The Dragon's Gem (18 page)

“Crap, that means we have to find Soran or Draco can’t come back,” she summed up.

“Exactly,” I answered with a frown.

“So how long before you’re blind again?” she asked as she started the car.

“I don’t know. This is the first time Draco has injected me with his blood.”

“What are you going to do now that he is gone?” she asked as she pulled out of the parking lot. I opened my bag and showed her the remaining vial
s of blood. “We need to get them to a refrigerator.”

“I have one in my room, in case I need a drink at night,” I told her.

“Then your house is the first stop on our list.” She put her foot down on the gas pedal and we sped towards home.

*****

“Aurora, you can’t go through with this,” Belynda said later that night as we sat in the garden, planning how best to get Melinda to admit she was with Soran the night he disappeared.

“I don’t have any other choice,” I told her
, resigned to making myself a target for the hate I knew I would endure once I followed through with my plan to help Draco. It wasn’t going to be easy. I knew Draco would be hurt and that many people wouldn’t understand but I knew if Melinda thought Draco and I were over, she would act in his defense and come forward to protect him. “Trust me, this is the only way.”

“No, I can’t let you do this, it isn’t fair,” she argued.

“And Draco being blamed for Soran’s disappearance is?”

“Well
, no, but…”

I cut her off. “What happens if Soran is never found and they blame Draco?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“They would kill him,” Max said from the
garden entrance, his fists tightened at his sides.

“I can’t allow that to happen,” I told them confidently.

“What do you have planned?” Max asked, taking a seat by my side. I explained my plan in detail and he listened solemnly. “I will tell Draco so he is prepared.”

I shook my head vehemently. “He can’t know
, Max. If he has any idea how much I still love him he won’t be able to stay away from me and then Melinda will never believe we are separated.”

“But…
”

I shook my head. “He can’t know. Promise me you won’t tell him,” I pleaded.

“This is a huge risk you’re taking,” he said, taking my hand and squeezing it tight. “It could backfire very easily.”

“I love Draco, and I would rather spend the rest of my life without him than have him killed for something I know he didn’t do.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said
, hugging me close.

“For now let’s get him home, then I can worry about th
e rest,” I told him, sounding more confident than I felt.

*****

I wasted no time the next morning following through with my plan. I was at my locker with Belynda and Ryan when I broke down in tears loudly voicing my concern that maybe Draco had been responsible for Soran’s disappearance. “I can’t believe I let him convince me he was innocent,” I wailed.

Belynda played along. “He
is
innocent,” she argued.

“Innocent people don’t run away
, they stay and face their problems,” I argued.

“Aurora
, you are upset, you don’t know what you’re saying,” Ryan said, obviously upset that I no longer believed in Draco’s innocence.

It killed
me to continue to lie and belittle Draco, but I went on, knowing it was for him that I was doing it. “I know exactly what I am saying, Ryan.” Melinda was staring at me and listening closely so I ramped it up. “I never want to see Draco again, he’s dead to me.”

“
But he’s your mate,” Ryan exclaimed.

“I told you before I don’t believe in
soul mates and I’m not one of you, so your whole mate thing is not binding to me.” I saw Melinda smile with delight before she turned to her friends and started gossiping about what she just heard.

Ryan just stared at me with disbelief and I felt tears welling in my eyes.
Belynda grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hall, berating me loudly the entire way for being faithless, but the moment we turned the corner, she shoved me into the bathroom out of everyone’s view, hugged me close, and allowed me to cry the tears I had been suppressing on her shoulder.

“Tell me I did the right thing,” I pleaded, my body shaking with the horror of what I had done.

“You did the only thing you could,” she murmured, patting my back as a fresh wave of tears flowed down my cheeks.

“Then why do I feel like the worst person in the world?”

“Because sometimes the right thing isn’t always the easiest thing,” she said sadly.

“Help me fix my face, I need to go out there and I don’t want anyone to know I was crying.” I turned to the sink and washed my
face then we reapplied my makeup and left the bathroom.

“We are going to be late,” Belynda said as we rushed down the hall, her holding my arm to keep others from realizing I could see quite well.

