Back aching, Jared stood up to admire his work. The main project of the past week had been repairs to the stonework of the castle. The upper levels had never really been attended to since the male dragon had attacked, and were beginning to crumble away. Satisfied with what he'd done so far, he was about to start again when the sound of something large behind him made him jump. Then he rolled his eyes.
"Bryne, what is it she's sent you for this time?"
The pale dragon launched immediately into a variety of guttural sounds in quick succession. Jared was tiring of this game. Nadia had taken to having Bryne run errands, ones that involved speaking to him. She did this so often, it was a wonder he got any work done at all.
"Okay, okay, slow down," he pleaded, holding up his hands. "You want…you want me to break something—no, wait, um…a break. You want me to take a break?"
Laughter came from around the corner; Nadia strolled into view. She twirled the chain of her necklace around her fingers. "Actually, she was the one asking for a break. But you were close."
"Ugh, it's no use. I'll never get it right," Jared complained to her. "And you've learned to speak it back?"
She patted his shoulder sympathetically. "It takes time. You've actually learned a lot for the first week, I promise. And Bryne's picked up on your voice amazingly well. I almost wonder if she minds you better than me these days."
Jared sighed, and rolled his eyes. He never thought it would be so different to have someone his age around. She bested him easily in arguments and almost nearly as well in strength (Quinn had not been happy when one fight came to blows, even though she was winning). He couldn't decide if this fact was more awe-inspiring, for her survival skills, or just plain annoying. At the moment, it was annoying. But before he could think of a retort, Quinn appeared on his crutches.
"Quit complaining. When a woman gives you a compliment, you take it like a man. Now, playtime's over. Get back to work." He gave Nadia a wink and a smile.
"Never get a moment's peace anymore, not from anyone," Jared grumbled. He set up a large stone to chip off a bit that stuck out, positioned the chisel at a flat angle, and promptly hammered his thumb. "Ouch!" He dropped the tools in pain.
"Are you alright?" Nadia asked with honest concern.
"No help from you," Jared muttered sorely. Now his hand as well as his pride was injured. This all melted away, however, as she hooked one arm around his waist to lean around and inspect the damage for herself. The blow had split the already winter-dried skin of his knuckle, and it was now bleeding pretty badly. He winced as the wind made it sting.
"Ooo, we'd better take care of that," Nadia pronounced.
"It'll be fine. Lesson about human life—sometimes we like to be left to take care of our own problems. I just need to wipe the—"
"You're bleeding!" she protested. "Come on, let's find Alex. She'll have iodine or something." Like a mother, she took Jared by the wrist, Jared grimacing at the thought of pouring iodine over the cut. She caught him. "Oh, stop being such a prat."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Hurry up, we've only a few hours left!"
Jared had never seen the castle so busy unless it involved a dragon on the hunt. People running were in every direction, preoccupied with food or decorating or some other detail. It had finally happened.
Quinn had asked Alex to marry him.
The ceremony wouldn't be fancy; they just didn't have the resources. Nevertheless, it was the most exciting thing that had happened in years, and for some, ever. Jared had never seen a wedding, let alone been in one. He was a little nervous at being Quinn's best man.
Furthermore, Nadia and Bryne were nowhere to be found all day. She had assured him that they wouldn't leave anytime soon, at least not without saying goodbye, but one had to wonder…
"Well, here you are, try this on," said Dana, handing Jared an old blazer. "It might be a little big in the shoulders, but we want the wedding party at least to look nice. Go on, then."
Jared slipped into it, feeling the cuffs remain down over his fingers. If nothing else, it was a warm, relatively comfortable coat. He nodded his approval, and Dana left.
It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Both Quinn and Alex were the happiest he'd ever seen them. Alex actually looked pretty—the women had put together a dress of sorts for her. What bothered him was that Bryne and Nadia still hadn't turned up. Where were they?
Dinner and the reception followed the ceremony, a comfortable affair with the warmer weather. More food was served then than had been seen in a long time. And there was dancing, though it was a little awkward at first due to Quinn's healing ankle. It wasn't long, however, before the lively music and bonfire had everyone on their feet.
Jared couldn't have come up with a better scene if it was out of Cinderella. Shortly after dark, Nadia slipped in, unnoticed, still wearing Jared's trenchcoat. He made it painstakingly through the crowd to get to her.
"Trying to sneak in, are you?"
Nadia jumped and spun around. When she saw who it was, she pulled the coat self-consciously around her. "Perhaps. Didn't seem to work though, did it?"
"No," Jared chuckled. "Another thing about living with humans. If you're trying not to be noticed, someone inevitably will. That and I've been more than a little worried all day. Where have you been?"
Shyly, Nadia opened the coat. She was wearing a patched and faded green dress, cut in the old '30s style, which fit her perfectly. The cross rested on bare skin for the first time. "There were a couple things I managed to salvage from the house when I left, and then left back in that cave. It used to be my sister, Tila's." Locking gazes, her brilliant eyes asked the question for her.
"You look amazing," was all Jared could get out. It wasn't just the dress, or fixed-up hair. There was something about how she held herself now, a release of tension that she didn't have three weeks ago. To say that Nadia was pretty was an understatement. "Would…uh, wow…would you li-like to dance?"
"But I…" She was clamming up again. "I don't know how."
"Neither do I, really," said Jared. Already he was helping Nadia out of the coat. "You just go with it. We can stay right here, where we can't really be seen, if ya like."
They started out in a rather awkward slow dance. Then Nadia remembered a few steps she'd seen in an old movie. Soon it was a night of ease, with no worries to bother with.
"Aww, Quinn, you've been such an inspiration tonight," cooed Alex, slipping her arm around her husband's.
"What?"
"Look."
Jared and Nadia were slow dancing again. Nadia had put her head down on Jared's shoulder.
Quinn smiled. "Now I know what they mean when parents say they grow up so fast."
"I thought he wasn't your son?"
"Yeah, but I still raised him, I suppose."
Jared had never felt so content in his life. He didn't quite think it was love, at least not the roaring passion Quinn sometimes talked about. He simply wanted to defend Nadia so she didn't have to anymore. She seemed okay with that.
"Hey, Jared?"
"Yeah?"
"I want to thank you. This is the best night I've had since I don't know when," Nadia breathed. It sounded like she was starting to fall asleep.
"Don't mention it. I just wanted to make you feel at home."
"You've done very well."
"And I want you to feel like it's safe to get close to people. To get close to me."
Nadia took a sudden step back. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"No, I didn't—that didn't come out right," Jared said hastily, horrified at the thought of his own words.
"Get close to you?"
"You're the first girl I've really connected with, and the first real friend, to be honest. I've been the only one my age until now, and—"
"So you thought you'd pair right up with the first one come down the road?" Nadia shot back. Her gaze and tone were icy. "Sure, you were going to teach me how to act human again. What was the next lesson, mating?"
"Nadia, please, I didn't mean to—I didn't mean it like that," Jared pleaded. "I wanted you to have someplace where you don't have to defend yourself from anything. That doesn't make it love; it means you have a friend who's willing to stand there for you. Please, think about it."
But tears were beginning to roll down Nadia's face. "I don't know what to think anymore. Battered though my defenses are, it is in retreat, no matter where to, that one is most easily stabbed in the back. Maybe I have been alone for too long, and maybe some things are better left alone once they're there."
Without another word, she wrapped herself tightly in the borrowed coat again and stalked off to wherever Bryne was waiting for her. Jared was left to his own shock and disbelief.
