RPOV

I had put the boiling water out of my mind and added it to the long list of weird things that kept happening to me. Lissa was helping me by keeping my mind off of it, and off Dimitri, by dragging me into town. She had disguised herself, saying she didn't want to bother today with the escort. Most town merchants would probably recognize her, but I trusted the town's folk. Mostly.

In disguise, she couldn't just purchase whatever she wanted, and I noticed she was having trouble not buying everything in sight. I had to giggle. I suppose we all had our problems.

We were walking down the street when we bumped into two men. I wasn't sure who bumped into who but I assume it was Lissa's fault for looking only at the merchandise on sale, and me only keeping a close eye on Lissa.

"Woah there. Careful."

The guy I had bumped into could barely stop me from hitting the ground hard. He straightened me up, and I looked at him and his companion. The man before me was handsome with messy brown hair and green eyes. His companion had black hair and ice blue eyes. The green eyes were fixed on me, but the blue ones were taking in Lissa as though he had never seen a woman before. The attention made Lissa giggle and blush. The green-eyed man poked the blue-eyed man in the ribs, and this seemed to get him out of his daze. He cleared his throat and then looked me over. There was curiosity in his eyes, but no blatant lust or disgust. Usually, it was one of the two. I saw the other man eye me curiously too, but in his eyes, there was definitely lust. I think I heard him murmur something about his cousin being right, but I had no idea what that was about.

There was something about these men that made me stand there and observe them. Normally, I would either apologize or curse depending on whose fault it was, but something made me stand there and take another look at these two gentlemen. Lissa certainly didn't mind.

The man I bumped into was rock solid, yet he had a slender physique. I wondered why it felt I had walked into a wall when clearly he didn't look that solid. They felt somewhat familiar. I knew I had never met them before, but they were giving off something I recognized. And at that moment it hit me. They were Dragons. Now that I knew Dragons could have a human form I could tell quite easily. They smelled like Dimitri too; that smoky scent that was apparently unique to Dragons.

Honestly, I was kicking myself. Dimka and Dimitri even smelled the same. Really, I should blame myself for not figuring it out sooner.

The fact that these two Dragons were in human form also told me that it seemed to be a general ability Dragons possessed, and not something Dimitri cast to mislead me. I felt a little better about that.

"What brings you men to this town?"

I emphasized the word men so they would guess I knew they weren't men at all. The blue-eyed one seemed a little confused, but the green-eyed man had a large smirk on his face.

"So you can recognize us? Not many humans can. Of course, not many humans know we can even appear this way and we would like to keep it that way."

He seemed to be hinting to something, but whatever he wanted to say in subtext was lost on me. Maybe he wanted to make sure I wouldn't tell?

"Why don't you want people to know? Maybe they would fear you less if they saw you could appear the same as them."

He smiled, but there was no humor in the gesture.

"People always fear what they don't understand, if people know we could look like them, and be killed like them, they would try and hunt us when we were human. It is a lot easier than when we are as large as their buildings and protected by our scales. Human skin is so fragile."

He looked down at his pink skin and pinched it as if tested the durability of the skin. I hadn't considered that people knowing Dragons could appear human would make them vulnerable. In that case, it may have made sense for Dimitri to hide it from me at first. Maybe I had been too hard on him.

I shook my head. No. He may have had reason to lie to me at first, but he had had plenty of opportunities to come clean, and he didn't.

"So little human, you and your friend doing some shopping?"

Little human? I resented that nickname already.

Lissa nodded vigorously. She had tuned out of our earlier conversation, completely fixated on the blue-eyed man as he was fixated on her. I wondered if she had caught the part of the conversation about them being Dragons? But when the word shopping was said, all of a sudden she started to pay attention again.

"Shopping is good therapy," she practically squealed and was clapping her hands together.

The blue-eyed man seemed to find this endearing, while the green-eyed one gave me a sympathetic smile.

"So why do either of you need therapy. What could possibly trouble two lovely young ladies such as yourself?"

Oh, he was charming.

I was about to tell him to mind his own business when Lissa decided to answer for me.

"Rose's boyfriend lied to her about something big, so now she is pissed and hurt. So I am taking her shopping."

"He is not my boyfriend," I hissed.

I didn't know what he was. What he even could be. We were two completely different species after all.

Lissa rolled her eyes at me. She knew as well as I did even if we hadn't put any labels on it, there was definitely something going on between us.

The green-eyed man dropped to his knees in a dramatic gesture as he put one hand on his heart and stretched the other one out towards me.

"Oh, lovely lady, I would never lie to you. Please cast aside this liar and be my bride."

The blue-eyed man started to laugh and snort and even I had to admit it was funny. The man on his knees faked being hurt but joined in the laughter after a few moments.

"But seriously, little human. You deserve someone treating you right. But I have also learned that if people keep something from you, it is never without reason."

