Chapter 20: The Escape

Winter came much faster than expected. No sooner had the leaves fallen off the trees did the temperature plummet and the first snowfall follow. Aeris loved the snow, but she was forced to remain indoors.

Ever since her pregnancy had been revealed, Master Aaron came down even harder on restricting her activities. To keep her from sneaking out, he began locking her door. It wasn’t much of a deterrent; she could force her way out through the window or dig under the wall if she wanted. But there was no point in doing so. She had nowhere to go. Also, she figured she had caused her master enough stress.

The times she was let out of her room, she was watched constantly. Her guard was under strict orders to keep an eye on her no matter what. It was a nightmare every time she had to relieve herself in the bushes. Flying was forbidden entirely and she was yelled at something fierce every time she so much as stretched her wings. Due to the windier weather of the winter months, she didn’t fly much anyway, but her wings cramped if she went too long without spreading them.

The hardest part of dealing with all of it was not having Maggie around to help her through the stress. On several occasions, Aeris awoke, expecting Maggie to be the one to bring her breakfast, only for Lydia to appear instead and everything came rushing back.

In some ways, it felt as if things reverted to the way they were before she met Aubrey. Lydia and Master Aaron were the only humans who visited her. She spent most of her time in her room alone with only the books to keep her company. It took some convincing before Lydia accepted that Aeris knew how to read, but very little to convince her to keep it a secret. Despite her aversion toward dragons, the woman agreed to bring Aeris as many books as she needed.

Poor Lydia hadn’t overcome her fear of dragons. She couldn’t look Aeris in the eye and she flinched every time Aeris moved, but she felt the woman beginning to open up to her albeit very slowly. Lydia had become much more comfortable talking to Aeris. Their conversations were always brief, but a few times, Aeris managed to make the woman smile.

Master Aaron visited a few times. He always bombarded Aeris with questions about how she was feeling. Aeris always responded with she felt fine. Maybe a little sick at times, but no different besides that. Lilith never visited which disappointed her.

Even with Maggie gone, Aeris never heard from Charles again. A few times when she was outside, she noticed him watching her from one of the windows. He didn’t look at all happy to see her. That was why even if she was allowed to roam freely, she would never sneak into the estate again. Charles had to know about the secret passages by now, and the last thing she wanted was to be alone in a room with him again. It made Aeris grateful for the constant escort and why she never attempted to sneak off again. She didn’t dare do anything that could endanger her eggs.

On one particularly cold day, one that made even Aeris shiver a little, she gave birth to three dragon eggs. It was a short but torturous process. No one had told her it would be so painful! Thankfully, Lydia was there when the labor started and she was quick to run for help. By the time Master Aaron and Charles had arrived, it was already over.

The eggs looked very different from she what was expecting. The only eggs she had seen before were chicken eggs. Her eggs were much larger, almost the size of her head. They were also a dark grey like a storm-covered sky and rough to the touch.

Aeris pulled the eggs close and pressed the side of her head against one of them. They felt warmer than she expected. She smiled when she heard movement inside. The questions surged through her mind. How many were male and how many were female? Did any of them take after her or Windor? How large were they going to get? What should she have them call her? What was she going to name them? It felt so strange to be touching them after they were inside her body. Soon they would hatch and walk around. She would teach them how to read and the proper way to greet others and how to be polite. She couldn’t wait for their first flying lesson. Their first meal. Hearing their first words. An indescribable feeling of elation welled up within her. She would be bouncing with excitement if she had the energy to stand.

 Master Aaron smiled. "They're beautiful. I'll be sure to send for the doctor first thing tomorrow." He kneeled and pulled Aeris' head to his breast. "You are so amazing. These are going to make me so much money."

Aeris blinked and pulled herself free of her master’s embrace. “Money? What are you talking about?”

Master Aaron stared at Aeris for a moment then he cleared his throat and his expression turned somber. “Aeris, I’m sorry, but I have to sell your eggs. I’m afraid I just can’t take care of three more dragons.”

Aeris curled protectively around her eggs. “What? No! You’re not selling them!”

