Wary Is Her Love_An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure

by Judith Berens

  Horace’s face went serious. “I don’t know. That seems to be the question of the day, but you found him, and that’s what’s important for now. He didn’t like being cooped up in your room so much, though.” He chuckled. “He really did a number on the place. Pulled all the feathers out of your comforters and spread them out like snow over the whole room. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw it.”

  “I don’t think the headmistress shared your sentiment,” Kathleen muttered.

  “What are Silver Dragons like?” Alison asked, sensing Horace’s comfortable human soul.

  “From what I found out, they like to be near humans, or at least the ones they know they can trust. Throughout time they’ve been known to be very protective of the innocent, though they don’t go out looking for danger. If they happen to come upon it, though, they won’t hesitate to jump in and save the day.” He pulled out a small switchblade, flipped it open, and scooped up a block of balsa wood, whittling the edges.

  “They are very honorable creatures, not to mention extraordinarily intelligent, and that can’t be said for most dragons. There have been tales from Oriceran, from long before the Light Elf kingdom was established. Silver Dragons actually sat on the councils of the various lands, helping to protect the place from enemies.”

  “What happened to them?” Aya asked.

  “I’m not sure. They are very curious, especially when they are young; not much different than a human child. They’re kind to every creature they meet unless they feel threatened, but something in the past was able to push them out of mainstream life, and even where they usually congregated, you’d be lucky to find a footprint.” He pressed down with the edge of the knife and cut out a small curve. “Whoever had this egg must have hidden it well. The eggs are very precious to the species, which is probably why it was brought to Earth. The others would have searched it out on Oriceran.”

  “You sure know a lot about dragons for a human.” Kathleen shaded her eyes with her hand and tried to peer into the trees.

  “They interest me, I guess. But this guy…man, he is adorable! Come on, I’ll take you to see him.”

  The girls followed Horace into the shaded part of the forest, through the overgrown vines and fallen trees into a clearing. To the right was a small dark cave, the rocks sparkling with silver flecks.

  Alison stared at the energy coming from the cave and couldn’t help but wonder if it was somehow connected to the kemana. It glowed like it should be. Horace walked ahead of them, putting his hand out to stop them.

  He bent down on one knee and whistled loudly, and two yellow eyes brightened the darkness. Horace smiled and put out his hands, and the small pudgy dragon leapt from the cave and ran happily into Horace’s arms. He petted his scaly head, and jerked backward as the dragon’s tail nearly swiped across his face.

  “Whoa, little buddy, calm down. I brought you some visitors. They’re old friends of yours.”

  The dragon tilted his head, looked behind Horace, and jumped out of his lap. He stepped forward and sat down, taking his time to look each of the girls in the eyes. Alison watched the wild energy flow around him, the same spiraling colors that had been inside the egg.

  “Hey there, buddy.” Izzie smiled. “We thought you were going to wait to hatch until we got there.”

  Aya laughed. “Yeah, you caused quite the ruckus inside the mansion.

  “He is the most adorable thing I have ever seen.” Emma giggled.

  The dragon’s eyes brightened and he ran up to them, recognizing their voices. “Momma! I missed you all! Where have you been?”

  Izzie let out a snort of laughter and covered her mouth. “He…he sounds like us!”

  “He thinks we’re his momma?” asked Alison, laughing.

  “I believe you girls are all his mother.” Horace scratched his beard with the edge of his knife, smiling. “Little fella must have bonded with your voices inside his egg. Even learned how to talk. I reckon he sounds just like…”

  “A teenage girl!” blurted Emma, laughing.

  The dragon opened his mouth and let out a low rumble and a laugh, cold air blowing out of his nose. He rubbed against Kathleen’s leg, and she arched an eyebrow. “Too soon, scaly dude.” She looked at Horace as the other girls petted him, laughing when he rolled over on his back.

  “Does he fly?” Kathleen asked.

  “Not yet. He’s too young. He’s only about three feet long at this point, but let me tell you—he eats a lot.”

