Shit! That sounds like a royal decree! Had they already sentenced him without hearing his defense? Carissa must have picked up on the same note. Her back had gone very rigid.
“No, no. We haven’t sentenced him yet.”
Carissa must have mouthed something to him.
“He’ll be given a proper trial if he turns himself in, but I have authorized Eternity to use force if he resists.”
Oh, crap!
“He’s an Elite, after all,” Daniel added.
Well, thank you, boss! Michael chomped back down on the tip of his tail to keep from growling. He could just see how this was going to turn out. If it had only been the disappearances, he might have had a chance by turning himself in and fighting the charges, but Carissa’s kidnapping had ensured that the Elites would shoot first and ask questions later. He was as good as dead.
9
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Carissa pushed her brother’s hands away and took off to her private quarters without answering him. She needed to get away from everyone. She could feel Michael wrapped around her middle. He had let out a constant string of angry rumbles since Daniel had finished. Thankfully, the noise of the helicopter had drowned out the sound. Didn’t that man know the first thing about hiding? Had his coat been any tighter on her, his constant fidgeting would have been a dead giveaway. She was going to have words with him as soon as she could speak again.
Slamming her door shut, Carissa yanked open Michael’s jacket and dumped him out on her bed.
He rolled around in a tangle of wings before righting himself and chattering at her angrily.
Like he had any right to be angry! She had protected him from her brother and Daniel. If he had done any of the things they had accused him of, then she was going to be in a world of trouble. She was already going to get it for turning him into a dragon.
Carissa watched as Michael paced laps around her bed, chittering on. He was really worked up about something. Too bad he hadn’t figured out how to speak dragon. Then she might have been able to tell if Daniel’s story held any grains of truth.
Suddenly, he stopped and turned to her with imploring eyes.
What could he want? Carissa sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to be able to just crawl into bed and go back to sleep. Carissa tried not to think about the few hours of rest she had just gotten. It had been so nice cuddled up with Michael, even as a dragon.
Michael came over and rested his front claws on her leg.
Her hand settled over his back to stroke him soothingly.
He chattered at her again.
Carissa just shook her head. She couldn’t understand him, and until she found a voice to borrow, she couldn’t explain to him how to get back to human.
Michael settled himself down next to her with his head on her thigh.
They were both stuck.
A knock on the door sent Michael skittering across Carissa’s bed and into her pillows. So the man did have some sense of self-preservation. Carissa smiled as she went to unlock her door.
“Oh, Carissa!” Tilly gasped as she swamped her friend in a hug that nearly knocked Carissa off her feet. “I’m so sorry!” she cried. Tears streamed down from her blue eyes.
Carissa patted her friend on the back and pulled her inside so she could shut the door again.
“I should have been there.”
Carissa led her friend to the overstuffed loveseat near her table.
“I could have kept that monster from kidnapping you.”
Carissa just smiled at her friend. Tilly had always been so overdramatic about things. Carissa could just imagine what was going to happen when Tilly found out that ‘that monster’ was hiding in her pillows.
Tilly grabbed Carissa’s hands, pulling her away from her thought. “You must tell me everything!” Tilly pulled her down to sit on the seat next to her and pressed her lips to Carissa’s, giving up her voice.
“Oh, Tilly,” Carissa sighed as she pulled back. “You are not responsible for what happened.”
Tilly looked indignant.
Carissa laughed at her. “Very well.” She smiled. “It’s all your fault, and I shall never speak to you again. That includes telling you about my marvelous misadventures.”
Tilly gasped at this and bounced in her seat, making Carissa laugh.
“Okay, you’re forgiven,” she teased. “All right.” Carissa stood up and pulled Michael’s jacket off. She took it over and dropped it on the bed. “I’ll tell you what happened, but you can’t tell anyone about it.” She looked back to her friend’s widened eyes. “You have to swear.”
Tilly thought about it for a moment.
Oh crap. There could be a whole lot of trouble real soon if she didn’t go along with this. “I guarantee it will be worth it.”
Slowly, Tilly nodded her head.
Fantastic! Carissa and Tilly had been keeping each other’s secrets for a long time now. If anyone could help her with this issue, it was Tilly.
Carissa turned to the bed and looked up at the pile of pillows. Michael had buried himself well, except for the end of his tail sticking out of the middle of the pile. Oh, she was going to have to make him aware of his bits. They were going to get him in trouble one of these days.
Leaning over the edge of the bed, Carissa grabbed up the fringy end. “Your tail’s hanging out.”
Michael snatched it out of her hand and pulled it into the pile.
She heard Tilly get up from the loveseat and come over to look at the bed.
A low growl sounded from the pillows. He was probably upset she had betrayed his hiding place to someone.
Tilly gave Carissa a concerned look.
Carissa patted the bed. “Come on out.”
The growl sounded again.
Tilly covered her mouth in shock. Mischief gleamed in her eyes. Oh yes, she knew something was up.
Carissa stood up and glared at the pile of pillows. “Either you come out, or I’ll call my brother and have him deal with you.”
A loud sigh sounded from the cushions, and Michael slinked his way out onto the bed.
The gasp Tilly let out upon seeing the little, white dragon was audible even without her voice.
“Tilly,” Carissa held her hand out to the unhappy dragon. “I’d like you to meet Michael Duncan. Michael, this is Matilda Davenshire.”
Backpedaling from the bed, Tilly tripped on the rug and landed hard on her backside. Her mouth ran franticly as she scooted across the room towards the door. Had she had a voice, she would have been hysterical.
Carissa fell on her friend, grabbing her by the arm. “You promised,” she reminded Tilly.
Tilly paused and looked back up to the little dragon watching her from the bed. She nodded her head, letting Carissa know she would keep her promise.
“Michael.” Carissa released her friend and turned back to the small dragon. “I think it’s high time we had a proper talk.”
Michael nodded his agreement and chattered at her.
“I think we should get you back to human form, first.”
God, that hurt. Michael curled on his side, waiting for the rest of the pain to subside. If it hurt this much to change from one form to another, why did dragons do it? Slowly, the ache of having his bits rearrange subsided, and he sat up. It had taken Carissa twenty minutes to talk him through shifting back to human form. It felt weird to be back in his own skin. The world looked and sounded different, too. Maybe he had just gotten used to the way it looked as a dragon. Carefully, he shifted so he was sitting on the edge of the bed.