“Aeris—”

“They can sleep in my room! I’ll sleep outside. They can have my share of the food and I’ll hunt in the woods. I can get a job to help out.”

“Aeris, I’m sorry, but this isn’t up for debate.”

“Why not?”

Master Aaron frowned. “I don’t think I like your tone.”

“And I don’t like you talking about selling my eggs as if I don’t get a say in the matter.”

Master Aaron folded his arms across his chest and raised a brow. “Because you don’t. You forget I own you which means I own anything that belongs to you including those eggs. And if I choose to sell my eggs I will.”

“You’re not touching my eggs,” Aeris shot back.

Master Aaron seized Aeris’ horn and pulled her head backward at a very painful angle. “You listen here,” her master said, his voice full of contempt and anger. His eyes showed a manic fury that made Aeris squeeze hers shut. It was like the situation with Maggie all over again. This crazed thing before her wasn’t her master. She refused to believe that. “Do you have any idea what you’re worth right now? Anything from a dragon as rare as you is worth than half my fortune. It was unplanned, but your pregnancy was the best thing to happen to me especially since Reks is now dead.

“I spent months planning this, traipsing you around to all those stuck-up nobles to find you a suitor. And I was lucky enough to find someone despite your best attempts to ruin me. Now, I already have a buyer ready, and I won’t have it fucked up because you decided to be stubborn. Those eggs are a lot more valuable to me than you are right now.”

Aeris continued to hold her eyes shut. She was too shocked by her master’s words to be angry. She tried to think of an excuse, but it quickly faded just like her elation at giving birth. Everything everyone had told her about her master not having her best interests at heart flooded her mind, taunting and teasing her.

“I-I don’t understand,” Aeris said, her voice quavering. “I thought you arranged for Reks to marry me because we liked each other.”

"Oh, grow up," Master Aaron spat. "You honestly think I would bother with all that trouble simply because you two liked each other? Humans hardly marry for love, what made you think a dragon wedding would be any different? The marriage was nothing more than a cover so no one would suspect what we were doing. It's more common than you think, but we can't let the dragon community find out."

Aeris thought back to all the times Reks called her naïve and wondered if he knew the truth. She wanted to believe he didn't but she suspected otherwise. Just like she knew why he didn't warn her. He was afraid of what his master would do to him if he disobeyed. Reks was a domesticate, so if his master put him out, he had nowhere to go as the dragons were less than likely to take him in.

She shook the thoughts from her mind. She was overthinking things—she had to be. This whole thing was a nightmare. Master Aaron was the man who took care of her, looked after her. She still remembered the days he took care of her when she was sick, cheered her up when she was injured. Of course, those were memories of their younger days. As they grew older, those days became few and far between until only Maggie was there.

“But Master, why? Don’t you care about me?”

 Master Aaron sighed and rubbed his temple. “I guess this is my fault for sheltering you so much. Aeris, of course I care about you. Do you have any idea how much you’re worth to the right buyer? I could’ve charged people to fuck you and made a mint. That’s how rare you are. If I killed you right now and used your scales to make jewelry, it would be worth more than my estate. But I never did any of those things nor have I ever considered them.” He reached out to her, but she pulled away. He didn’t seem bothered by the reaction and continued. “Why do you think I was taking you to all those parties? Why do you think I made a point of parading you in front of those people? Aeris, I could’ve had any drake breed you, but I couldn’t pair you with any random dragon. When I chose Reks for you, I knew the two of you would have beautiful dragonlings. Even now, I’m wasting my time explaining this to you even when I don’t need to. I taught you to obey, not to question. Now stop being stubborn.”

 Aeris felt the tightness in her chest return and her vision blurred. She fought to maintain composure. If she lost consciousness, no doubt he would take her eggs. 

“If nothing else, consider it payment for everything I’ve done for you,” Master Aaron said. “Afterall when have I ever asked you for anything in return? The safe place to sleep, the luxurious meals, the expensive outfits.” His voice rose in volume with every word. “No other dragon for a thousand miles lives as you do. You honestly can’t do one thing for me after all I’ve done for you?”

