I nodded, standing there, taking it in.
The Quad was roughly pentagonal in shape instead of a real Quad with four sides. Wyvern Hall made up two sides, bending in the middle at an obtuse angle.
Although all the buildings were built during different times in different styles, one stood out.
"What's that building, again?" I asked, pointing to a multi-level structure made of concrete, glass, and steel.
"Ahh... yes. That's Harrow House. It was rebuilt about fifteen years ago after it was damaged in a fire. In the summer, you'll see the living roof filled with wildflowers and grass."
"Huh, kind of intimidating. Are those solar panels?" I pointed to the roof where sparkling panels and three small wind turbines whirled in the afternoon winter breeze.
She breathed out a silent laugh. "Yes, Harrow House is very efficient. It pumps more electricity into the Balaur electric grid than it uses."
Opening her mouth, but hesitating, Mrs. Moorhead said, "You know... Ashe was in Harrow—Eondian is a Harrow dragon."
"Hmm… he said that my family is Orthodox, and he is…" I couldn't remember the word he'd used, and I looked to my relative to say it.
Instead of speaking, Mrs. Moorhead's eyes bore into my own as if trying to convey something.
When she took off quickly, I called out to her, "I heard whispers about an inquiry. What kind of inquiry? About me? About Ashe? What's going to happen with the bond?" I trailed off, still flailing for understanding.
Catching up to her, I asked, "Well?"
"I don't know. My guess is that the authorities will open an investigation... This has never happened at the school before. The truth is, none of us know for sure what's going to happen. This entire situation is uncharted territory." She shook her head as if trying to shake off the memories of the ritual pilgrimage.
I wanted my own inquiry. However, there was so much I didn't know, and I had no idea where to start. "Can you explain a few things to me? I know nothing about the Dragonborn."
"I lay that burden at your father's feet," she murmured, glancing back at me but continuing her brutal pace.
Drake House was easily the oldest of the three houses and probably built before Wyvern Hall. The massive manor reminded me of something I'd seen on an English estate. The four-story structure was made up of red brick and cream stone. A narrow porch spanned the front, holding up a second-floor balcony.
Mrs. Moorhead marched straight up the front steps before pulling open the door. Inside, we passed through an elegant vestibule and into a shared room. The fireplace against one wall was so large that three people could stand inside it comfortably. Flames licked at logs stacked inside, cracking as they burned. Comfy couches and overstuffed armchairs and tables were scattered around the room in groups. Students lounged about, talking, playing board games, doing schoolwork, or on their laptops.
A hush fell over the room when I'd been spotted, and I remembered what everyone had been telling me, that no one came to Balaur Academy at my age.
I tried to paste a natural smile on my lips, but it probably came off as more of a grimace.
Mrs. Moorhead took her gloves off and clasped her hands together, garnering anyone's attention who hadn't been looking our way. "Hello Drake House, as some of you may have heard, we have a new student! This is Sydney Miller. Please welcome her and help her to feel at home."
The room burst into excited chatter. I stood there, feeling like a donkey among horses.
Out of an arched doorway, a blond girl with a bright smile approached us.
Reaching out, she pulled me into a warm hug before speaking. "Hi, oh my gosh! You must be completely exhausted. It's crazy getting here, isn't it? I'm Becca, I'm actually one of the people who should've met you when you arrived, but the entire student association was away on a field trip."
Her warm smile soothed me a bit, and I began to relax.
"Hi, yeah... I am exhausted and in need of a long hot shower." I told her.
Mrs. Moorhead took a step toward the door. "It looks like Rebecca has you well in hand. If you need anything, let me know."
Fatigue wore on me as I tried to keep up with Becca's tour through the house.
"So, this is the common room, and back there is the kitchen. You can only get cold items, like sandwiches or fruit like an apple or banana. I suggest you go to the Main Hall for all your meals. Sit down dinners are three times a week—at 7p.m. in the great hall Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. OH! Do not be late, they lock the doors, and you won't get inside."
