“Obsidian is certainly rare,” Bryce said from where he sat on the other side of Donovan. Since that weird incident the first day, Bryce had been nothing but friendly. He was a bit geeky. Thankfully, he hadn’t tried any of that slick gaze-freezing nonsense since I arrived at the Academy. But being around him still worried me, as if I was waiting for the next horrible thing to happen. I kept thinking Bryce would be in the center of it when it did.
Moira, sitting on my bed behind him, probably didn’t agree. If her eyes weren’t half-glazed over, I’d think she liked him. Hell, for all I knew, she did. Limited boy experience, here. Since I’d brought her back from the library last night, she’d mostly been herself. Over dinner, she’d explained away the incident as being overtired. Stressed about Stone Selection. Needing a good, long nap.
I could understand feeling overwhelmed. Her reasons almost made sense. Yet a niggling feeling inside me kept suggesting there was more going on here than her just being tired.
“Fourteen hundred years ago or so,” Patty said. “You were asking about history earlier, Fleur, and I can explain a bit.” She lifted her glass and stared at the amber liquid gleaming like citrine in the low light. “Good stuff, by the way, D. Your family sure knows how to brew a solid verdeen. Anyway.” After taking a quick swallow, she set her drink on her bedside table. “The fae argued about fourteen hundred years ago. It almost came to war. If they hadn’t split into two factions, if some of them hadn’t come here, they might’ve wiped each other out.” One corner of her pinkened lips lifted. “Bad day for us, huh? They renamed themselves the Sídhe and settled here in a parallel universe. They were our ancestors, who we now call the Elite.”
Finally, I was learning some history. It might’ve been better to hear this when I was sober, but I’d take the information any way I could get it.
“Back up a sec,” I said. “They came here, to Maine? But here isn’t quite the same as where the outlings live, is it? You mentioned a city. I’ve heard legends about the Sídhe, but wouldn’t someone have figured out they were real by now?”
“Remember, parallel universe,” Bryce said. “We live among outlings yet we don’t.”
“We use wards,” Donovan said.
More wards.
Patty nodded. “The wards protect us from discovery. Outlings only see what we wish to show, which isn’t much.”
The fog Mom drove through before she arrived here when I was ten. Had we penetrated the ward?
“You passed through the veil,” Donovan said.
I side-eyed him. He was too damn uncanny. Mindspeak was bad enough.
“No one can read minds,” Bryce said. “But some people’s faces give them away.”
“Does mine?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I can’t read you.”
That was a relief.
“I assumed you must’ve passed through the veil.” Nudging my shoulder, Donovan grinned. “Though I probably could’ve figured out what you were thinking from—”
I held up my hand. “Don’t say it.”
“What’s it like when you pass through…” Bryce stalled and seemed to be looking inward. “Hold on, got a ping.” His face cleared. “It’s Ashton. He wants to talk to me.” There was no denying his sadness when his gaze swept across us and, for a moment, I wanted him to stay. His quiet demeanor was growing on me. “I’ve got to go. This might take a while so I’ll just go to bed when I get back. Sorry to ditch the party early, guys.”
“No problem,” Donovan said. “I understand.”
I didn’t. “Why does the Wind Coven Prefect need to speak with you?”
Bryce had started dragging his chair across the room but turned back. “It’s slake business.” The door shut behind him.
Moira stared in that direction until I waved my hand in front of her face.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m just tired.” She slid off the bed, her feet smacking on the floor. “I should go to bed, too. Big day tomorrow.” As she drifted into the bathroom, she said, “Night.”
The door shut before we could reply. So weird.
I shook off my unsettled feelings. “Anyone dare to tell me what a slake is?” I asked Donovan and Patty, the only ones left of our celebration party.
“Power sucker.” Disgust twisted Patty’s face but her voice quickly lightened. “But Bryce isn’t like that. He’s different.”
“Some slakes can kill you within an hour,” Donovan added. “Others enjoy playing, drawing it out for days.”
