“I'm going to the store. Anyone need something while I'm out?” Crispin asked, standing at the edge of the outside door. He had his hand on the door knob.
“Let's see, you're going around Lawn so why don't you...actually, I don't think there are any stores around there,” Henry said. He looked at Crispin to see if he showed any sort of emotion. Henry knew he would.
“Why would I go to Lawn?” Crispin folded his arms over his chest. He shifted his eyes.
“I happen to know that a certain brown haired girl lives around there. You may want to tell her hello. I could be wrong. You did yell at her and tell her never to come here again.” Henry flipped through the channels absentmindedly. He knew he managed to strike a chord with Crispin.
“You're wrong. I'm not going to Lawn.”
“Where are you going?” Sera asked. She grinned at Henry sitting next to her.
“I'm not sure yet. I'm only going shop for food. I was trying to be nice.”
“Could you get me cookies?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yes I can.”
“Oh and get me a number,” Henry said, without turning to Crispin.
Crispin and Sera looked at Henry curiously. “A number?” Crispin asked.
“The one to the roommate she talked about,” Henry said with a smile.
Crispin rolled his eyes. “You don't have to believe me. I'll talk to you when I get back,” he said, opening the door and leaving. He didn't want to keep answering their questions. Henry would keep asking questions until he managed to make Crispin confess where he was going. Crispin told them enough: He was going buy more food for the house. That was all they needed to know. It was the truth.
He never said how long he taking to get the food. They wouldn't notice if it took a long time. He would walk in later to a quiet house. He figured Henry was leaving the house tonight. Crispin was surprised Henry didn't have his groupies at the house already. The speech Crispin gave before they moved worked. It lasted longer than he thought it would.
Sera and Jules were staying behind like usual. He felt bad forcing Sera to stay there. It was best for her close-by in case of danger. He worried about her sometimes. Jules could protect her while he was gone.
He found himself outside Annabel's house. He wasn't sure which window was hers but a few were lit. A silhouette of two people crossed it. He was looking at the living room. He stood back in the shadows and watched. If the Unseen was hanging around, it was coming after her soon. He was certain.
“She lied to you,” a nagging voice inside his head told him. That was true. He thought about that problem ever since she told him. He made her promise not to tell anyone he was a dragon. She not only told someone, she took his picture as well. He should leave and let her deal with the problem herself. That wasn't him. He had to help her.
“I'm too nice,” he said to himself. That was always his problem.
Crispin wasn't sure how long he stood outside her building. His eyes kept scanning for the Unseen. If what Jules discovered was correct, the Unseen was coming straight to her. She attracted them. He was nearby to destroy them. It would be a great symbiotic relationship. He wouldn't have to search for them anymore throughout the city.
A dark shape took shape outside the house. Crispin straightened himself. That was what he waited for. He moved closer towards the house. The lights had gone off earlier. No one would see the shape coming towards them. He ran faster to the house, hoping to overtake the Unseen before it entered.
The shape traveled up the wall and pulled bricks down. Crispin caught its attention by shooting flames at it. He scorched the Unseen along with the exterior of the house. “Come here and fight,” he challenged the Unseen. It was barely out his claw's reach. He needed to find another way to attack it. He had to entice it to come to him. They would be on even footing and he’d destroy the creature before it caused any damage.
“Silly little dragon. You’re not worthy of my attention. You’re not the target,” the cold voice said continuing up the side of the building. It wasted time responding to him.
Crispin knew who the target was. He didn't a choice at this point. He had to get inside the house now. He clawed at the door handle. It refused to open. He pulled it off and threw it on the ground. Time was running out for him to get to Annabel. The Unseen could be in her room before he made his way in.
The house was dark. Light from an outside street lamp was the only thing allowing him to see where he was going. His eyes scanned the dark room. He saw something move in the corner. He turned to get a better look. The Unseen crashed into him and forced him to tumble. Crispin scrambled back onto his feet. The shape slid underneath a door. That had to be the door to Annabel's room. He bashed himself against the door three times before it fell off its hinges.
Annabel sat up in her bed. “Crispin?” she asked, unsure of what she was seeing. She wondered if this was a dream from everything she saw earlier. He would certainly be in it. She pulled her covers around herself.
“Don't move,” he warned, “I followed an Unseen into your house. It's in here.” He scanned the area. He saw it come in. It had to be in the room. He would’ve felt it leave. He stepped onto the broken door and into the room.
“You told me I was safe here,” she said with a slight panic in her voice. She knew what the Unseen was capable of. She wanted to run out the run.
“I lied,” he said as he kept searching. “I took a lesson from you.”
“Making jokes when there's a creature nearby that could kill me does not make me more comfortable. Is there anything I can do right now?” She searched the room. She couldn't tell if anything was there. She never noticed how many shadows were in her room before.
Crispin nodded. “Turn on a light.”
Annabel turned on the lamp on her side table. When she did, half of the room remained in darkness. “Oh,” she said softly. All her doubts disappeared. Those shadows were the Unseen. It was definitely inside of her room. She felt trapped even with Crispin there for protection.