On the far side of the building, she led me up a narrow winding flight to the third floor. "This is the sixth and seventh-year floor, but they've placed you here even though you're only a fifth year." She shrugged and laughed, "It was either that or with the first years."
"Fifth year?" I asked.
"Yeah. So, everyone begins school in what would be sixth grade US. So, the first year is like sixth grade. Does that make sense?"
I furrowed my brow but nodded. It didn’t make sense, but whatever.
She turned into the center room, and I stopped in the doorway. A large window looked out over a tree-covered valley below. The sun had just begun to dip low in the sky, and orange beams filtered through the bubbled antique glass.
"Wow." I raised my eyebrows before dragging my gaze from the view.
There was a bed on each side, along with a matching wardrobe and desk. One side was stripped bare while the other was neatly decorated. My eyes roamed over the wall where medals, pictures, letters, and dried flowers all hung.
Becca pursed her lips together. "This was my room alone, but I've moved everything over to give you that side."
I brought my hand to my mouth to cover my thanks that ended in a yawn.
She sucked in a breath. "Honestly, I don't mind. I couldn't put you in a quad with three pre-teens—that would be torture! Besides, this room is supposed to be a double anyway. I was lucky to have it most of the year."
Her eyes roamed my face as she examined me curiously.
"Thank you," I told her again. I set down my messenger bag next to my already delivered suitcase. The bed was made up with crisp white sheets.
Becca steepled her fingers. "Let's see, what do you need to know? The housekeepers come every Tuesday. The right side of the house is boys, the left is girls. The bathrooms on the right are for the guys—left for the girls. Don't ever use the guys' bathroom—you'll regret it. Besides, it's against the rules."
I poked my head out into the hall. There was a door separating the two sides that stood open. I pointed toward our end. "Girls side?"
"Yeah," she answered.
"This whole house is co-ed?" I asked.
She nodded.
As I stood half in the door and half out, I noticed a wi-fi router. "What's the wi-fi password?"
"It's Drake house rules—all lower case no capitals."
She smiled and went to leave. "I'll let you settle in."
I stopped her with a touch on her arm. "Thank you."
Her smile dropped, and she nodded. "It's fine, and you can stop thanking me. I figure you've already got the deck stacked against you by starting late. Also, people are nice here, and it doesn't hurt that you're a Prime."
My brow furrowed, but Becca only laughed, her shoes tapping on the hallway floor as she made her escape.
I didn't wait in the doorway to watch her disappear. Instead, I pulled out my phone and charger and plugged it in, waiting for it to turn on. Laying down on the bed, I figured I'd rest for just a moment, but the room was cold and dark when I awoke. Reaching to turn on the bedside lamp, I checked my phone.
I had no messages—nothing from my dad, nothing from our friend Lori, nothing. I turned to my email. Nothing other than spam.
Sighing, I pressed the microphone to use speech to text. "Dad, I miss you so much. I'm in a bizarre boarding school... with actual dragons... like…" I stopped and deleted the text.
Instead, I typed: Please call or text me when you ca
n. I want updates. Also, don't worry about me, I'm okay. I miss you. I love you. I hope you're getting better.
Swallowing hard, I pocketed my phone. I knew he couldn't read this until he got better, but he'd know I was thinking of him.
A flutter of grief ran through me. What if he dies? What if he's afraid and I'm not there?
Opening up my suitcase, I pulled out my toiletries and began to sort my clothes. I pressed my favorite t-shirt to my face and sniffed. It smelled like home and the handwashing soap that I washed our clothes with in Vietnam.
The flick of Aaraeth as she moved startled me. She roused and slid along my thigh. A wave of fear or grief or who knew what washed over me, and a sob erupted from my mouth.
I had no idea what was going to happen next.
My life had been upended, and everything I knew to be true was now distorted and misshapen.
I didn't regret my bond with Aaraeth, but having her was like the loss of myself. I'd lost how I perceived the world and lost the future I'd planned for myself.