  “Probably gets that from me.” Izzie patted her belly.

  “What should we do with him?” Emma asked. “It’s obvious he doesn’t like the room, and we couldn’t put him back into the cave even if it weren’t blocked off. No sign of any other dragons around that could have laid that egg.”

  “Thank goodness,” murmured Kathleen.

  Emma continued, “And the grounds of the school are protected by spells. No indication of who could have gotten onto the grounds and left the egg.”

  “All good points, ladies. What say we recognize this is a wild animal with a pointy tail and do very little? Let Mother Nature have a shot at it.” A small dragon started to emerge from the block of wood Horace was whittling. “A silver dragon is designed to take care of itself, and I’ll keep an eye on him. You ladies have big hearts, but you’re not to forget—he may be smart and sweet and see you as his clan, but he is still a dragon. He’s out there hunting for small prey at night and chomping down.”

  The girls wrinkled their noses in unison.

  “Eventually he will have a wingspan that will put a nice bit of shade over your heads.”

  “Sheesh,” Izzie replied, rubbing the little guy’s face.

  “For now, the safest thing to do is leave him right here.”

  “Come and visit,” the dragon called as he crept back into the shadows.

  “That is creepy,” said Kathleen, shaking her head. “He sounds just like one of us.”

  4

  After all the parents had left, clothes were hung, and freshmen were settled, the entire student body made their way to the dining hall for their first dinner together. After visiting the dragon, the girls had enough time to get cleaned up and change into something appropriate for cleanup duty.

  “Better the headmistress doesn’t know where we’ve been,” Kathleen said, putting out her hand for the others to lay theirs on top. “All for one...”

  Inside the cafeteria everyone chatted loudly, cheering at different displays of magic and happy to be back together. The cavernous hall was filled with round tables and ladderback chairs with paper placemats in front of each. The sconces gave off a magical blue light that flickered and a glow that was favorable to anyone.

  Alison and her friends sat down at the same table as last year, and the girls immediately started gushing to Peter and Ethan about the dragon.

  “Man, I wish we could have seen him,” Peter said, leaning over the table so he could be heard.

  “I’m just glad we didn’t keep him in our room, not after the cleaning disaster at the end of the year.” Ethan laughed, jabbing Peter in the ribs.

  Peter turned bright red, glancing at Emma. Alison tried to make out the different conversations, but the mixture of voices was so loud that it was difficult to hear the others.

  Up on the small stage located at the front of the great hall, Mara Berens sat next to Professor Eleanor Hudson, who lightly rubbed her forehead. She stood, pushed her round black glasses up her nose, and smoothed back her perfect, short blond hair. She cleared her throat and walked to the front of the stage, waving her wand over her head.

  No one seemed to notice except the freshmen, who gawked at the dome of pale, calming light that slowly fell over the crowd. It gradually grew quiet as her spell separated the noise into different funnels so that people could only hear what was directed at them.

  Kathleen sat back in her chair and let out a sigh, grateful not to have to strain anymore to hear the others. “I have an even better prank this ye
ar,” yelled Ethan, caught off-guard by the spell. The whole group laughed as he winced, then shrugged it off.

  Professor Hudson crossed her arms and pressed her lips together as she looked across the sea of students directly at Ethan.

  “Gosh, Ethan, I haven’t heard you scream that loud since you asked Grace to the dance.” Kathleen laughed.

  “I think I liked it better when I couldn’t hear the cat-scratch of your voice, Kathleen,” Ethan replied with narrowed eyes.

  “Ah.” Emma sighed, putting her hands in her lap. “It’s good to be back to normal. I almost missed the bickering between the two of you.”

  Ethan made a face at Emma, and she giggled. “You are like the evil stepbrother I never wanted, but now that I have you, I wouldn’t give you up for the world.”

  Alison turned to stare at the walls. She could see the glimmer of energy that ran around the cafeteria. They had spelled the place to look extra-special for the first day of school. Magical stars flickered on the curved ceiling high over their heads. Alison watched, entranced by the energy.

