Sasha leans in, clicking on one of our precious flashlights that are used only for emergencies, and shines it on my skin. The light flicks back and forth on my neck. “Where did he bite you?”

“Are you kidding?” I can feel the heat from the bite racing through my skin like poison. I touch my neck to show her. “Here.”

“I don’t see anything.” Sasha’s fingers run lightly over the skin, and they feel strangely cool. “You’re hot, but the skin’s not broken and nothing looks infected. You sure you didn’t panic and imagine it? I would think having sex with a dragon can get a little distracting. All those scales.”

“He’s not scaly,” I murmur, hand on my throat. How strange that the bite’s gone. “His skin is soft.”

“Uh huh.” Sasha clearly doesn’t believe me. “Look, I’m not going to judge you for having sex with him. You do what you have to do to survive. Trust me, I understand that.” She clicks the flashlight back off and sits down across from me. “Do you think he’s going to be mad?”

“I don’t know.” I’m trying not to think about it.

“Will he come after you?” She shivers at the thought, pulling her own blankets closer to her body.

“I don’t know that, either,” I say, but I suspect I’m lying, even to myself. Of course Kael’s going to come after me. “I’m safe in the city, though.”

Sasha looks skeptical but says nothing. “Did you finish eating? There’s more.”

I hand my empty bowl back to her and shake my head. “I’m good. I need to get dressed.” I turn to my small trunk of belongings and pull out a shirt and a pair of jeans.

“Where are you going?” Sasha asks.

“I have to find Amy. She’s not back yet, and I want her to know I’m okay.”

“You look exhausted, Claudia. Can’t it wait a few hours?”

There is nothing I want more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a few hours. This has been the longest day of my damn life, starting with a dragon kidnapping, then dragon sex, and then a sprint across half of Old Dallas to get back home to Amy. Even my flat, sorry mattress seems inviting. My body aches with exhaustion, and I feel hot and dizzy.

But I have to find Amy. She’s not safe. My little sister is far too trusting, and I don’t want her in the hands of the guards.

Sasha says nothing as I quickly dress and slip on a pair of heavy boots. My spares are just a bit too tight for my feet, but they’re a good pair of boots and so they’ll do. I tuck a spare knife into my belt and then give Sasha a confident smile. “I’ll be back soon with Amy. Don’t worry.”

“I can’t help but worry,” Sasha says in a small voice. “You two are all I have.”

I feel the same way. But Sasha can survive on her own. Sasha’s already safe. I don’t know where Amy is. “I have to go,” I tell her. “I’ll be back.”

“Okay.” Sasha doesn’t sound convinced.

I don’t blame her. I’ve got a bad habit of not coming back.

18

CLAUDIA

I look everywhere for Amy. I check with her friends. I check with the children’s home, where the orphans are raised, because Amy likes to volunteer her time. I check at Blowjob Becky’s, too, just in case, but Amy’s not among the girls working there. Thank god.

I even check around Tucker’s place, but no one’s seen her there, either. Not for days and days. I don’t know what to do until Tucker gives me a sly look. “Militia’s been looking for you. Mayor wants to see you and all.” He picks at his nails with a pocketknife. “Was kinda surprised they expected you to come back, but they said to me, ‘You never know.’ Thought they were full of shit, but here you are, smelling like a dumpster. You been scavenging?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I bluff bravely. “I’m just looking for Amy. That’s all you need to know.”

“Might be some people interested to hear that you’re back,” he comments.

“Save yourself the trip,” I tell him. “I’m heading to the militia barracks right now.” And I turn and walk out of his shitty little shop. If Amy heard that the militia was looking for me, just like Tucker says, she’d go straight to them and ask questions. That’s dangerous. Not only is the militia full of dicks too high on their own power, but they’re the ones who offered me up to the dragon in the first place.

What if they offer Amy to a dragon?

Rubbing my neck, I race through the dark alleyways, heading for the outskirts of Fort Dallas and the rows of barracks that house the militia. If my sister’s anywhere, she’ll be here, I suppose. I just have to find her. The militia barracks are tucked into an old department store. The glass doors have been reinforced with steel, and a flimsy chain-link fence topped with barbed wire has been erected all around the place, just in case anyone decides to storm the castle, so to speak. There’s a set of gates, though, and I head for those.

They have guards posted in front, of course. One holds a rifle and raises a hand when I approach. “No citizens allowed here.”

“I’m Claudia Jones,” I tell him. When his face remains blank, I add, “The chick they gave to the dragon?”

His eyes widen, and he looks me up and down in surprise, as if astonished that I’m whole and in one piece. “You’re the dragon girl?”

“That’s me. I’m looking for my sister.”

“Wait here.” He pulls out a walkie-talkie and turns away, murmuring something in it. I hear the loud clicking buzz and something mumbled in response. The soldier nods and moves to the gate, undoing the lock. He pushes it open and glances at me. “Someone’s coming to meet you.”

“Great.” I head in, arms crossed over my chest. Wariness replaces my exhaustion, my senses growing alert. Every time I’m around the militia, something bad happens. I don’t expect it to be any better now.

But Amy will want me to come for her, so I’m going to. My sister’s the most important person in the world to me. I won’t abandon her.

Eventually, a pair of soldiers show up, also armed with guns. “Follow us,” the first one tells me, and gestures with his gun, indicating I’m to follow them inside now.