Aeris curled her body tighter around the eggs, staring at her master—no, not her master. This…thing, this cold, heartless creature before her wasn’t her master. Master Aaron was a caring man who worried about her well-being.

Master Aaron straightened his clothes and regained his composure. “I’ll take your silence as acceptance. The matter is settled. I’m not heartless. I’ll give you the night to say your goodbyes, then I’ll be taking those eggs first thing in the morning.” He spun and left the room, leaving Aeris devastated. Charles looked at Aeris with pity before leaving as well.

She lay there unable to wrap her head around what just happened. Everything was going so well, then in an instant, she felt a crushing depression that made her regret her very existence. Memories of all the times she was complimented on her appearance, the way the humans stared at her, the whispers at her back, they were all lies. Now she understood.

A soft sniffle brought Aeris’ attention to a corner of the room where Lydia stood. She held her hand over her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“You knew, didn’t you?” Aeris asked.

Lydia nodded. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to warn you, but Maggie always said it was best we not tell you.”

“Maggie knew?”

“She did. But, please, don’t hold it against her. She tried so hard to shield you from the  truth.”

But Maggie wasn’t there anymore. So it fell to Aeris to do something. She looked down at her eggs. Just thinking about losing them made her chest tighten. No way was she giving them up. Not to her master, not to anyone.

Aeris looked up at Lydia. “I need to get out of here. I can’t—won’t—let him take my eggs. Can you help me?”

“A-Aeris, I don’t know. Lord Strauss wouldn’t like that one bit. I want to help you, but he’ll be beyond furious.”

“Please? I’ll die before I give them up, and I think Mas—Aaron won’t hesitate to kill me if I get in his way.”

Lydia was silent for a moment. She looked fearfully at the door and the windows as if watching for anyone listening. Eventually, she moved closer to Aeris and spoke in a hushed voice. "I'll slip something into the guard's food and leave the door unlocked. That should give you the night to escape. I'm afraid I can't do more. I have my family to think about, and I can't afford to draw Lord Strauss' wrath."

Aeris nodded. “Thank you. That’s more than enough.”

***

Aeris looked up from her mattress out of her room window. The moon sat high in the night sky without a cloud in sight. She would’ve preferred cloud cover. It would limit the humans’ field of vision, but she didn’t have time to be picky. She crossed the room and looked through the other window to check the estate windows. Each window was dark indicating everyone was asleep. She moved to the door, and pressed her ear against it, listening for any sounds on the other side. She heard nothing.

She quickly went to the chest in the corner and pulled out her satchel from behind it. Maggie had given it to her one day for her birthday. She told her that it was meant for her to keep something very valuable close by. Up until now, Aeris had never used the bag. There was no need.

Putting it on was the hard part. The strap had been configured to fit dragons; it had one strap that went over her neck and two shoulder straps that clasped behind her back just in front of her wings. It may have been designed for a dragon to wear, but the clasps were not designed for dragons to use. The clasps were already done and she couldn’t unfasten them without tearing the straps off. After several failed attempts, Aeris managed to somehow slip into the thing. She gently took each egg in her mouth and placed it in the satchel. It was a tight fit, but she was able to close the satchel so no one could see what was inside. Next was the cloak she often wore whenever she snuck out. Putting it on was easy as she had spent the last several months practicing whenever she snuck out.

She went to the door and slowly pushed it open. Just as Lydia promised, the guard who was stationed outside her room was gone. But there was no telling how long her fortune would last, so she needed to move fast. After sniffing the air and ensuring no one else was around, Aeris stepped outside, making sure to close the door behind her. Even if someone looked out the window, they would see nothing. Unless someone visited her room, her escape would go unnoticed until morning.

She only managed to get a few feet away from her room when Charles’ voice behind her made her stiffen. “So you finally decided to take matters into your own hands.”

