Caged by Damnation (Caged #2)(69)

"Oh." Savannah looked embarrassed.

They decided that Scrye and Nicolai would watch over Savannah, since Nicolai was the best fighter among the Draconians, and Scrye having the sight might come in handy. Aidan was chosen as a standin if one of them were detained.

Poison Ivy and I were both assigned Maye and Josephine, because I was basically a fledgling and they were the two least likely to need protection. Archer would be our backup.

Vixen and Cooper were displeased to find themselves as partners. They would protect Liam and Ash with Gabriel as the stand in. Ryder and Whisper were given Griffin and Isis to watch over. Wolfe would cover them. Which left Echo and Rafe to protect Diamante and Izzy with Julian as the third protector.

Though each group had been assigned three protectors, only two would take on the official duty. The third would act as the scapegoat, fighting the attackers long enough to allow the others to escape.

"Everyone should speak with their charges and partners to develop a plan of action. Should something unexpected happen, it's better if everyone is on the same page." Nicolai nodded to Savannah. "You, Calla, and Aidan, come with me." His voice was demanding and I could see Savannah fighting not to go off on him. She hated being ordered around.

Sure enough, Savannah allowed her emotions to best her. "I'm not some little lamb who's going to follow you around. My family just got here. I need some time with them. We can make plans in a bit.”

Nicolai glared at her, his teeth gnashing together. "That's fine, if you want to get them killed. Without a plan, you're risking everyone's lives. If you love them so much, you should want them to be safe."

Savannah sighed and disappeared down a hallway with the others.

Soon, Poison Ivy, Josephine, and Maye were standing with me outside near the gate. "What do we do? What type of plan are we supposed to make? One for during or after a battle?"

"You watch over Maye and I'll take Josephine. That way our attention isn't divided all the time. If something happens and we need to escape ... we'll need somewhere safe to hide out." She seemed more serious and less irritated than normal.

Josephine and Maye were silently watching us, allowing us to take charge since we were supposed to be the experts. "What about an amusement park? We can find someplace to hide out in one of those, right? Avoiding guards should be easy compared to demons." Strangely, they all thought it was a brilliant plan.

The meeting was brief, Maye and Josephine made their way back into the cottage, leaving me with Ivy. "Are you okay?"

She glanced up and quickly looked towards the trees that we had come from. "That thing would have killed me. You stopped it." She looked back at me, her eyes narrowed and confusion abound. "Why?"

"What do you mean, why?" When she didn't answer, I realized she was asking why I’d saved her. "You think I would let you die, if I could help it? What kind of impression do you have of me that you think I would care that little?" I was insulted, but mostly hurt.

"It's not like I'm all that likable, and you barely know me. How could you care about me?" She hiccupped. "No one cares about me." The last was said with pain. "I ... don't inspire ... those types of ... emotions." The hiccupping had become worse and I wondered if it was a sort of defense mechanism.

"Well, I do." I'll admit that you can be a pain in the ass, but that doesn't mean I want you to die! You should work on your people skills, though. I think there's more to you than you let the others see"

"You know, I think I kind of like you." She smiled before tracing Maye and Josephine's steps.

The Hellhounds were peculiar, and I hadn't even begun to delve beneath their exteriors. As much as I didn't want to leave my old pack for the new one, they were growing on me. Now, if only we could keep my old friends from dying. That would be quite the challenge.





CHAPTER 16


Savannah's Journal

Dwelling over the fate of Maye and Ash had been worse than anything the demons could have done. My heartbeat and my soul resided with me, but my life had been nonexistent until we were reunited.

Isis didn't seem angry with me for forcing her to leave with Maloc. In fact, it was almost as though she had forgotten; her mouth was firmly sealed and the memory stuffed into the back of her closet.

Willow had perfect timing with her arrival. She still looked like herself, but it was deceptive. Beneath her exterior was a Hellhound: wild, dangerous, and intimidating.

It was overwhelming being caught between the Hellhounds and the Draconians, while getting used to Willow and Izzy's changes. I hoped that a plateau was around the corner. I could use some downtime.



SAVANNAH

My group of protectors led me up a staircase and into the attic, which turned out to be Nicolai's room. It was bland, like a hotel room, with a bed, bathroom, and a table with drawers build into it.

I thought about the division of duties and a thought occurred to me. "What about Maloc?" Everyone stared at me. "Why wasn't he assigned to a group?"

Nicolai ran his hand through his hair, brushing it away from his face, revealing his scar. He pulled a chair from the far corner and sat. "Maloc isn't a Draconian. He's a friend of our race."

I nodded in understanding as Calla used some dust to heal both of my injuries. Silence ensued; Nicolai stood and paced like a cat waiting for a saucer of cream.