To top it off, I now had a huge dragon tattoo.
What did my unbonded-bond with Ashe mean?
I wasn't ready to be mated for life.
I wanted to date and try things out and experience everything first.
Although… Ashe sent sizzles of pleasure through me at just the thought of him.
I shook myself. I needed to think clearly. I knew almost nothing about this man—because yes, from his memories alone, I knew Ashe was a full-grown man—out of college, serving in the militia. Scenes of morning runs and combat training flitted through my mind. Or what looked like the east coast in the fall. But the majority of his memories felt like California and definitely had a west coast vibe with palm trees and lots of sun.
I needed to get him out of my head, or clear my head. I was obsessing, and it had to stop.
Wandering the hallway with my shower kit, I found the bathroom. Turning on the water in the shower, I undressed and stepped inside.
So much weighed down on me. My breath caught in my throat, and my chest seemed to be locked in a vice. I could barely breathe.
Trying to distract myself, I managed to shampoo my hair and use a bit of the liquid soap from the dispenser on the wall to wash my body.
But as I stood there in the shower, everything came crashing in on me again.
It was too much, all of it.
My dad's accident, this school, my dragon, a bonded mate—whatever that meant. My body and my mind would never be my own again.
Sliding down against the shower wall, I pulled my knees up to my chest as the drops beat down on me. My tears mixed with the water and swirled around the shower floor, and down into the old drain.
I could have stayed there all night, but the murmur of voices and giggling brought me out of my self-pity—not completely—but enough to stand and turn off the tap.
The voices drifted away, and I stepped out of the shower stall. Drying myself, I pulled on the shorts and t-shirt I'd brought with me and escaped to my room.
I rechecked my phone—nothing.
Then pulling my stuffed lamb from my suitcase, I held her to my face before pressing her to my aching chest. Stuff-tee, my lamb, smelled like my clothes—and like comfort. I kissed her plush face, and my tears soaked into her fur.
I couldn't stop crying. Everything I'd had was now gone, except for my stuffed lamb.
After several moments, a tap sounded at the window, then another.
I raised my head and watched as a small pebble hit the window again.
"What?" I whispered into the dark room as I stood and wandered over to the window, Stuff-tee still in my arms.
There below stood Ashe in his black military uniform and black coat. He motioned me to come down.
Anticipation and fear shot through me. Not fear of him, but fear of the unknown. I threw the lamb onto my bed before glancing around for a clean jacket. A down coat with the Drake colors of green and blue hung on Becca's wardrobe. I plucked it up and jammed my feet into my shoes.
Hustling through the hall and down the staircase, I slipped outside. Around a darkened corner, I followed the bond's pull and found myself between Drake and the thick concrete exterior of Harrow House.
"Ashe?" I whispered into the black of night.
I couldn't see anything except the moonlight reflecting off the densely forested valley below. It was still, and quiet, blanketed with snow.
"I'm here," his shoes crunched on the snow as he approached.
I was glad it was night; the dark hid my tear-stained face.
He neared but stopped about an arm's length away. "You've been crying."
Running my fingers beneath my eyes to try to get rid of any evidence, I shook my head. "No, I'm fine," I lied.
He breathed out a concerned laugh. "You aren't. I can feel you. I could feel you all afternoon, and it nearly killed me."
I sucked in a shaky breath, the kind that lived on the edge of a sob. "I'm so lost…"
"I know, and it's not fair, but I'm here. I'm with you." Ashe reached out and took my hand, pulling me into his warm body. He smelled like the wind and the woods and himself. His nearness comforted me and confused me all at the same time.
Sniffing to prevent new tears, I gazed up into his face, hidden by shadows. "You came to check on me?"
He squeezed me in his arms. "I had to… I can feel your pain."
"I'm sorry…"
He cut me off. "No, don't be. I'm angry for you. None of this is fair, but I'm here, and I want you to know that everything will be okay."