It was strange; this Dragon seemed to be a goofball. He was joking and didn't seem like the type to take anything too seriously, but then the next minute his eyes focus, and he'd speak as if speaking directly to my soul.

"Of course, that reason isn't always very noble. It might be that he is lying because he doesn't want you to learn about the other girl he has going on the side. Isn't that right, Adrian?"

This came from the blue-eyed Dragon and it was directed at the green-eyed man, probably called Adrian.

"One time, Christian, one time. And I had every intention to come clean, eventually."

"Yeah, when you decided which of the two was better in bed."

Lissa and I had to giggle at the banter of the two men. But Adrian seemed offended by his implications.

"You are making me look rather bad in front of these two fine ladies."

Christian seemed to right out laugh at that.

"I don't have to make you look bad. You do a fine job of that yourself. They could probably figure out that you were trouble the moment they saw you."

"Careful, Christian the Snarky. I have the power to behead you for insulting me."

He groaned and rolled his eyes. I had learned that Dragons didn't pick their own nicknames, and this definitely had not been picked by him if his groan was any indication.

"So what do they call you?"

His frown turned into a bright smile as he took a deep bow.

"They call me Adrian the Charming. And what delightful names are you ladies graced with?"

"My name is Rose, and this is Lissa."

Lissa actually curtsied, and it was returned by the two Dragons with a respectful bow of their head.

"Well ladies, we must be going, but it was very nice meeting you. I hope we meet again."

Christian seemed reluctant to leave, but Adrian was practically dragging him past us. I saw them disappear into the crowd.

Lissa couldn't stop talking about Christian when we got back. How handsome he was and how nice.

"Liss, you do realize he is a Dragon, right?"

She stopped her ramblings mid-sentence and simply stared at me.

"You're serious?"

I groaned, she had missed the entire conversation between Adrian and me.

"Yes, Liss, they both were."

"Oh, well then, I mean, if you can date a Dragon, why can't I?"

I giggled. Well if she put it like that, I suppose there really wasn't a hindrance. When human they had the same anatomy, so that would work. I didn't know about this Christian, but our duties got in the way of Dimitri and I, before him being a Dragon was even an issue. There was one point though that I think would pose a problem. Maybe another reason Dimitri didn't want to tell me he was a Dragon.

"Lissa, they do live longer than we do."

"Like what? Hundred and fifty?"

I shook my head.

"More than a thousand years."

"Oh."

When I thought about what Dimka had told me about his age and how Dragons mature, I realized that Dimitri wasn't twenty-four but two hundred and forty, and that Christian and Adrian seemed to be in a similar age range. I wondered what younger Dragons looked like and I thought back to Viktoria. She was Dimitri's sister, so she was also Dragon. Or he had simply paid someone to play his sister? But I doubted that. She said she was sixteen, but I think in reality she was more like a hundred and sixty.

"I would guess Christian is around the two-century mark."

Her jaw dropped, and I saw a little bit of the excitement leave her eyes.

"Well if you really love each other, it doesn't matter how long or short your time together is, every moment is precious."

I snorted a little at that. Lissa was such a romantic. I think she was trying to convince herself, and maybe me too.

The topic was dropped for now, but I could tell it was still on Lissa's mind all through the afternoon and dinner. It was also on mine. What if I did forgive Dimitri? What if I did want to be with him and could find a way to balance protecting Lissa and seeing him? Then I would age and he would not. We would maybe have three decades before it became awkward and maybe another two before I would slow him down with my aging body and in another decade or two after that, I would be gone he would still look as young as he did now.

Lissa yawned and decided to go to bed early. I would join her and guard her from the adjacent bedroom. It had been Alberta's idea to locate me in her old room, now that Lissa required more protection. I was grateful because sharing a room with four other girls wasn't fun. I had wondered if Alberta took my place in the common bedroom, but she told me she had arranged a small room down the hall.

My room was small but filled with a large bed and a desk. I barely had any room to move around, and still had to share the bathroom with the other girls, although Lissa did say I could use hers as well.

I had made the necessary security checks. I placed a bell at the bottom of the door, so when the door opened the bell would shift and ring. The only other entrance was the balcony. The doors were open as it was a hot night, but there was nobody who could climb the four storey high building, so I wasn't worried there.

Lissa had changed into her nightgown and looked out over the balcony. She always did this before she went to bed. She would look out over her domain, and I knew the silent question she always asked herself. When she ruled, would she make it better or worse? She took her responsibility very seriously, and every night she remembered the weight on her shoulders.

But tonight I saw her face change from contemplative to downright shock, and then a large smile crossed her face.

From my position, I couldn't see what she was smiling about, but when she stepped back a little, and a large form followed her, I knew who she had been smiling at.

