Page 43 of Taught By the Dragon
Over the next few days, Percy was extremely careful to A, avoid Bronx as much as possible, and B, focus on getting her dragon to come out.
She couldn’t avoid her lessons, of course, and she saw Bronx then. But thankfully, she didn’t have to avoid the nightly TV shows with Violet, because the dragonman mainly worked at the kitchen island during the programs and always ignored her. Oh, he was attentive and patient for any of her reading lessons, or dragon lessons, or anything a teacher would do for any of their students.
But any sort of ease or sense of familiarity between them had cooled. And Percy did her best to ignore how she didn’t like it. That was why she now sat with her legs crossed atop the bed, her eyes closed, and tried once more to coax out her inner beast.
The purple light in her head was always there, but it hadn’t changed in its size or intensity since the day Violet had interrupted her. She was convinced the purple light was her long-lost friend, and even if her dragon hadn’t responded again, she wasn’t giving up.
So Percy concentrated on the light.Dragon, are you there? Don’t you want to come out and play? Or chat? Or anything you like?
Nothing. She growled and searched her brain for something she hadn’t tried before. Then it hit her—she’d made up a song with her dragon way back when. Maybe that would entice her beast out, especially if she left a line unfinished.
She went through the song about a young dragon-shifter being able to fly to the moon and came to the final line:As she soared through the stars, the light making her scales almost glow, she knew that…
One beat, then another. And soon, the light flickered. Percy repeated the line, dropping off at the same point. And this time, the light began to morph into a shape. Bit by bit, it turned into a fuzzy outline of a dragon.
She held her breath, afraid she would mess it up.
But when a purple dragon much larger than she’d ever seen in her head before finally appeared in her mind, she blurted,Dragon? Is that you?
The shape said nothing, just stood there a second. So Percy said,It’s me, Percy. Remember?
Percy?The voice was rusty, unsure, and barely audible.
Yes, it’s me. We can be together again. Please don’t go away.
The dragon form said nothing. And in the next second, it morphed back into a glowing sphere.
Percy cried out.No, no, don’t go! Please don’t go!
But the dragon didn’t come back, no matter how much she called out to her.
After trying for about ten minutes, Percy finally just sat on her bed, staring at the floor, disappointment crushing her.
She’d always thought that if her dragon would come out, then everything would be perfect. They’d be instant friends, they’d learn how to shift together, and then they could fly away and be happy.
And most importantly, they would be free.
But her inner beast had spooked so easily, treating Percy as a stranger, running as if she would hurt her or something else awful.
Would Percy ever have her only friend back again? Or had her beast been silenced for too long? Maybe because Percy had received too many drugs to mess with her system?
Maybe she wasn’t really a dragon-shifter any longer?
Not quite human, but not a dragon either. She was even more a freak than she’d been as a child. But this time, her dragon wouldn’t appear and make everything better.
Tears trickled down her cheeks, followed by more, and soon, Percy was sobbing. The only friend she’d ever had didn’t want to talk with her—her dragon was too afraid to stick around.
And if she couldn’t convince her beast it was safe to come out again?
Then she’d always be alone, so very alone.
The thought of all her years of surviving, finding ways to cope, all so she could be reunited with her beast only made her sob harder. Had she really done it all for nothing?
At some point, someone came into the room, but she didn’t dare open her eyes. If her dragon wouldn’t stick around, then what did it matter if someone came to hurt her, kidnap her, or who the fuck knew what?
Weaknesses didn’t matter, either. Let them pounce and maybe stop the pain.
So Percy cried and wailed, letting out years of sadness, frustration, and loneliness, along with a multitude of other emotions.