  “What’s the constellation on the ceiling?” she asked Izzie in a whisper.

  “Oh, it’s the night sky, including Oriceran’s second moon. I read about it this summer. Not much to do, and Leo Decker let me check out almost any book. There’re even blooming Oriceran flowers attached to vines that are constantly moving around the walls.”

  Izzie smiled, tilting her head back to gaze at the enchanted ceiling. Alison looked around the room at the excitement swirling in the souls, even recognizing Claire and Scarlett by the streaks of red shimmering in the middle. “I will be giving them some room this year,” she muttered.

  “What?” asked Izzie, looking away from the ceiling.

  “Nothing.”

  Mara Berens took a sip of her tea and set the cup down on the saucer. She adjusted the colorful silk scarf neatly wrapped around her neck and walked to the apron of the stage, nodding at Professor Hudson.

  Professor Hudson swished her wand, grimacing as the spell lifted and the loud voices filled the hall again. Everyone noticed the change and quickly quieted, turning in their chairs to look up at the headmistress. She put her hand up to her throat, and a bright glow on her palm soaked into her skin. When she spoke, her voice echoed around the room like a sound system.

  “Welcome, students, to your first day back at the School of Necessary Magic. For those who are here for the first time, we hope you learn to love this school as much as we do. Now, you all have been given your general itineraries, which include meal times, different clubs, sports, and other social events that the school will be putting on. You also have a list of your individual class assignments for this semester, and if anyone has an issue, please see Professor Hudson in her office after dinner is concluded.”

  She cleared her throat and pulled a list out of her pocket, adjusting her glasses. She held the paper in front of her, squinted at the small print, and nodded with a smile when she found her place.

  “Just a few notes for this school year. Freshmen are not permitted in the kemana for any reason. Sophomores are permitted but will need to have a permission slip signed by either myself or Professor Hudson, and will be allowed to go on a case by case basis. Any major infractions will see those privileges revoked, so I suggest you be on your best behavior. For those who don’t know, the forest area behind the orchard is off-limits, as well as the gardens behind the Botanical buildings, without express written permission from Professor Fowler. There are some plants in there that require a bit of caution.”

  “You’re telling me,” Kathleen muttered.

  “Also, after some of the events of last year, we are instituting a weekend curfew. The details will be posted outside, but you have to be back on the grounds by that time. This is for the safety of all the students, and will be enforced at least through winter break.”

  There was a collective groan from the upperclassmen in the corner. “Great, some idiot got crazy not knowing how to handle his magic, and now we’re all being punished for it.”

  “It’s not a punishment,” Headmistress Berens said, glaring at Claire. “It’s a safety measure, and that is all. Now, everyone enjoy your dinner, and welcome our incoming freshmen. Help them when they need it, and have a wonderful school year.”

  Several people clapped, and everyone went back to their conversations. Students sat with the friends they had made during their first year.

  “I’m glad we’re all still together,” Alison said.

  “Where’s Luke?” Aya asked as her food appeared in front of her.

  Izzie glanced at his empty chair as a pile of spaghetti appeared on her plate. Ethan swallowed a bite of his burger and wiped his mouth on his sleeve, making Kathleen grimace.

  “He told me he would be back by the time classes start. He had something going on tonight.”

  “You know what I’m glad for?” Emma said excitedly. “Food; real home-cooked food. Well, kind of home-cooked.”

  She closed her eyes and concentrated on her plate. Opening her eyes, she clapped at the crabmeat ravioli with rosé sauce that appeared in front of her. “When I grow up I want to use this spell in my house.”

  “Mmmm.” Kathleen nodded, swallowing a mouthful of lettuce. “Me too. I hate cooking.”

  “Oh yeah, it takes so much effort to throw a salad and a carrot stick on a plate.” Ethan snickered.

