Would he not give it to him if he explained that he was planning on leaving?Would he try to stop him?
No, it would be better if Graham didn’t tell Jarvis about any of this.He couldn’t tell anyone because he was sure that some people would try to stop him.They’d try to convince him that he had a place here when that just wasn’t true.They pitied him, especially now that they knew he didn’t have anyone but his brother, and his brother was gone.Graham didn’t want their pity, though.
So, he needed money.He still had a bit left from before Carlyle, but it wouldn’t be enough for him to survive for long.It might be enough for him to leave this place, though, and once he did, he could start rebuilding his life.
He’d need to find a job, and quickly.He could do it.He was sure he could survive on his own.He just needed to leave this place first.What was more complicated was the fact that he needed to leave without anyone noticing him.That was going to take some planning, maybe a little time to put everything together, but that was okay.Right now, he had nothing but time.
Chapter Five
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EMORY STRETCHED OUThis wings and grinned in a way that he knew was terrifying for anyone who didn’t know him.In his dragon form, he showed all of his teeth, and he had many.
But there was no one to see him and be scared because he was in the air.For once, he was alone.All the other dragons seemed to be busy elsewhere, which was one of the reasons he’d decided to come out and fly.He loved spending time with the others, and he’d missed that kind of company during the many decades he’d spent on his own, but sometimes, it was too much.He needed some time alone, and there was no better way to spend his time alone than flying.
He circled the castle, conscious of the fact that he couldn’t stray too far.Right now, he was hidden from human sight by the spells on the castle and the surrounding area.No one would notice him fly, and things needed to stay that way.Maybe he should talk to Jarvis and the others about having a spell put on him.He wanted to be able to fly everywhere without having to worry.
But for now, he didn’t have to.He could enjoy himself and not think about the future.He had one, something he hadn’t really expected, but he wasn’t sure what to do with it, and that made him anxious.It also made him feel ungrateful, which wasn’t something he wanted to obsess over now.
Strong winds pushed him sideways.He fought against it, eyeing the sky.He didn’t want to go back inside just yet, but he should.There was a storm coming, and there was no reason for him to fly into it.He wasn’t on a job or flying anywhere.
He grinned again.There was also no reason for himnotto fly into it.
He used to love flying into storms.He enjoyed the coolness of the rain against his thick dragon skin, the way battling the wind made him feel, and the sensation of victory when he came out of it in one piece.It had been a long time since he’d flow like this, though.He didn’t have the practice he used to have when he was younger, and he didn’t have a mage to back him up in case something happened.He knew any of the mages in the castle would run to help him if he needed them, but he had to start learning how to live his life without magic.He didn’t have a mage.He would never have a mage again because he refused to trust someone with magic the way he’d trusted Carlyle.He was rational enough to realize that Carlyle had been one of a kind, but how could he risk it?He’d already lost his dragon once.He wasn’t willing to risk losing it a second time.
No, he was done with being a shield.
He wasn’t sure how that made him feel.He hadn’t been a shield for longer than he had been one, but it had still been ingrained in him that was what his purpose would be in life.He’d been raised with those expectations.Now that he had his dragon back, he felt like he needed to uphold them, but he couldn’t see himself doing so.No, he was ready to live the rest of his life alone.It would be better than risking it all again.
The wind pushed him again, and he blinked at the sky.When had the storm come this close?He’d been keeping an eye on it, but he’d also been distracted by his thoughts.The storm was much closer than he expected it to be, and it worried him.He turned to look at the castle, but it was further away than he’d thought he’d flown.The winds were pushing him in the opposite direction.He put more force into his movements, pushing as much energy as he could into his wings, but the wind was too strong.His wings ached in a way they hadn’t since he’d been learning to fly when he was a child.
He was in trouble.
He looked around frantically.He wouldn’t be able to get back to the castle.That was obvious now, and trying to fight the wind wouldn’t change that.If anything, it would make the situation worse because he’d exhaust himself for no reason.There was no winning against this kind of wind.
That meant that he needed to come up with an alternative.He couldn’t go back to the castle, but he also couldn’t stay in the air, not if he wanted to live.This kind of storm would be enough to cause him trouble if he wasn’t careful, and he wasn’t hurting his dragon again so soon after getting it back.He also wasn’t ready to die, even though he’d thought he was for decades.
There was only one thing he could do.He looked around again, relieved that they were in a wooded area.The trees would give him some protection against the storm, and while he was sure that he’d come out of it wet and bedraggled, at least he’d be alive.He just had to get to the forest before the storm hit him fully.
That was easier said than done.Emory’s muscles and his bones ached.Having to push back against this wind made him want to scream in frustration because he felt like he wasn’t making any progress.Sure enough, though, the forest seemed to be coming closer and closer, even though it felt like an eternity.
That was when things got complicated again.He was at the edge of the forest, ready to land, but the wind was making it nearly impossible.He was panting and in pain, but he couldn’t give up.He hadn’t given up when Carlyle had betrayed him in the worst way one could betray a dragon.A little wind wasn’t going to break him.
But it could break his bones.
Emory didn’t have a choice.He had to land now or risk getting hurt worse than he would be when he did.
He got as low as possible, gritting his teeth and pushing back against the wind as hard as he could.He felt the first of his feet touch the ground, and for a second, he thought he’d made it.He grinned like an idiot, feeling like he’d won a fight.
Then, the wind pushed him again, and he lost his balance.One of his legs folded under him, and he crashed sideways, unable to stop himself.He barely had time to fold his wings against his body before he slammed against the trees.
* * * *
MAYBE SNEAKING OUTof the castle during a storm wasn’t the best idea, but Graham felt smart when he decided to do just that.His reasoning had been that the mages and their dragons would be too busy staying inside because of the weather to follow him, and since no one ever visited him in his bedroom, they wouldn’t notice he was gone until it was too late for them to come after him.Even if they did, the dragons wouldn’t want to fly in this weather, so it gave him more time to run, especially because he’d borrowed one of the cars that had been parked in front of the castle.
It had been easy.Everyone kept their keys by the entrance.He’d just had to pick one and find out which car it belonged to, and he’d done so by checking the brand.The car was more luxurious than anything he was used to, but that wasn’t a surprise.The mages had been alive a long time, much longer than he had.They’d lived in this castle for decades, and during all these years, they’d earned money.They were probably filthy rich, and even though they didn’t show it off, Graham had noticed.He really hoped whoever’s car he’d taken wouldn’t get angry.He wasn’t planning on stealing it or anything like that.He would leave it in town as soon as he found another mode of transportation.
That was, if he ever got into town.Considering the storm he’d driven into, though, he was starting to have his doubts.