I jolted back against my chair. “How do they kill?”
“They thrive on power,” Patty said. “Drain it to feed their own.”
“They’re power vampires?”
Donovan nodded. “Essentially, yes. They take all you’ve got and leave behind shriveled shells.”
I gaped at him, completely sobered despite the decent amount of verdeen I’d had. “And you’re rooming with a slake? Doesn’t that, like, feel a little dangerous?”
“I would’ve thought the same thing as you but one, Bryce is only half-slake. And two, he’s been bonded. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t suck a single strand of power from me.”
What had Bryce done with me, then? Had it been some sort of mind persuasion?
“You’re sure he’s bonded?” I asked.
“The school wouldn’t admit him if his slake abilities weren’t suppressed,” Patty said. “Believe me, after you two met and I could swear he played a mindmelt game with you, I ran him over the coals. No way will I let him hurt my roommate. But his bonds are rock solid.”
“He made it through Stone Selection,” Donovan said. “Which means he can pull power from other sources.”
A shell left abandoned in the deep grass. The frozen expression of terror on his face. I hadn’t forgotten the words I overheard in the auditorium.
Crap. A slake must be hunting on campus. “But that student…”
Patty drained her verdeen and held her glass out to Donovan for more but he upended the bottle, showing it was empty. “What student?”
My turn to act evasively. I wasn’t sure I dared share what I’d heard. If it got out, I’d be cooked. They’d eventually trace it to me. Those Seekers… “Nothing.”
“But—”
“Be right back.” Going to pee was a fantastic excuse to avoid adding to my slip. I rushed to the bathroom, my legs like rubber. No denying that the thought of a rogue slake power-feasting on campus scared the shit out of me.
With the verdeen gone and the cheery mood popped, the party broke up not long after that. Donovan dragged away his chair, and Patty and I went to bed.
I couldn’t sleep. I kept worrying about Donovan. And about slakes sucking all my friends dry. No wonder Justine, Professor Mealor, and Cloven warded our stones. They were worried they’d find another body.
Rising, I started toward the bathroom to get a drink of water but stopped to say hi to our brownie on the way.
She sat beside the bowl of cream, dipping into it with a silver teacup so tiny, I could barely see it. White ringed her plump pink lips, and her high cheekbones wiggled as she swallowed. About four inches tall, she wore a silver dress and had plunked a matching silver cap on her head. Her minuscule golden wings fluttered along her spine.
“Thanks for cookie,” she chirped through a bite. Cookie crumbs rained on the floor.
Patty and I had finally gone to the mall and picked up supplies.
“Anytime, Beatrice,” I said. “You, uh, like chips, too?” I held up the bag of nacho tortilla chips I’d eaten half of earlier.
Her hands reached out. “Yes, yes!”
“Go to it,” I said with a grin as I handed the bag over.
Returning from the bathroom a moment later, I found my room empty except for Patty. During my short absence, my bed had been made, the verdeen glasses washed and tipped upside on a cloth to dry, and our clothing had disappeared from the corner where we’d tossed it.
Not a single cookie or ch
ip crumb in sight.
Beatrice worked fast.
Before climbing back into bed, I stood by the window, staring out. On the top floor, we had a great view beyond the main Academy buildings. With the moon high in the sky, I could see across the upper pasture, all the way to the forest. Dew sparkled on the grass in the moonlight, making the pasture appear as if someone had tossed a handful of diamonds.
Come.
Ugh. Not that voice again. I squinted toward the woods, wishing I could either shove the word out of my mind or track down whoever it was and tell them to stop. Enough already.
Come!
My growl slipped out. So much for getting any sleep tonight.
After dressing quickly in a tee and jeans and donning my sneakers, I left my room, being careful not to wake Patty. Even the lips in the door barely mumbled.
I soon slipped across the campus, aiming for the western part of the Academy.
It was time to end this once and for all.
Chapter 19
“You shouldn’t be here yet.”