Aeris slowly spun around, expecting to come face-to-face with the barrel of a rifle. She mentally cursed herself for believing that it would be so easy. They knew all the blind spots around the room. Of course, someone would stand somewhere she wouldn't be able to see. And they knew she would be able to smell them, so they stood downwind to keep her from catching their scent. 

But when she turned around, there was nothing. Charles stared at her, no gun, not even a knife. Even if he sounded the alarm, she could be long gone before anyone could stop her.

“You can relax. I’m not going to try to stop you,” Charles said.

Aeris wasn’t convinced. She saw no gun, but that could mean anything. “Then why are you here?”

"To help you." He moved toward her. Aeris crouched low and growled. Even someone half his age wouldn't stand a chance against her unarmed, but she didn't want to take the risk. Charles kept moving anyway, never taking his eyes off her. He crouched and straightened her cloak to better hide the lumpy satchel over her front.

“I thought you considered me a threat to all humans.”

“I do.” He looked up at her, his piercing green eyes glowing in the moonlight. “But even if it’s for the benefit of the Strauss family, I could never murder a mother and her unborn children. You leaving this place is the next best thing.”

He returned to fixing her cloak. “There was a time where even the idea of hurting you would’ve been enough to break young Aaron’s spirit,” Charles said. “He vowed no creature would harm you so long as he breathed.” He finished and stood up, examining his work, his face sunken and tired. “Earlier today, he told me he would kill you if you tried to run off with the eggs.

 “I don’t know when that promise to protect you no longer mattered to him. I guess it’s the same reason your species decided to rule over dragons and humans. They learned one day how much more they have and were consumed with greed. Selling just one of your eggs would earn more than what his company makes in a year. He always knew how you felt about it all. He allowed it to continue because he knew you would never defy him.”

Aeris didn't respond. All that mattered now was getting her eggs as far away from her former master as possible. But before she left, one thing nagged at her. "If you think I'm so dangerous, why haven't you told Aaron about what I really am? Why didn't you try to stop him from trying to breed me?"

“Don’t misunderstand. My loyalty is and always will be to the Strauss household. If I had my way, you would’ve been driven out a long time ago. But Lord Strauss is only thinking of how much money he’ll make when he sells your eggs. The fool has no idea that the moment the dragons catch wind of it, they’ll kill him and everyone connected to him. Now stop wasting time. Take those eggs and go somewhere far away where he’ll never find you.”

She spun to leave the estate grounds. Rather than go for the clearing in the woods, she planned to make use of the main path which would be faster than running through the wilderness. It would have been faster to fly, but she dared not risk it; the last thing she needed was someone noticing a lone dragon flying through the skies in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t gone ten steps when she froze at the sight of someone standing by the back door. It was Lilith; the lantern she held illuminated her face. Aeris swore under her breath. Already the escape plan was falling apart in the worst ways possible.

Lilith began to approach. Even at a distance, there was no mistaking the condescending smile on her face. Aeris looked around for signs of anyone attempting to sneak up on her. There were no sights, sounds, or smells indicating anyone else.

“Don’t worry. We’re alone,” Lilith said. She spoked quietly instead of raising her voice, putting Aeris on guard. “Charles, could you leave us?”

Charles bowed and left the two females alone. Aeris watched the woman carefully. Lilith appeared to be unarmed, carrying nothing but the lantern and wearing only a nightgown.

“You forget I’m a dragon,” Aeris said threateningly. Her dislike for Lilith didn’t run deep enough that she wanted to harm the woman. She hoped Lilith would understand that despite the lack of combat experience, she held the upper-hand.

Lilith stopped far enough away that Aeris couldn’t reach her before she cried for help, the pompous smile never leaving her face. “Why would I try to stop you? If you leave, that means I get to have Aaron all to myself. I won’t need to compete with some beast for his attention nor fear him fucking you behind my back.” Her face twisted at the mention of Aaron’s “affair” with his dragon.

Aeris grimaced as well. “You’re really letting me go?”

“Yes, go. Run as far away as you can. In fact”—she raised her other hand which held a small velvet coin purse. She tossed the purse to Aeris. The coins clinked together as it hit the ground.—“That should be enough to buy you passage out of the city.”

