Hidden by Sophie Jordan Page A

hold my face. His thumbs pressing lightly into my cheeks. I melt against him.
    When we finally break for air, he whispers against my hair, “It’s just until we reach the truck stop where we left the car. Hang on until then.”
    His words wash me in cold. I should speak up now and let him know that I’m worried about leaving Cassian injured with the burden of Miram and the gray draki.
    But I can’t find my voice yet. And maybe Cassian will have recovered enough before we reach the truck stop. We heal quickly, after all. I flex my fingers against the cool cotton of his T-shirt and hold him close for a moment longer. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
    We’re cramped inside the back of the van. Even with Miram sitting up front with Will, Cassian and the gray draki take up a lot of room. Especially a fully manifested draki.
    Cassian insisted that Miram sit up front, claiming she’d been confined in a cell long enough. As it was a rather wretched experience—my brief stay in the enkros stronghold can attest to that—I didn’t argue.
    The gray draki seems too huge. He devours all the space, sucks everything inside himself, leaving Tamra and me pressed close together. I think longingly of that front passenger seat that Miram now occupies.
    “So do you have a name?” Tamra surprises me by asking him . Her tone was a little too friendly for my taste. I shoot her a look. She meets my gaze and shrugs. Keeping my watchful gaze on him, I resist rolling my eyes. He must have a name. He did exist somewhere else, presumably in this country, before the enkros took him.
    He nods once. “Deghan,” he says.
    Deghan. An old-sounding name. And it fits him perfectly.
    “Why don’t you concentrate on trying to demanifest while you’re stuck back here?” Cassian suggests.
    Deghan looks at Cassian and his lips curl almost with disgust. I can’t blame him. Who wants to openly struggle, in front of an audience, to do something he can’t?
    “Maybe another time,” Tamra quickly inserts, her voice softly comforting. “You’ve just forgotten how is all. It will come back to you.”
    Deghan watches her intently, his pewter dragon eyes devouring. I can’t fathom his thoughts. I only know that I don’t like that he watches her. Period.
    We stop at a diner in the middle of nowhere. The sound of traffic on the two-lane highway is sporadic. I smell the aroma of cooking meat on the wind before Will even opens one of the doors. My stomach grumbles. We shared a bag of powdered doughnuts this morning—hardly the stuff of champions. We could all use some real food. Bright light slants in through the back doors and I squint at the intrusion.
    “Obviously, we can’t all go in and sit down to eat,” Will announces, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one wanders close and happens to spot a seven-foot winged creature in the back of the van. “Jacinda and I can order food for everyone and bring it back.” He nods his head, indicating that I should climb out.
    I step down and we walk across the parking lot. Loose gravel crunches under my shoes. It’s a long walk. Will parked at the back of the lot, far from the doors and prying eyes.
    “Thanks,” I murmur. “Nice to get a break from back there.”
    “Figured as much,” he replies, slipping his hand around mine. “And Miram doesn’t seem eager to surround herself with humans. She’s not exactly chatty with me up there.”
    We order burgers and fries in the diner. I make sure to order extra, knowing how Cassian eats and guessing Deghan has an equally ravenous appetite.
    Sitting on stools at the counter, waiting for our order, I almost feel normal. Since Tamra interrupted us the last time we were alone, it’s nice to have this time together.
    “Would you like drinks while you wait?” a waitress behind the counter asks. At our nods, she pours and leaves us with two sodas sweating in plastic red glasses.
    I fiddle with a straw. “This might be the closest we get to a