Dragon Fire Academy 3: Third Term

by Rachel Jonas

  This was the soul of Sanluuk.

  The water my feet rested in was iridescent and every living thing within it glowed brightly beneath its surface. I lifted my face toward the sky and the stars were so bright, brighter than I’d ever seen before. The moon seemed closer, beaming down directly on Kai and me, illuminating us both with its glow. Only, Kai’s was brilliant and bold, his entire body engulfed in a halo.

  “Is this … Is …”

  “We’re in Spirit’s realm,” he explained, when I couldn’t quite get the words out. “This is how it sees our island.”

  With another beautiful sight at every turn, it was no wonder this island was so fiercely protected. My chest rose and fell rapidly, and I didn’t realize I’d been overcome with emotion until Kai pushed a twinkling tear from my cheek. His stare was fixed on me and I hadn’t yet figured out how he was possibly more beautiful here, on this side, but he was.

  “You’re questioning whether you belong here,” he said without me having revealed my thoughts from earlier. “So, I thought it was important for you to know none of this was possible before you joined our hive.”

  Confused, I blinked up at him. “I don’t understand.”

  He smiled a bit and squeezed my hand just a little tighter.

  “My Aunt Maureen’s gift is my gift,” he reiterated. I’d heard as much before, but admittedly had no idea what that really meant. “I commune with Spirit in ways no other dragon in my generation will ever have the pleasure of doing, but …” He paused to glance around at this beautiful, ethereal space he’d pulled me into. “It wasn’t until you became a part of us that Spirit drew me even closer, allowing me into its most secret dwellings. And, while it’s just a theory, I don’t think I could’ve brought you in to experience this if you were as bad as you think you are.”

  With those words, I lowered my head.

  “I’m of the mind that there’s still far more light in you than anything else, Noelle. I’ve seen how beautiful your soul is, and I know this experience is only going to make you an even more formidable queen,” he insisted. “Not an enemy.”

  The idea of ever being an enemy to the hive was jarring to me, because I hadn’t yet associated that word with our dilemma, but it was fitting.

  Only, a very sweet, very intuitive dragon had just assured me that wasn’t even a possibility in his mind.

  Without hesitation, I kissed him, and the harder I fell, the more I realized that his beautiful exterior was only rivaled by the beauty that lie within. They were all so different, the Omegas. Some rougher around the edges than others, but they were all mine. And even though I wasn’t completely sure I deserved them, they had claimed me as theirs, too.

  Kai’s fingers pushed the straps of my tank and bathing suit down my shoulder and I kissed him deeper, moving to grip the side of his neck. The material on the other side was tugged lower, too, until my chest was nearly uncovered. He must have felt me tense a bit, because he pulled his lips from mine while our foreheads rested against one another.

  We were out in the open, in the middle of the deck, and I felt exposed.

  “No one can see us here,” he panted. “Existing in this realm means we’re no longer visible in the other. As long as we’re touching, you’ll stay here with me.”

  As his words sank in, my skin warmed even more against his. “Then … I guess that means you have to keep touching me.”

  The invitation was in no way subtle, and Kai smiled hearing it. He was the only Omega I hadn’t bonded with physically, leaving me with the sense that a connection of that sort was long overdue.

  Getting out of our clothes was interesting, bringing laughs out of us as we found different ways to make sure our skin remained connected somehow, as my shorts came off, and then his. Next, he kept a hand to my thigh while I wriggled out of my shirt and the swimsuit I’d worn to the beach. It was clumsy and impatient, but also incredibly hot.

  My back was flat to the deck when Kai gently lowered himself on top of me, and every second he made me wait was more agonizing than the last. I was probably the only girl in the world annoyed by a guy taking his time, but I’d waited for him long enough. From the moment we kissed in the grotto, I knew we’d somehow end up here.

  My fingers splayed across his back.

  His mouth moving over my skin.

  Completely out of patience at the feel of his hand squeezing my hip, both heels pressed into the backs of his thighs. It should have been obvious I was done waiting and, lucky for me, he received the message loud and clear.

  The rule that we had to continue touching to remain in this realm together was no longer an issue. We were, finally, as connected as two people could possibly be. I pushed a hand up his neck and into the back of his hair. When I gripped it lightly, he responded in kind, leaning into my embrace.

