150| DRAGON'S BREATH

Blue’s been nothing but distant since my conversation with Mikyle from a few nights ago. Even though he told me, before I even spoke with my old shadow, that we would seal the bond there hasn’t been much change since. It’s been over a week now, and the reality of the situation has fully sunken in- along with the upcoming final exams and graduation. I’ve been in a cloud of confusion through the first half of my exams, but it’s almost like muscle memory to complete each one.

If anything, my grades are better after the finals. Thank all that is holy. So there is hope for me yet! There’s a huge weight off my chest thanks to that mess being done. I find myself feeling oddly grateful that I’m no longer dozing so hard to be ‘human’. Hallelujah! That’s all done with. There’s now nothing better to do these days than mentally count down to the last day.

Darine, Yuri, Blue, and I spend the last week of school relaxing in our classes. Our conversations are lulls of normalcy, since our classmates are all humans, and we have to use code words if we want to talk about the Pack or the supernatural world. Darine’s nearly the same as she always has been, if a little more on edge after the change. Her eyes have a little more feral light in them than usual and they flick around the room from time to time. Her nose will twitch every so often as well, like she’s still not used to the new senses she has.

Whenever she starts getting restless, however, Yuri is always there to mutter words of calm to her. They’re almost never apart in school, especially now that the structure of school is coming to an end and the teachers don’t care if another sits in their classes. I’m relieved to see her getting through this so easily. I’ve heard horror stories from my Pack about the difficulties some of their old friends…friends that didn’t make it. Most of the time, Darine is the same old person as she was when she was human. Even if she’s more tense than before. I can only hope that, in time, she can get back to her old self and feel more in control in her new skin.

I smile to her in relief when we leave for the day, Yuri taking her to the Azure territory where she’s living now, while Blue and I head back to my house. As far as Darine’s parents are aware, she’s been hanging out with me, keeping me company since Mom’s gone now. I don’t ask Darine why she hasn’t told her parents about her new life as an Azure Wolven. What with her family’s checkered past as Hunters…I’m not surprised she’s been lying to them…but I’m not holding my breath that she’ll get away with it for much longer either. I assume my friend has a plan, but I won’t question her now when it’s clear she’s more volatile than she used to be.

Blue remains quiet when we get home, his mind split between the present and mentally communicating with his Pack as we start dinner. Halfway through the preperation of the meal, something sets off my mental alarm. Something supernatural has stepped into my mile-wide territory and is coming towards us. Something familiar and powerful. I shudder and glance at Blue, wondering if my mate can feel the same, smoky aura coming towards us.

“You want me to come with you?” Blue asks me, glancing between me and the back door where I can sense the supernatural is waiting.

“No, I’ve got it.” I tell him, still a little uneasy at the sudden visit, but also knowing that this can’t be a social visit if they’re here right now.

“Call me if you need me.” Blue tells me softly, his silvery-grey eyes flaring with a protective light. I smile at him and nod, reaching out to run a reassuring hand along his shoulders as I pass him and leave out the back door.

It’s dark now, the indigo sky slowly lighting up with the usual winking stars. Cool air caresses my face, soothing the more animalistic side of me that’s cowering in the wake of the aura nearby. I force my racing heart to slow and beat normally as the primitive fear worms though me. Though the shrubbery is slowly regrowing in my territory, there really isn’t much place for anyone to hide. It’s easy to pick out the visitor’s form just off to the side of the greenhouse, her short, curly hair wild as always…but-

“Akira.” I say her name in a surprised burst as I take her in. She looks like shit, despite there not being a scratch on her. Her skin’s still glowing healthily, but it’s her expression that lets me know something’s wrong.

“Hey, kid.” Akira offers me a haunted smile. I feel a brittle smile of my own tug at the corner of my lips.

“I’m not that much younger than you, you know.” I tell her, trying to put a little more defensiveness in my tone to make the conversation light. There’s something in her eyes that reminds me of …well…me. When I killed my grandmother. “You’re Executioner now?” I ask, despite myself.

“Yeah.” Akira’s eyes darken a little, the outer ring in her eyes thickening as they un-focus. “Just came from a… I just wanted to talk to you before I headed back.” She sighs, running a hand through her short curls. The black and red mass is loose, the springy curls fluttering around her head like flames.

“Sure. What’s up?” I ask a little hesitantly. I don’t sense anything but sadness and despair in her right now, but if I’ve learned anything, it’s not to judge a book by it’s tattered cover.

“How necessary is the job of Enforcer *and* Executioner?” She surprises me by looking me right in the eye as she asks. I stare at her, my eyes widening as I see the toll this is taking on her. Her eyes are haunted, completely full with the glassiness of unshed tears, a sort of pleading in the edge of her voice.

“Very. Like…end-of-the-world-necessary.” I reply honestly, guilt floating to the surface as she just stares at me. Her eyebrows twitch as she processes that. I watch her wild eyes for a moment, eyes that tell me she’s just done something that she regrets, but had to do. I can only imagine the horrors of her new life as Executioner.

“‘Kay.” Akira chokes out, swallowing a few times. For a second, I think she’s about to crack wide open and fall to pieces right here- but she takes a long, shuttering breath before closing her eyes. Twin tears track down her cheeks. Just the solitary drops. And then they evaporate before they reach her chin and she opens her eyes. “Okay.” She repeats, her voice calm. I stare at her, wondering if she’s about to break, but no. She straightens, the slouch in her back gone in a second. “That’s all I needed to know.” Akira tells me. All traces of the haunted look remains in her eyes, but there’s also a slight glow to her normally dark red irises. “I can do it.” She reassures me, seeing the way I’m still staring at her. She doesn’t crack a smile, but there’s a little humor in her voice. “Been through worse.” She utters under her breath, more to herself than me, it seems to relax her shoulders and smooth the lines in her face.

For a moment I say nothing, in complete and utter awe of her strength and resilience. It’s clear that she’s messed up over what’s happened, but she’s not letting it ruin her. It’s like she’s built a cage around her heart, one of scales and fire to protect a soul that is so gentle and kind…and yet is no stranger to the horrible realities of Leviathan-Class supernatural life. I can’t tell if it’s her *draki* blood that provides so much strength that she’s able to do the job of an Executioner and not shatter into a million pieces - or maybe it’s just Akira herself that is tough enough to do this.

“You’ve got this.” I tell her, the conviction in my voice leaving no space for anything but the utter truth I feel. “I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is the right path. You’re the only one for this job.” I look the *draki* woman in the eye as I tell her this.

“You know,” Akira smirks at me, some of her easy attitude seeping back into her body and relaxing the taunt muscles. “I think you’re right.” Her words surprise me, because even if I can see the truth reflected in her glowing eyes, I can also see the haunted look peeking at me from behind the light. She takes another deep breath and glances up at the sky, her face turning in the direction of her home as she nods to herself. “I’d better get back before Chambers realizes I’m gone.” She mutters, a grimace twisting her full mouth. “I’ll see you around, kid.”

“Bye, Akira.” I tell her with a smile, even if I bristle a little at being called ‘kid’. With a quick glance back at me, the *draki* shifts, and leaps into the air so quickly that I only get a glimpse of reflective scales and a huge, hulking body before strong wings carry her into the darkness and far from my wide, searching eyes.