  “At least I won’t have clogged arteries from all the cheeseburgers,” Kathleen retorted.

  Alison agreed. She really liked being back and having the food at the school. “I ate barbeque and pizza all summer.”

  “Mara uses this spell at her house in Crozet, not far from here.” Izzie shrugged.

  Alison picked up a chicken finger from her plate, dipping it in the sauce to the side. She never cared too much about the food she ate every day, but she did like the fact that she could look forward to eating things that were really close to what her mother used to cook her. It felt good to have that connection still intact.

  When she was finished eating she stared at the souls, wondering where Tanner was. When some new people came through the doorway, Tanner’s shining soul was at the back of the crowd, with a small cloud of black deep inside still tugging at the light. She smiled and jumped from her seat, rushing over to give him a hug. He turned his face into her hair and took a deep breath of her strawberry shampoo, holding her tightly. She took his hand and pulled him back toward the table.

  Ethan looked up and rolled his eyes. “Great, the toombie is coming to sit with us.”

  Last semester there had been a dark magic incident, and the whole school was on edge about toombies. Dark families took orphaned children, usually babies, and inserted a ball of dark magic into their souls. Everyone was pointing fingers these days at kids who didn’t have families.

  “Maybe we should talk to Alison about it,” Kathleen whispered. “Seriously, one of us could be the next victim because we hang around him too much.”

  “I think it’s the opposite. If he’s the one, he won’t want to hurt his friends.” Emma shrugged.

  “Everyone shush,” Izzie whispered, leaning forward. “Do I need to remind you that everyone suspects both Alison and me of being toombies? Cut the guy a little slack. I’m sure that if Alison trusts him, we have nothing to worry about. Don’t make him feel uncomfortable.”

  Alison sat down, pulling Tanner into the seat next to her. Izzie cleared her throat and smiled at Tanner. The rest of the table looked down at their food, pushing it around on their plates.

  “Hey, Tanner,” Izzie greeted him. “How was your summer?”

  “Okay.” He shrugged. “Quiet. I think that with all the rumors I kind of lost some of my friends.”

  “Well, they weren’t friends to begin with, then. You are more than welcome here with us.”

  Alison squeezed Izzie’s hand in thanks. By that point dinner was wrapping up, and people started to get up and leave for the night. One by one the plates disap
peared from the table as everyone stood. Tanner turned to Alison and took her hands.

  “May I walk you back to your room?”

  From behind them, they heard Mara Berens clear her throat. Izzie looked back as she nodded toward the cleaning supplies that magically appeared in the doorway. Alison shook her head.

  “Not tonight. We kind of have cleanup duty for the next week.”

  “Uh oh, what did you guys do on your first day back?” Tanner laughed.

  “Kind of a long story, but I’ll tell you later.”

  Tanner nodded at Ethan and Peter as they waited for him by the door, then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. The girls walked over and grabbed the different supplies, Izzie handing Alison a rag and a spray bottle. Kathleen struggled with the mop, blowing her hair out of her eyes.

  “This is going to be a long week.”

  5

  When they’d finally finished cleaning the cafeteria the non-magical way, they walked back up to their room, half-disheveled, and got ready for bed. Everyone else in the dorms was already in their room, and lights out came just fifteen minutes later. They didn’t complain, though. They were all exhausted from the day—except Alison and Izzie, of course. Izzie laid on her side, facing Alison.

  “Did you get any rest on vacation?” Izzie asked.

  “Actually, I did. Brownstone was teaching me martial arts and Shay had me work out with her most days, so by the time night hit I was ready for meditation mode. I didn’t even really dream while I was there or wander out of body or whatever it is that happens when I go into that state. I actually feel like I could go a few days without recharging. How about you? Did you get any sleep?”

  “At first, no. I kept having the weirdest dreams about people I have never met before. I told Mara about it, and after that, she put a sleep spell on me every night. I slept like a baby, waking up in the same position as when I fell asleep. I think it’s the most sleep I’ve had my whole life.”