"Have you seen Lloyd?"
I frowned, glancing up from where I was stirring my morning coffee. Misako stood at the entrance of the kitchen, brows furrowed in concern.
"No," I replied, tapping the teaspoon against the rim of the ceramic mug. "He was gone when I woke up."
Misako's downturned lips deepened in displeasure, squinting her brown eyes in confusion.
"Where is that boy?" she muttered before slipping from the entrance. I hurriedly chucked the utensil in the sink before rushing after her, coffee in hand.
"What's wrong?" I asked, taking a sip of my beverage. I eyed the stress on Lloyd's mother's face and held out my mug. "Do you need a bit?"
"Yes, please," Misako huffed before taking a hurried swig and handing the mug back to me. "He missed morning meditation and now I can't find him anywhere."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Weird," I mused.
"Very," she agreed. "Maybe Jace will know where he went off to."
Misako turned at the entrance to the training wing and I faltered, clutching my mug closer to my chest. I had a deeper suspicion that I knew who might have an idea where Lloyd disappeared to. I took a sip and spun on my heel.
"Hey, firework," I said, knocking my foot on Kai's door. It opened a crack and an amber eye poked out. "Do you know where- are you naked?"
"What?" Kai scoffed. "No, I am not naked, that is so very indecent and rude and - yeah, I'm naked, what do you want?"
I snorted. "Do you know where Lloyd might be?"
"He's gone?"
"Didn't even see him leave."
Kai pulled his eyebrows together in thought. He stepped away and I heard his closet being shut before he kicked his door open - this time, clothed - and let me in.
"He does have this spot he usually goes to when he wants to be alone," Kai murmured as he slipped on a shirt. "It's up the mountain. Usually he goes to meditate."
"Misako's looking for him," I said as I crossed my legs on Kai's bed. I took another sip of my coffee. "... is Lloyd mad?"
"I dunno," Kai shrugged, pulling on a jersey. His hair, ungelled, framed his face in messy waves. I didn't realise how long it was when it wasn't poofed up to the sky. "You'd have a better idea than any of us."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Means you two are attached at the hip," Kai snickered as he stood at the entrance to his room, gesturing for me to follow him with a tilt of his head. I stood. "I hardly see him anymore."
"Shit, Kai, I'm sorry," I sighed sarcastically but before downing the rest of my coffee. "I'll break up with him ASAP."
"Oh, don't do that," Kai said, stretching his arms behind his head as he waited for me to wash out my mug and place it in the dishwasher. "He'll just get all angry and emo again."
I snickered. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Y'know, except for college."
Kai hung his head back with a groan. He forgot about college.
"Lloyd's going to be insufferable when you leave," he grumbled as we stepped out into the garden. "He'll probably make some weird shrine of you. Put a lock of your hair under a photo board."
I widened my eyes. "I hope not."
Kai chuckled before pointing at the summit of one of the mountains that stood just beyond the threshold of the thick forest.
"He's up there. It's a three hour walk."
"And it's a two minute flight," I noted before sending Kai a pleading look. He relented with an amused smile - as if finding it hilarious that I thought he'd actually make me walk it - and his dragon emerged with a burst of heat and magic.
I hadn't seen Kai's dragon up close before. It emitted heat like a bonfire and the smell of charred wood and smoke filled my nose. His brown eyes immediately latched onto me and I immediately came up with a name.
"Hello, Jonathan," I greeted as the beast snuffled my hair affectionately, stepping closer. "It's wonderful to finally meet you."
The dragon gave a purring rumble in reply. He shook out his wings and a red mist curled off of it.
"Alright, get on," Kai said as he lithely leapt into the saddle. I clambered up behind him. He sniggered under his breath and shook his head. "Jonathan."
"Do not diss my awesomely legit naming abilities."
As I said, the flight was short. It didn't take us long to locate the blond demigod, sitting on a suspiciously smooth and small plateau while leaning against the uneven rock of the mountainside. He glanced up upon our arrival and I leapt off of Jonathan after saying a quick thank you to Kai with a squeezing hug thrown in.
"Hey," I greeted after landing on the ground. I only stumbled a little bit. Lloyd placed his sketchbook to the side.
"Hey," he echoed with a handsome smile and my heart gave a thump at his soft expression. Kai and Jonathan flew back home. I nodded to the spot beside him, hands in the back pockets of my shorts.
"Got room for one more?"
"Always for you, sunshine."
