Dragon Witch ✔️

50 - Half Truths

I couldn't believe him. Kyton had made such a fuss about apologizing for insulting me, and now he was accusing me of killing his sister. Well, it was an implied accusation, but still. If he wasn't so dang afraid of me, he probably would've said it outright.

"I didn't eat Nissa. Last I saw her, she was alive and well." That was a lie. She was a reanimated corpse possessed by a shade. She wasn't alive or well. But that wasn't my fault.

"I didn't think you ate her." He didn't seem so sure. His wings kept flicking out and folding flat again. "If you happened to... bite her, you would tell me, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "If I were to bite her, I have no idea if I would tell you, but it doesn't matter. I didn't bite her. I don't plan on biting her anytime soon. Are you done interrogating me now?"

He looked like he was about to ask another question, but he hesitated. I guessed what he was thinking and pulled out my ID. Nissa had friended me at lunch, so I had no problem finding her contact and calling her.

"Look, I'm calling Nissa right now. She'll tell you she's fine."

"I can't see your ID. It's a security feature. You have to put it on 'public.'" He gestured at my ID. "Settings, it's in settings."

I navigated to settings before Nissa answered, but it was a good thing I hadn't pressed 'public' yet. She was in shade form.

"What's up?" she asked, panting slightly. "I was just in the middle of a sparring match. Have you ever been to the OPSA arena? It's a great way to work off some steam."

"This is my first day. I haven't had time."

"Oh, well you have to try it. Do you have time now?"

I shook my head. "Your brother wants to see you. He's worried I ate you."

Kyton huffed. "I don't think you ate-"

I shushed him. Nissa was talking again.

"I don't want to talk to him. He's angry at me for hurting you."

"He's more angry at me, so just tell him you're fine, and you can go back to whatever you were doing. I'm putting you on public." I hovered my finger over the button.

In a flash, she turned back to her fairy self. I pushed the button and turned my ID around to face Kyton. He let out a relieved breath when he saw Nissa.

"Why didn't you answer my calls?"

"I- I didn't want you to be mad at me for hurting Lilly." Tears welled up in her eyes.

I handed Kyton my ID. "Take as long as you want. I need some fresh air." I headed out of the classroom, and he followed not too far behind, speaking to Nissa.

"What happened? How did you find out she's a you-know-what?"

"She was... checking her scales in the mirror, in the bathroom, and I walked in on her. Then I pushed her out the window."

"You pushed her out the window? Out a small bathroom window? While she was in her true form and not half-dead?"

We stepped out into the hallway, and I headed for the air-powered elevator shaft thing. Kyton followed, bordering on the edge of incredulous and amused. When we stepped out on the ground floor, he was still drilling Nissa about what happened this afternoon.

"Look, I'm not an idiot," he muttered as we passed a pair of tall, leafy-haired dryads. "You're a sprite. She's a you-know-what. There's no way you overpowered her and shoved her out a window. If you're going to lie, at least make up something more realistic."