Aeris kept her eyes on Lilith and her ears strained to catch the slightest sound as she moved to take the coin purse. It couldn’t be this easy. The day Lilith had found out about the pregnancy, she had shown her true feelings. She had nothing to gain by helping her now. If anything, revealing Aeris’ disobedience would be beneficial. But nothing happened.

As Aeris stared at Lilith, she felt a tug of pity. Lilith had her flaws, but Aeris couldn’t leave the woman to live with Aaron alone.

“You should come with me,” Aeris said. “Once I leave, Aaron will only turn his attention on you, but I doubt he’ll treat you any better. I was loyal to him since the day I hatched, and I’m only a pawn to him. He’s probably using you too. You should leave before it’s too late.”

Lilith's smile faltered, and Aeris saw doubt in her pale green eyes. Suddenly Lilith's gaze hardened and the moment of vulnerability vanished. She laughed into her hand, likely to avoid making too much noise. "I'm not some beast, dragon. Beasts are meant to be controlled to reign in their savage natures; Aaron has no reason to do that to me."

Aeris shook her head and turned away. Lilith wouldn't admit the truth and she wasn't going to waste any more moonlight trying to convince the woman. If Lilith wanted to learn the hard way, then that was her choice. Protecting the eggs was all Aeris cared about now.

Before she left, she cast one last pitying look at Lilith before saying: “I’m sorry. I hope you realize what a monster he is before it’s too late.”

Before Lilith could make another curt reply, Aeris ran as fast as she could into the darkness.

Her heart hammered against her chest as she ran. She had run away from home, from this point forward she was now on the run. Capture meant more than just being scolded. There was no telling how Master Aaron would react.

He may even kill her for this.

***

Aeris didn't slow down until she reached the Dragon's District, changing from a run to a brisk walk. She kept her head high and did her best to regulate her breathing as she walked. It would be best not to draw attention, and a grown dragon running through the streets did just that. The streets were almost deserted, but she preferred not to take any chances. Lilith and Charles' sudden appearances taught her to always be on guard. 

When she reached Windor’s place, she lightly tapped on the door with her tail. She needed shelter for the night and a place to rest. She and Windor had to leave by first light. Even if Lilith was true to her word, at best they only had a day before Aaron discovered his dragon was missing.

There was no answer. She knocked again. Still no answer. She began pacing in front of the door. This was the only place she could go. She had no idea where Maggie lived and even then, it was too obvious. Aaron would look there first. Aubrey told her to never come back and dragons were nothing if not true to their word.

After a few more moments of silence, she began frantically pounding on the door. At this point, it was likely to awaken others, but she didn’t care. If nothing else, he needed to know.

The door suddenly flung open and Windor’s rage-filled face appeared in the doorway. “I swear if someone isn’t dead, you will—” He took one look at Aeris and all the fury drained from his face. “Aeris?! What are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“I know it’s late,” Aeris said, “But I had to come see you.” She quickly looked around for anyone watching. “Can you let me in? I have something very important to say, and I don’t want to say it out here.”

Windor staggered sleepily to the side and let Aeris in. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Aeris decided to just come out and say it. “I-I ran away.”

Windor’s face fell. “You what?”

“I couldn’t do it anymore. Mas—Aaron was just using me; I see that now. I can’t stay with him any longer. I’m just an asset to him. He doesn’t care about me and he plans to use me for as long as he’s able.”

"Aeris, I'm glad you see that human for what he is, but why are you pounding on my door in the middle of the night like this?" His eyes widened as he took a step back. "Did--did you…kill him?"

Aeris shook her head and stared at her paws, unable to bring herself to say the words aloud. Instead, she opened the satchel and showed Windor the three eggs inside. He backed up to the wall, his face full of fear.

He swallowed and crept toward her again as if expecting an attack at any moment. “Are those…eggs? But…But you told me you have never been with another dragon.”

Aeris nodded and closed the satchel. “Yes, they’re eggs, and yes, they’re yours.”