“I don’t really care, I just want this day to be over,” I muttered.

“Yeah
, me too,” she added as we reached the door to my first class.

*****
Draco
*****

The shrill ring of my phone pulled me from my thoughts as I stared out of the cave at the full moon outside. It had been days since I last saw Aurora, days of hiding amongst the shadows, searching for any sign of Soran, but always coming up empty. I was tired, frustrated, and missing my mate, a bad recipe for someone who could shift into a two-thousand-pound dragon in a blink. I grabbed the cell phone off the nightstand near the king-sized bed that the cave had been equipped with and growled a passable greeting into the receiver.

“I see you are in a good frame of mind,” my father said on the other end.

“Any news about Soran?” I asked. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk and wanted to get to the point.

“Ah, not quite, but we are still hoping Melinda will st
ep up and do the right thing,” he answered.

I snorted. “
Obviously you do not really know her if you believe that.”

“I think she might be a little more inclined to save your but
t these days,” he hedged.

I leaned against the
rough wall of the cave and frowned. “And why might that be?” I asked.

“I promised I wouldn’
t tell you.”

A sixth sense kicked in and I realized immediately that Aurora had done something. She was the only one I could see persuading him to keep a secret from me. “What did she do?” I growled.

“I promised not to tell, but I will say I completely agree with what she has done even though I know you won’t.”

In other words, I wasn’t going to be happy. “
I’m coming home,” I said.

“Not just yet
, son, give it a few more days.”

“Is she in danger?” I asked
, worry for Aurora making me willing to risk my own safety.

“Nah, she’s tough and your friends
have her back.” I knew my friends would protect her, but it was my responsibility and it went against the grain to let them. “Son,” he said, his tone serious. “Let her do this, and remember she has done what she needed to even though it has put her in an uncomfortable situation.”

“I’m not really in the position to
do anything else, am I?” I answered with a sigh. After a few more moments, we said our goodbyes and I hung up, but I wasn’t done with my phone. My fingers quickly moved over my speed dial and called the one person I knew would tell me exactly what was going on.

***
Aurora
***

Over the next few days, I became a virtual pariah at school and around town. Everyone whispered about me, and my lack of faith in Draco. Aside from the blues, who also blamed Draco, no one agreed with me, and even though I knew I was acting, they didn’t and their harsh words hurt.

“Don’t let them upset you,” a soft familiar voice next to me said.

I turned in the direction the voice came from and stared at the small, delicate-looking female next to me, trying not to let her know I could see her. “India,” I said happy to be talking to someone other than Belynda and Ryan, who were about the only two people who would still talk to me.

India reached out and took my hand in her own. “They don’t understand the sacrifice you are making for your mate.”
She leaned in close and whispered, “Draco is lucky to have a mate who would go to such lengths to try and save him.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.

“Yeah, you do,” she said with a smile. “Come by the Town Hall later on and we can talk away from all these prying eyes. I have some information I think can help you.”

The bell rang and
Belynda began to walk towards me. “I will have Henry drive me over this afternoon,” I told her.

“I’ll see you there then,” she told me before walking away.

“What did India want?” Belynda asked as she reached me.

I watched the
petite, platinum blonde haired female walk away and shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“
Well, come on, we are going to be late to class if we don’t get moving.” She took my arm and helped me to class, but I wished she could have just taken me home instead.

*****

As Henry helped me into the limo later that afternoon, I couldn’t help the tears that filled my eyes. I had spent the day listening to everyone talk about me, Melinda being the most vicious with her loud vocal condemnation of my lack of faith in my mate. To top it all off, the last vial of blood Belynda had injected me with that morning had worn off by noon, a sign Draco’s blood was becoming less effective. Not that mattered since I was out of vials anyway.

“Are you okay?” Henry asked with concern.

“I’m fine,” I said
, swiping the tears that gathered in my eyes away. I wanted so badly to just go home and have a good cry, but I had promised India I would stop by and see her and wanted to keep my word. “Can you take me to the Town Hall?”

He patted my hand. “Anywhere you want to go I can take you,” he said.