Standing just inside the tree line—the forbidden forest tree line, that is, with the sensation of spiders crawling up my spine—I jumped. The forest stirred up a wild mix of feelings inside me. One moment, I ached to explore its depths while the next, I feared what I might find there.
Alex popped into view beside me, his gossamer wings glinting like gold dust in the moonlight.
“You scared the crap out of me,” I ground out, trying to keep my voice down. Yes, I wanted to find out who kept calling, but I wanted to see whoever it was before they saw me. “Hold on. You said yet. I shouldn’t be here yet. You mean I’m supposed to be here some other time?”
Alex zipped up into the air about three feet before returning to hover in front of my face. “Curiosity is a fine thing in some students.”
“But not in me, right?” Peering around but seeing absolutely nothing, I inched forward, my sneakers crunching dead leaves and tiny sticks. Hoped they were tiny sticks, that is.
The voice had come from somewhere in this section of the forest. I was certain of that. But the woods stretched on for miles. Realistically, I could walk for days and never figure this out. Should I go back to my room and make myself go to sleep? As Moira said, we had a busy day tomorrow.
Something squished beneath my sneaker, and I cringed. Just my luck, I’d step in dog poop. Assuming there were dogs here. I’d seen none so far.
“Since you’ve chosen to come here now, I’ll show you,” Alex said. “Come.”
Chosen to come now? An eerie word choice on his part.
“One thing, though,” he added as he fluttered ahead of me, leading me deeper into the darkness. “What I’m showing you is a secret you shouldn’t know but you need to know.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing if I asked, I’d hear more answers that were not answers.
“But you can’t tell anyone,” he said. “Promise?”
“Promise.” My footsteps slowed as a thought occurred to me. “Is it you?” I whispered. “Have you been calling for me to come to the forest?”
“I have no trouble finding you if I wish to see you.”
True.
“Then who has been calling me?”
“Things are never as they seem.”
Alex darted down a narrow trail snaking into the woods, and I half-ran to keep up, my sneakers creating dull thuds on the ground. “You know who it is, though, don’t you?”
“Before the Elite came here, this forest belonged to the Perite.”
“Who are they?” Panting, I struggled to keep up. Demon dragonfly. You’d think he’d slow down so I could walk with him.
“They’re cousins to the fae and Sídhe,” he said.
“Let me guess,” I huffed out. “They left the fae and moved to the parallel universe, too.”
“Most have died out,” Alex said, his shimmering wings drooping. “Only a few still serve in the royal palace.”
“Okay.” More information to file away for my upcoming research sessions, assuming I found time to get to the library.
“Others are scattered around the planet. One lives here, in the forest.”
“And you’re taking me to him. Is he the one who’s been calling me?”
“Remember, Fleur, no matter what. Fear is your ally.”
I’d become so used to Alex saying one thing while meaning another, I shrugged off this latest tidbit. I could think about what he might mean later.
“Back to yet. Why shouldn’t I have come here yet?”
“I knew you’d give in eventually. Thought I’d have more time to prepare you, however.”
Prepare me didn’t sound good. “Please, not another trial.” My heart had barely survived the first.
“Nothing like that.”
“Then what are you—”
“Shhh!” Alex jolted to a stop and I almost ran into him. Wasn’t keen on smacking my nose on dragonfly butt.
Ahead, I spied an open area with a narrow stream trickling along one side. Moonlight glinted off something big and blue and green standing on the opposite side of the clearing.
I tiptoed closer, passing Alex. “What is that?” Leaning forward, I tried to see what it was through the dense brush in front of me.
Only the wind answered, stirring the trees overhead, making branches clatter together like skeletal fingers.
Alex had disappeared. Again. I bit back my groan. I told myself that, if he’d needed to stay with me, he would’ve. I had to trust he wouldn’t lead me into danger.
I stepped forward, narrowing the gap between me and the clearing.
