out. It was too dangerous to drive the car out. The dragons would have gotten Omari to a safe place. I wasn't going to be able to change the tide of this fight.

I kept moving. This may have been one of the stupidest things that I'd ever done. Though the last week or so had certainly been a doozy. There were so many stupid things to choose from.

I winced as a tunnel of flame engulfed the dragon that had hit the building.

It was so hot that it almost singed me from this far away. The yellow and orange of the fluid-like stream of fire was fascinating. Dragons were resistant to heat, but not to such a direct flame for such a prolonged period of time. Just like the armor on the car.

But the only way to get a good shot at the dragon who was burning the golden one was to walk out into the street.

Out into the open.

Nope. I wasn't that stupid.

I watched my own feet as they turned and walked out into the street.

Okay. Maybe I was.