“Thanks, Henry.” He closed the door and I sat back in the seat closing my eyes. I missed Draco. It amazed me how quickly he had become such a big part of my life and I was miserable without him.

“We are here
, miss,” Henry said a short time later as the car stopped.

I waited as he opened the door and he took my hand
, helping me inside.

“Aurora,” India said
, her soft hand taking mine from Henry.

“I will be outside waiting when you are ready to go,” Henry said.

“Thank you, Henry,” I said over my shoulder as India began leading me away.

“I’m so glad you came,” India said excitedly.

“What’s so important you needed to see me?” I asked.

“
Not here,” she whispered. “We need to go down to the catacombs where no one can bother us.”

Instinctively
I trusted India and allowed her to lead me down many flights of steps and long corridors that I knew led to the secret area where they hid all of dragon history. We walked for a long time. I felt the air grow colder and shivered, wishing I had thought to grab my sweater, but just as the thought came, warm arms wrapped around me from behind and pulled me back against a very familiar body that I would recognize anywhere. “Draco,” I whispered, feeling his heat move over me.

“Hi baby,” he whispered
, turning me in his arms and kissing me with an intensity that seared my soul.

“I’ll j
ust leave two alone,” India murmured.

“Thank you,” Draco told her
before turning his attention back to me. “God, I missed you,” he said, running his hand through my hair and brushing my lips once again with his own.

“I missed you too,” I whispered
, laying my head on his chest. “I hate this,” I told him.

“I know
, which I why I had to see you.” He lifted my chin with his finger and frowned. “Care to tell me why you thought it necessary to let everyone know you thought I was guilty of harming Soran?”

I felt my cheeks flush and lowered my eyes. “How did you…”

“India is a White dragon. They are knowledgeable and very good at gathering information. She’s small, quiet, and nobody really pays her any mind,” he explained with a chuckle. “She’s been keeping an eye on you for me and when I called her she told me everything that was happening.” He placed his arm around me and guided me to a chair, sitting down and pulling me onto his lap. “I figured out that you were trying to free me so Melinda would step up and tell what she knows, but I am not happy that you didn’t listen when I told you to do nothing.”

“I couldn’t do nothing
, not when your life is in danger! I just know she was with Soran that night and could clear your name if she wanted to,” I protested.

“So you took it upon yourself to make sure she did?” he asked.

Through my blurry
vision, I could see his grin despite his hard words. “She wants you, and if she thinks we are through and that she has a chance to get you back, I am positive she would go to the council and tell them what she knows.”

“It does not make me feel better to know you have alienated yourself from everyone at school just to save me,” he said
, his finger rubbing my shoulder.

“I don’t care what they all think, I know the truth,” I told him, snuggling closer to his war
m body, trying to fight off the cold and damp air of the catacombs.

“You
’re cold,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around me tighter. “We should get you out of here.”

I shook my head vehemently. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Your plan worked. Melinda did indeed go to the council this morning and they are no longer looking for me so I can come home.” I looked up and he brushed my lips with his own. “Your little pretense is over.”

“Thank G
od,” I murmured, pressing my lips to his, wanting his kiss desperately.

The soft sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted. “Hi, I’m sorry to interrupt but I think you should reconsider letting everyone know that you two are once again a couple,” India said
, taking the seat across from us.

“Why? Melinda told the council she was with Soran until midnight and my father
’s security footage proves I was home before then. What could be gained by continuing this charade?” Draco growled.

“While everyone else was watching Melinda, I was watching
someone else and he was not happy that Aurora opened the door for Melinda and you to get back together.”

“Hershel,” Draco said flatly.

“I think he had something to do with Soran’s disappearance and I think if you and Melinda were to get close again he wouldn’t take it well,” India explained.

“So?” I said
, unsure what she was getting at.

“So, he would also try and get me out of the way too
, which might lead us to Soran, or at least find out what he did to him.”

“Exactly,” India said. “I think you should continue on with this. Make public how displeased you are about Aurora’s actions and allow Melinda back into your life.”

I felt Draco’s body tighten. “Don’t even think about it. If Hershel harmed Soran he would do the same to you,” I protested.

“I think I can take Hershel, baby,” he teased.