Shock and awe froze my feet on the trail. I couldn’t be seeing this right. But even after I rubbed my eyes, it remained.
A dragon!
He—I assumed he for some reason—lifted his head, and his amber gaze pierced the vegetation, pinning me in place.
If I wanted to live, I should run. I wasn’t keen on being roasted alive tonight.
Alex wouldn’t have brought me here if it was unsafe. And the dragon was gorgeous. He stood on four muscular legs with clawed feet, and swirling, ocean-colored scales encased his entire body. Ridges that looked sharper than blades rippled along his back, gliding from the top of his head to the tip of his spiked tail. And wings! Tucked against his sides, they appeared ready to extend over fifteen feet across. Claws curled from the segmented wing joints, sharp enough to eviscerate someone with one swipe. And tall. His head must reach almost a story-and-a-half above the ground. Sharp talons speared from his cheeks, deadly enough to rip someone to shreds if they dared to come near.
While I shivered at the danger this creature presented, I wasn’t scared. Not sure why I wasn’t peeing myself except something about him called to a newly awoken place deep inside me.
I entered the clearing, fully exposing myself to his acceptance or my death.
“You are absolutely beautiful,” I whispered when he did nothing but stare at me.
He huffed, and I got the strange sensation he found my words funny.
“Do you understand what I said?” That would be cool.
His head dipped.
Oh, wow. This was incredible. Dragons should only exist in fairytales yet I was walking over to one, now.
The dragon shifted his front legs and groaned. My gaze caught a splash of red, and my eyes widened as blood trickled down his front left leg. Uncaring if he’d impale me for coming near, I hurried toward him, determined to help.
A growl erupted from his throat, and curls of smoke drifted from his nostrils. I halted, shuddering, waiting for instant incineration.
He lowered his head, not making a threatening move in my direction.
I shifted closer.
“You’re hurt.” My heart ached for this poor wounded beast. As I carefully inched closer, I ripped a strip of material off my t-shirt. Remembering the stream, I turned and walked slowly in that direction to wet the fabric. Returning to the dragon, I carefully blotted the wound.
Gulping, I stumbled backward. “Sorry! Sorry. Just trying to help here.”
When he didn’t rip my head from my neck, I decided safety was overrated and moved forward again. “It’s not that deep a cut.” Although, it did look painful. How had it happened? “Don’t be such a wuss.”
His snort came out like laughter.
“It looks like someone slashed at you with a knife,” I said, blotting at it again. “You been in a fight?”
He just sighed.
After ripping another strip of material off my tee, I wrapped it around his leg and tied a knot. “My bandage isn’t perfect, but maybe this will make it feel better. If nothing else, it’ll keep the dirt out of it so it can heal.”
As I stood in front of him, carefully tracing the scales on his chest, he lowered his chin onto my shoulder. I leaned back and stroked his face, gliding my fingers along the sharp ridges along his neck and the spikes jutting from the top of his head. How in the hell did I find the courage to do this? Yet I couldn’t stop touching him like a favorite pet.
There was nothing puppy-like about this dragon, however.
“What are you doing here, anyway?” I asked. “Alex, he’s a dragonfly and my friend, he said you were a Perite which must be a race of dragons. He also said your race had almost died out.” Sadness reached into my chest and crushed my heart. Beautiful creatures like this one should be treasured, not hidden away in a forest. “Do you have a cave nearby where you can sleep tonight? A place to stay while you heal?”
He grunted, but I wasn’t sure if I could take it as a yes or a no.
“With so few of your kind left, you must get lonely.”
Another grunt, softer, mournful.
“You’re the one who called me, aren’t you?” My fingers traced along his jawline. His teeth—razor-sharp—could rip me apart, but I knew he’d never harm me. Silly to place my life in the hands of a wild creature, but he was much more than a simple beast. I sensed a connection between us, one of caring and respect.
His head shook as if he said no. He hadn’t called? Then who had?
Crystal Wing Academy- The Complete Series Page 17