Dimitri was standing in her bedroom. I suppose somebody was able to climb those four stories, or maybe he flew? I would have to add Dragons to the list of people to look out for. The Dragons I had met were wonderful, but any one of them could now enter Lissa's room without permission. I thought to simply close the balcony doors, but I doubt that would deter a Dragon.

I took in his form and was surprised at the wonderful flutter that emanated from my stomach at seeing him again. He had come for me. I didn't think he would.

I must have reflected my inner thoughts on the outside because I saw a small smile tug at his lips.

"Oh, he climbed a tower for you Rose. Oh, this is soooo romantic."

I rolled my eyes, and saw Dimitri being a little hesitant of what to do with Lissa.

I, on the other hand, knew how to handle her just fine.

I grabbed Dimitri's hand and dragged him into the room adjacent to Lissa's and closed the door. The room looked even smaller with a six foot seven Dragon standing in it.

I didn't think he would be comfortable on the teeny tiny chair so I motioned for him to sit on the bed. I took the chair. The chair was a little higher than the bed, so we were actually face-to-face. Also, our knees touched because his legs were simply too long – or the space simply too small.

There was an awkward silence. I didn't really know what to say. But Dimitri obviously came here for a reason, and I am sure he hadn't come in the hopes of getting a booty call.

He cleared his throat, and I saw he was anxious as to where to begin.

"Thank you, Roza, for hearing me out."

I nodded and tried very hard to ignore the butterflies when he called me Roza.

"I know I should have told you earlier. At first, I was simply following protocol. To protect our species, we are very selective who we share the information about our human transformation with. Also, I didn't want to freak you out. I didn't think telling you right after you woke up that first morning would be very productive."

I nodded. I figured as much from my earlier conversation with Adrian.

"But after I got to know you and you showed no fear of me in my Dragon form, I should have told you, but then I had already been lying for a while, and I didn't know how you would react. I told myself our time together was limited and we would part ways soon enough, so there really was no point in telling you."

I could also follow that logic, but by the way his face contorted into pure anguish, I knew it wasn't the full truth.

"But the real reason I was hesitant to tell you was… I was afraid. Afraid you would reject me."

His eyes focused on mine and I gasped at the intensity of the emotions crossing his face.

"I know not fearing someone and being able to love someone are two different things, and the more I fell in love with you, the more afraid I got that you wouldn't feel the same way."

He wasn't able to look at me when he said the last part; instead, he looked down at his hands.

I grabbed his hands in mine. He seemed shocked at the gesture.

"But I did love you. All of you."

He nodded.

"I know. After we flew together I knew I had to tell you, even if you would hate me for it. I didn't know how long we still had together, and I wanted you to know the truth, but we sort of got… distracted."

A small smile came across both our faces when we thought of those events.

"Please, Roza, forgive me."

I could forgive him. I understood his reasoning. I was still pissed, but I think I could forgive him if only to give him some peace of mind, he deserved that. But I wondered if it would change anything between us. He was still a Dragon and me human. He would live longer, and he might have to go to war soon. I felt like the cards were already dealt, no matter if I chose to forgive him or not.

But I saw the anguish in his eyes, and I cupped his cheek in reassurance. I don't know what tomorrow would bring, but tonight he was simply a man, and I was able to you give him something he needed. Forgiveness.

"I forgive you. But I don't know if it changes anything. I am still human and you a Dragon. I love you, Comrade. I wish we could be together, but I just don't know how."

His face lit up from my words, and he pulled me into his lap and held me tight.

"I don't know how this is going to end either Roza, but right now, I just want to be close to you."

He nuzzled his nose in my hair, and I felt strangely at peace. I felt all my anger dissipate. Yes, he had lied to me, and he would be groveling for a long time, but I understood why he did it. I moved back a little, so I could kiss him. My lips barely brushed his, but it was enough to make the butterflies go crazy. He returned the kiss with a gentle brushing of his own. I wanted more, but he pulled back. I was a little confused.

"Rose, there is something else I need to tell you."

My hearts sank. Oh God, did he lie about more things? I don't think I could handle any more.

"I found this out this morning, and I think you should know. When you were staying at the cave, I saw markings on your wrists and neck. I looked into what they were.

"It is a binding spell."

He looked confused. I suppose he didn't think I would know what they were.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I asked a traveling merchant who specialized in weird items and rare books and such. Lissa thought he might know something about the markings."

His eyes narrowed at my story.

"What traveling merchant?"

I looked confused but described Abe. Dimitri's eyes narrowed even more with each feature I described.

"He told me his name was Abe Mazur."

His face had turned almost stormy.

"Zmey… 'Abe' is a Dragon. He is the one who put the spell on you in the first place. He is also the Dragon that has been watching over you since you were little."

I didn't know what Zmey meant, but something told me it was true. Now that I knew that Dragons had a human form, I had been able to identify them and if I thought back to my meeting with Abe, I did notice he had felt similar to Dimitri and the two Dragons I met this morning.