“We wouldn’t actually let him have Draco, Aurora. We would watch him and keep him from harming Draco,” India explained.

“You have certainly thought this through,” I said with a sigh.

“I have, and if you both agree, I think we need to call on your friends and bring them into the loop.”

“Belynda already knows this was all an act, but we didn’t tell anyone else. I needed their reactions to be genuine,” I told them.

“I’ll speak to Nate and Ryan, but I don’t think we should include anyone else,” Draco said.

“I agree,” India said.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” I said, gripping Draco’s hand.

“Everything is going to be fine,” he assured me. “India, while I’m playing this out, I need you to help Belynda keep an eye on Aurora for me.”

“You know we will,” she said.

Doubt and worry for Draco ate a
t me, but he held me close and kissed my forehead. “It’s going to be alright,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” I
murmured, hating that my plan to save him was now placing squarely in Melinda’s arms and into danger.

“I’ll give you two a few minutes to say goodbye and come back to take Aurora back to her car,” India said softly, the sound of her footsteps retreating letting me know she had left.

“If there were any other way to end this, I wouldn’t agree,” he said.

“I know,” I said tightening my hands. The idea of him holding Melinda, kissing her, even though I knew it was an act, was just too painful. The only fortunate thing I had going was the fact I was blind again and wouldn’t have to see it.

He took my face between his hands and forced me to look at him. “I know this is going to be hard on you
, but I swear when I am with Melinda it will all be an act. She means nothing to me. You are the one I love.”

“You love me?” I asked
, tears filling my eyes.

“You are the only female I will ever love
, Aurora,” he answered sincerely before kissing me again. This time his kiss was soft, gentle, full of emotion, and I knew I was truly done for. I was completely and totally in love with my dragon.

Draco pulled back,
running his finger over my bottom lip. “I need to get you some of my blood.”

“It doesn’t matter. The last few doses wore off quickly.”

“I figured that might happen. When all of this is over we will work on a more permanent solution.”

I shook my head. “I don’t care
, Draco. All I want is for Soran to be safe and whoever did this to be caught.”

“I know,” he said
, kissing my forehead. “I guess I had best call Melinda and get the ball rolling.”

“Do you want me to go?” I asked
, trying not to let my jealousy show.

“I don’t have anything to say to her that you cannot hear,” he said tightening his grip on my hand.

I sat quietly as he dialed. The phone only rang once before Melinda picked up and I knew she had obviously been waiting for his call.

“Hi,” he said
, his thumb running over my fingers as if trying to keep me calm.

He must have put the call on speakerphone because her vo
ice rang out. “Draco, I knew you would be calling.”

“I wanted to say thank you,” he answered evenly.

“I just told the truth. I mean when your little girlfriend turned on you, I realized I had to step up or you might never be able to come home.” I rolled my eyes and he squeezed my hand. “How you could have ever thought she was a better choice for you than me is beyond me. I mean you weren’t even gone twenty-four hours and she was telling everyone that she believed you murdered poor Soran.”

I rolled my eyes
again.

“Yeah
, I couldn’t have been more wrong about her,” he murmured.

“No kidding. I hope you have realized your mistake and are ready to beg my forgiveness.”

His grip tightened on my hand when I tried to pull it away and brushed his lips over my shoulder. “I am sorry I hurt you, Melinda, and I hope you can let bygones be bygones.” He lifted my chin and kissed me briefly while she considered his apology.

“
Of course I forgive you, Draco. I know that your kind live under the delusion that there is one perfect female for you, but hopefully now you can see Aurora is clearly not the mate you thought she was.”

He hugged me close
, his fingers intertwined with my own. “Yeah, she is definitely not the mate I thought I was getting.” Although the image of his face as blurry I could see him smile down at me and it lightened my heart.

“Well, anyway, I don’t want to talk about her, she’s caused so much trouble since her arrival that I think it would be better if we just forget she’
s even here,” Melinda answered, her voice full of hate for me.

Draco brushed his knuckles across my cheek and dropped a quick kiss on my lips. “Yeah
, that sounds like a plan,” he said huskily.

Melinda sighed. “Are you alright
, you sound funny?”