  Able to open my eyes for only a moment, I could’ve sworn the stars were responding to our passion, dancing across the sky as if the act of love moved them like it moved me.

  Being with Kai was … different. He was so in tune with Spirit it made me feel connected as well. In ways I hadn’t felt before. Not only did this encounter ignite my body, but my mind and soul as well, an all-encompassing experience. One I would never forget.

  The tension between us mounted, releasing strange pulses of color that moved outward from us slowly, drifting into the atmosphere until they disappeared into thin air. Purple, then green, a beautiful blue. I held my breath as I watched them, as I struggled to stay focused. There was half of me that didn’t want to miss a thing as Spirit’s realm put on a magnificent show just for us, while the other half was only aware of Kai.

  His name left my lips and the wind carried it up into the night. I’d lost the battle with my own self-control when ecstasy took over my body, crashing down over us both as wave after wave came and went. Those pulses of light we emitted brightened with our growing passion, following us down from the high, dimming until they were gone.

  A word came to mind and left my mouth the moment I thought it. “Incredible.”

  Still catching his breath, Kai smiled at the compliment. There was a sense of humbleness he always carried with him, but it was nowhere in sight now. There was only confidence, and rightfully so.

  First taking my hand, he leaned away. We still had to keep to the rules, or we would lose one another here. I stared unashamedly at the muscles that flexed and eased while he dressed, coming to my senses late that it was my turn to cover up because looking at him was more appealing. He watched, too, keeping his eyes trained on my chest until I covered up.

  His gaze rose to meet mine. “Should we go back now?”

  There was sadness in his tone that wasn’t lost on me. Being here was the ultimate escape and I was admittedly fond of dwelling so close to Spirit as well. It was as if, while in this realm, the Darkness in me had been left behind on the other side. Such a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

  I blinked up at Kai, and then glanced back down into the water where its inhabitants swam in glowing formations just beneath the surface.

  “I think we should stay a while,” I announced with a grin, lowering back down on to the deck with my fingers locked in his.

  He lowered, too, and my head went to his shoulder.

  I couldn’t believe all this had only become possible for him once I came into the hive, but maybe he was right. Maybe I wasn’t the plague I believed myself to be.

  Maybe there was hope for me, and … hope for someone else.

  When I lifted my head, Kai’s eyes drifted to meet mine. I thought about Rayen again, how I’d seen changes in him I didn’t think the others had. At least not on the same scale. I’d given my word that I’d keep quiet about certain things, but I knew now how doing so wouldn’t be right. He needed help I couldn’t give him.

  “I need a favor,” I said after taking a breath. “Since coming into Spirit’s dwelling place, I haven’t felt the Darkness. I know you’ve been able to take it away from people in the past.
I think—”

  “I’ve already tried that,” he confessed, confusing me with his statement.

  “You’ve tried … what?”

  His gaze lowered toward the water again and my hand squeezed in his. “I tried taking it away from you like I’ve been able to do for others, but … it didn’t work. I wish I could say why. Only, it doesn’t make sense.”

  I was at a loss for words, hearing that he’d tried taking this burden from me without my knowing. Although, I shouldn’t have been surprised. He didn’t need kudos or recognition for his good deeds, because he was a good man.

  I kissed his cheek and smiled a bit. “I wasn’t talking about me, but thank you. I had no idea you’d done that.”

  He shrugged and I noted the disappointed look he wore. “I had to try,” he admitted distractedly, but I could see his wheels spinning. “But, if you weren’t talking about yourself, who were you talking about?”

  I inhaled sharply and just forced it out, deciding this betrayal was completely necessary.

  “Rayen,” I confessed. “He’s been different since I brought him back, and I think you’re the only one who can help him.”

  Kai frowned, confused. “Me? How?”

  Shame washed over me knowing this was all my fault. “I think that, when I did the spell and he returned from the dead, a bit of the darkness in me transferred to him.”

  That probably sounded crazy, but Kai didn’t feel what I felt when I looked at Rayen, when I touched him.

  “I believe you,” he said with a nod, “but what makes you so sure?”

  I felt like such a snitch.

  “Well … sometimes he’s more aggressive when we’re intimate,” I revealed and, right away, I noted how Kai’s muscles tensed, how the rims of his nostrils flared. “Not in a way that made me uncomfortable, or in the sense that I felt threatened, but … I’ve noticed,” I amended.