Windor began pacing back and forth, muttering under his breath. Aeris tried to catch what he was saying, but she had a hard time making anything out. Each time he looked at her, his eyes were full of fear and anger, her heart sank further.

Finally, he turned to her, but he didn't look happy. "Aeris, what have you done? Did you honestly go and have eggs? Why would you do that?"

Aeris' stomach lurched. She knew the news would come as a shock, but this was unexpected. "I'm sorry, but I--I don't understand."

Windor growled and began pacing again. “I knew it. I should have known better than to deal with a domesticate,” he mumbled more to himself than to her. “She told me she hadn’t been with anyone else, I should have known then. But no, I had to go ahead anyway.”

Aeris felt her chest tighten. “Windor? What did I do wrong?”

Windor stopped and glared at her. “Aeris, do you understand the situation we’re in? I’m already testing the other dragons’ patience just by being with you. If they find out that I went and had eggs with you, they’ll never stand for it.”

It felt as if something heavy had been placed on her chest. It couldn’t be happening again.  “A-are you saying y-you never loved me? So I was just an asset to you? Just something for you to use when it was convenient?”

“What? No—Aeris, you’re misunderstanding. I care about you, yes, but you have to understand how things work around here. A clan-born having eggs with a domesticate is—”

“This isn’t a clan!” Aeris cried, her tail slapping the ground. “Those other dragons don’t get to tell you who you can and can’t be with.”

Windor’s expression turned somber. “I wish that were true, but in life, it doesn’t work that way. A lot of the dragons here were exiled from their clans. They can never go back, but they can’t give up their pride and become human pets. I’m sorry. I don’t know why you ran away from your caretaker, but you have to go back.”

“I can’t go back! He wants to take my eggs and sell them. I can’t let him. And he said he would kill me if I tried to run off with the eggs.” She stepped closer, but Windor backed away. The pain she felt was unbearable. “Please, don’t do this,” Aeris pleaded. “I have nowhere else to go. Maggie is gone, Aubrey told me never to come back, and I’ll die before I go back to Aaron. Please help me.”

“What do you expect me to do about it?” Windor asked, his voice tethering on anger. “Even if I did take you in. I can’t protect you from your Keeper. Any other human is one thing, but this is the human who owns you—”

“No one owns me,” Aeris said with a low growl.

“Either way, I can’t afford to support both of us and three eggs. Your caretaker will likely make sure you can never get any kind of decent job.”

“I already have a job working for Cutter,” Aeris said. “If you won’t take me, at least take the eggs.” She rushed forward, pressing the satchel against Windor’s body and giving him a pleading gaze to take the eggs away. “Please. He doesn’t know about you so they’ll be safe here. I’ll live on the run and draw him away. I don’t care what happens to me as long as I know they’re safe.”

Windor frowned and backed away. “Aeris, have you not been listening to me? I told you: the others will never accept me having eggs with some human’s pet!”

Aeris stepped back as if he had just struck her. She wished he did. It would have felt better if he did. Her mind felt numb, her body felt numb. She didn't say a word, nothing, just walked away. She had no idea where she was going as if she was standing still and the world was just pushing her along. She didn't care where it took her. Anywhere was better than where she was now.

She didn't know if Windor was calling after her, but either way, she didn't care. He had shown his true colors just like Aaron. He had shown how he truly felt about her. 

Once she was far enough away that she couldn’t hear him anymore, it dawned on her she still had no place to rest for tonight. The first place that came to mind was Aubrey’s mansion. Aubrey hated the mistreatment of dragons. She would surely protect her.

But Aubrey’s last words suddenly echoed in her mind: “But when you’re world comes crashing down around you, don’t come crying to me.” Aubrey tried to warn her, but she didn’t listen. If she showed up on her doorstep now, Aubrey would turn her away. Maybe she could go back anyway and beg forgiveness. Surely Aubrey wouldn’t throw her out on the street knowing her former master was after her. Knowing her eggs would never be safe.