"Why? Why would a Dragon put a binding spell on me?"

He took a deep breath and brushed some hair out of my face. He seemed to be taking me in as if it was the last time he would see me like this. Like in a moment I would change and no longer be Rose.

"Because Ibrahim or 'Abe' is your father. You aren't human Rose, you are a hybrid and binding your powers was his way of protecting you and making you more human so you could grow up here."

It was like he was speaking another language. His words just didn't make any sense to me. My father was a Dragon? I didn't have a father. I didn't have any parents. This was too much. But I knew what he said was true. I had felt a connection to Abe from the start, and I never feared Dragons. A lot of things started to make more sense, but for every question it answered, three more took its place.

"Why would he bind my powers?"

Dimitri was rubbing the back of my hands as if such a gesture could somehow soothe the truth.

"Hybrids are often unstable. The mixture of Human and Dragon usually results in a volatile reaction and hybrids have destroyed many things because they had no control over their abilities. Binding your power meant you wouldn't succumb to the instability of it."

My powers, like boiling bath water and not burning.

"But the spell isn't working anymore."

I looked down at my hands as if I expected the markings to appear to prove my point.

"The spell is holding. That is what those markings are. Whenever your powers come to the surface, the markings appear and try to bind them. It may not be a hundred percent effective anymore, but you will know when the spell breaks."

An image of me with scales all over my body came to mind. Would I look different if the spell broke? Would I still look human, would I still feel human? Would I still be the same person?

"What do hybrids look like? What kind of powers can I expect?"

There was a small smile on Dimitri's face as he took in my mortified expression. I suppose he had been able to deduce my train of thought.

"Hybrids look human, like I do now, in my human form. If the spell breaks, you won't look any different. Hybrids usually have aspects of their Dragon parent. Some are as physically as strong as us, some can manipulate fire, they heal as fast as we do, and they age slower."

I thought about the fast healing. I suppose it wasn't that weird goo Dimitri's sister had put on me. I definitely had the fire thing, but the most interesting one, the one that gave me an odd sense of hope was the fact hybrids tend to age slower.

"How much slower?" I asked with a shy smile. Dimitri returned the smile, and I saw his face too was filled with hope.

"They get the life span of their Dragon parent, or close to it."

Well, that would solve one problem.

"So have you noticed any other things you can do?"

His voice was very hesitant and almost fearful. What kind of explosive powers did these hybrids usually have?

"I feel this connection to the fire, but Dragons have that too right?"

He nodded.

"And I think I can manipulate it? I was in the bathtub the other day and was able to reheat the water."

He seemed to be thinking it over, somewhat relieved I hadn't told him I had blown up something important.

"Was there a fire in the room?"

I thought about it, but no, there hadn't been one. The night had been hot enough, so I hadn't felt the need to light one.

"No, is that bad?"

He seemed to find my appalled expression amusing, but I didn't find any of this funny.

"No, Roza, it just means you have an internal flame like I do. What triggered it in the bathtub?"

I blushed, not wanting to divulge the exact reason why the bathtub water had been heating up, figuratively and actually. I hoped my blush wasn't visible in the evening light.

"Oh, I am not sure" I tried to say with a straight face.

I was mulling all this new information over. My whole world had been turned upside down, but for the first time in my life, I knew who and what I was and I felt strangely at peace with it. It made me feel closer to Dimitri too. But I could tell by the nervousness in Dimitri's posture and demeanor, it wasn't all good news.

"Why did the binding spell start to fail?"

I knew I always felt different, but up until I had been able to boil water and not get hurt, I had been a normal girl. I bruised as easily as any other human. What made the spell loosen?

Dimitri looked down at his hands, and in that moment I knew he was probably the reason.

"Me. It might be that you are older and simply became more powerful, but I think it is because your power recognizes mine. Resonating with it and coming to the surface… It also means the spell will probably hold if I leave."

I could barely hear him as he whispered the last part. If he would leave, I could go back to pretending I was human. It also meant I would have to stay away from Abe as well. I would have to denounce half of me. I had just been getting to know this species, and I wasn't planning on giving that up. Giving him up.

"What would happen to me if the binding spell breaks?"

Dimitri leaned back on the bed, his weight supported on his hands and he stared at the ceiling maybe hoping it would answer for him.

"It is hard to say. Hybrids are usually well hidden and grow up with their human parent, so we don't have all the information. But the hybrids that we do know of, well, we know them for a reason. Their power becomes unstable and…"

He sat up straight and made a gesture with his hands, making them go from a joined fist outwards opening his hands. He was simulating an explosion. I could explode.

"Oh," was all I could say.

"They can't control their flame, and eventually the flame consumes them. It happens to Dragons too sometimes, but it is rare."

So I could live a lie, or I could try finding a new meaning in life and be happy with a man I love but risk exploding. Great.