I laughed, "This whole thing is crazy. It's like I've entered the twilight zone. And… I'm freaking out. Aren't you freaking out?"
"Mmm… I don't freak out. I plan." He murmured and kissed my hair. "I feel your fear. Are you afraid of me?"
I rested my head against him, and his stubble scratched my forehead. "No... that's like being afraid of myself." I tried to still my thoughts and reach out to him with my mind—feel him the way I had in the cave. The way I'd felt before he'd pulled away from me.
"I feel you reaching out. What do you sense?"
"Calm. You're calm," I whispered.
"I am because you need to believe me when I tell you things will be all right. Did you know that it's actually illegal to keep bonded mates away from each other? I talked to my dad this afternoon, and he told me that. We have allies. We both do," he told me as he ran his fingers over my wet hair.
"But Aaraeth said we aren't all the way bonded yet."
Ashe blew out a breath and hesitated. "Yeah... About that. That’s a subject for another day. We have enough trouble, we don't need to borrow more."
My eyes widened, and I leaned away from him. "Aaraeth told me that we have to have sex."
"We are not having sex."
"What? Don't you want the bond?" I was confused and a little angry.
"I do, but we aren't rushing into anything. We have to get to know each other before I even want to talk about completing the bond."
"Okay... that makes sense. It's just Aaraeth keeps talking about it."
And you keep thinking about it, she reminded me.
Ashe laughed uneasily and tilted my chin up to meet his eye. "I know. But as much as Eondian and Aaraeth want it… the age thing does freak me out a little. But that's only temporary, right? How old are you? Seventeen, eighteen?"
I swallowed, and my soldier's eyes assessed me as I hesitated.
Then he released me, to hold me at arm's length, "Oh shit, how old are you?"
I breathed, "sixteen."
He released me before turning and running his hands through his dark hair. Then he began to pace the alcove where we stood.
"Ashe?"
"It'll be fine. I just... you look older than that. You act older than that. I thought we'd have to wait a few months. I need to think about this."
Breathing out a resigned laugh, I pulled at his arms until he held my hands. "I've lived a different life than most peopl
e my age. You must've seen that. It doesn't matter. We'll still be all right, right?"
He nodded grimly.
We stood there in silence, an emotional flow circling between us.
Ashe stayed silent for several moments before clearing his throat. "I have to go." He pressed a folded-up piece of paper into my hand. "Here, you can message me or text me or… email, but I graduated, so the edu one probably won't work soon. I'll set up a new email address and give it to you."
"You just graduated?" I was relieved that he wasn't as old as I thought.
He nodded. "From graduate school."
My spirit sank again, and Ashe began to walk away.
Hesitating to leave, I called out, "What are we going to do?"
He turned lithely back toward me, "Just figure it out day by day. Oh, don't lose my contact information. And remember, they can't keep us apart, it's illegal!"
I sucked in a shaky breath. As much as I felt for this man, he was still a stranger. I knew nothing concrete about him. Not even his age or his full name.
What if I didn't want to be mated with him?
Or worse, what if he didn't want to be mated with me?
7
My damp hair felt crispy and nearly frozen by the time I returned to my bedroom. Carefully, I hung Becca's jacket back on her wardrobe hook and sighed.
The visit with Ashe and the cold had perked me up. I had school the next day, so I figured I'd better figure out what I would wear. With my foot, I slid my open suitcase over to the wardrobe.
When I opened the doors, I was taken aback. The closet I thought would be empty was filled. At first, I thought Becca had left her clothes in there until I spotted a neatly folded letter—an email printed out.
* * *
Dearest Sydney,
I can't imagine the confusion and upheaval you must be feeling. However, this is your real life, your true destiny. You are Dragonborn, no matter how the ritual goes, and you are my precious child's daughter, which makes you dear to me. I have no doubt that your ceremony will be successful. I am so pleased and proud that you've finally taken your rightful place among us.
Cracked Open: The Dragon Born Academy Page 6