Aubrey said it herself: Dragons didn’t make false promises. Aubrey told her never to come back and she meant it. And dragons treasured respect and pride above all. She would be a fool to think running back with her tail between her legs would earn her any sympathy.

Staying in the dragon community was out of the question. Aaron would be looking for her once he realized she was gone and he would likely come here first. Besides most of the dragons in those communities were exiled clan-borns. Once they found out she was a domesticate, it was obvious what they would do.

There was a loud crash behind her, making her heart leap into her throat and her body leap into the air. She scanned the streets in a panic until she saw a drunken human backing away from an overturned cart. It was nothing to worry about, but Aeris broke into a run anyway, fleeing further into the city. That scare reminded her that now was not the time to take a leisure stroll. She could figure out the details of her escape in the morning; right now, she needed to find a safe place to sleep. 

She didn’t know how long she had run, but she didn’t want to stop. Whenever she slowed, she could almost feel Aaron standing behind her, ready to seize her and drag her back to that place.

Why don’t I just kill him? She wondered. It’s clear my master doesn’t care about my well-being, and I have every right to defend myself. Maybe I should just—

Aeris quickly shook the thoughts from her mind. She hated her former master for putting her in this situation, but she still couldn’t bring herself to harm him. He still fed her, looked after her, kept her safe. No, Maggie had done those things, Aaron only stepped in when he needed to protect his asset.

Regardless, killing the man was out of the question. She knew better than anyone how well-connected her master was. If she killed him, she wouldn’t last a week before his allies hunted her down.

As she continued down the street, she thought of alternatives, each one more extravagant than the last. With each idea, she eventually found some loophole or reason it wouldn’t work and her spirits sagged. Right now it seemed the only thing she could do was get away from her master. The rest could be figured out once she was somewhere safe.

There was no other option but to visit Cutter again. After she killed Reks, it was obvious the dragoness couldn’t be trusted, but Aeris had no room to be picky. Besides, Cutter meant well, and she told Aeris she would help her at any time. Aeris sprinted to Cutter’s place.

The brothel Cutter owned was closer than Aeris realized. That was a good thing. She looked up at the pitch-black sky, the innumerable stars twinkling in the dark sea overhead. She had no idea what time it was; there were still a few hours until daylight, but it would be daylight soon. She needed to be on the move by morning. Once Aaron learned that she was missing, he wouldn’t stop until he found her. Her master never did like losing.

She approached the red door and knocked as quietly as she could. The sound still echoed throughout the empty alley. She huddled into a ball and remained still.

After staying this way for several minutes, and still no answer, she decided to just go inside rather than risk knocking again.

The place was dark. Aeris couldn’t see anyone or anything. As she stepped on the lush carpet, she knew the building was empty. Cutter was gone.

Aeris closed the door and felt her way to Cutter’s room at the end of the hall. This room was empty as well. She found her way to a corner and curled into a ball, hugging the satchel with her forelegs. Aaron didn’t know she knew about this place. She would be safe here until morning.

She wished it were all just a bad dream. Any minute she would wake up in her room and realize it had all been a nightmare. Maggie would come in to greet her just like she always did. Then Aaron would come in and tell her about another party she had to get ready for that same night. Maggie would wash her up, polish her scales, spray on a little perfume, and pick out a lovely vest to wear. Later that day, she and her master would go to the party and she would watch in awe at everything while the humans admired her and told her how lovely her scales were.

Aeris growled and forced the thoughts out of her mind. The parties were a lie. Those humans never cared about her. They weren’t admiring her. They saw her the same way they see a lovely piece of furniture. They talk about how lovely it is, but they were secretly imagining what it would look like in their homes. They didn’t see her. Aaron pretending to care for her was a lie. He kept her locked away, made her afraid of the world so she would be dependent on him. So she would never disobey him. And it would make her easier to control when the time came to get her eggs. She knew that now. The veil had been removed and she saw the world for what it was.

And it wouldn’t go back over her eyes. She wouldn’t allow it.

With her mind full of thoughts about how to survive for the rest of her life, Aeris placed her head as close to the satchel as possible and fell asleep.