  My intent wasn’t to paint Rayen in a negative light. It was to help Kai see he hadn’t been himself.

  His gaze lowered thoughtfully. “We’ve noticed things, too. Which is why we’ve had him lay low from patrol. We thought it was just that he’d take a while to come around completely after having been on the other side for so long.” He fell silent a moment while he thought. “Anything else?”

  I’d half-hoped I wouldn’t have to give the other details, but should’ve known better.

  “Well … the other day, I came out here with him so he could try shifting for the first time, and things didn’t quite go according to plan.”

  Kai’s brow tensed. “How so?”

  “His wings,” I said first. “They were … black. His flames, too. And then tonight, he took me to hang out with my friends, and when I got a little out of control, he actually encouraged me to be reckless. Which I think we both know isn’t like him.”

  Kai’s gaze softened when sympathy set in. “And were you? Reckless, I mean.”

  My heart raced and it didn’t take long to feel every ounce of shame I deserved to feel. “Yes,” I admitted, “but fortunately for the guy I was about to rip to shreds, Ori stepped in.”

  That confused look was back on Kai’s face. “I suppose that explains why he took off so suddenly while we were searching for Chief. He must have sensed you in distress. As alpha, he would’ve felt it before the rest of us.”

  “I thought you guys were patrolling?” Now, I was the one confused.

  “Part of the night, yes, but toward the end we were searching again.”

  This guy had become a ghost, it seemed.

  “So, when you say Ray ‘encouraged’ you, what does that mean exactly?”

  “It means he told me to hunt someone down. Then, when I caught up to the guy, Rayen said I should … end things once and for all,” I admitted, “as long as I didn’t leave any evidence behind of what I’d done.”

  Kai turned to face the falls, silent at first.

  “Thanks for telling me. I’m sure that wasn’t easy.”

  He had no idea how dirty I felt for betraying Rayen’s trust, but it had to be done. For his sake.

  “We should get inside. I need to take care of this sooner rather than later,” he asserted, and I couldn’t have agreed more.

  Our time here had been amazing, but what good was paradise if someone we both loved was suffering? We could always find our way back into this space, but for now, Rayen came first.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Noelle

  We switched roles. Before, Rayen had been assigned to keep watch over me, but now, for the past few days, I’d been the one keeping watch over him. Mostly, I just made sure there was no more of the odd behavior, and from where I stood, Kai’s effort hadn’t been in vain.

  When the two of us showed up at Rayen’s bedroom door that night, he didn’t hesitate to let us in. Nor was he opposed to letting Kai attempt to syphon the darkness from within him. It was a relief to see he wasn’t even a little pissed that I told. As I hoped, he understood I only meant to help.

  Thankfully, opening up to Kai had done just that.

  The night after, I convinced Rayen to try shifting again. It took a lot of coercing on my part, but he eventually followed me out to give it a try. I think we both held our breath until the first flame surfaced on his skin, and instead of the ominous look it had taken on before, a bright orange glow covered him.

  We were in the clear.

  For now, he still had to lay low, though. With Kai agreeing not to share what had gone on with the other two Omegas, we had to stick to business as usual. Meaning, Rayen was still forced to stay on the sidelines, although he insisted he didn’t mind being stuck with me.

  He stared now, as I dropped down onto the couch to tie my shoes.

  “You still haven’t said where you’re going.” His tone was stern, but only because the usual caring, overprotective Rayen was back, alive and well.

  Sensing that he’d returned to normal brought a smile out of me. “Not far,” I shared. “In fact, I’ll be back in about ten minutes. Think you can get along without me?” I teased.

  A yelp left my mouth when he gripped my waist, bringing me into the warmth of a broad chest. The look he stared down on me with was enough to make a girl melt. Good thing I was the only girl he’d ever hold like this again.

  Heat spread all through me at the idea of this being my view of forever.

  “Stay,” he crooned. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

  There wasn’t a doubt in my mind about that, but I had someplace to be. Otherwise, I’d have a starved warlock on my hands, and Tristan would be no good to me dead.

  “Can’t, but do you mind if I steal some bread?” I asked, already bounding my way into the kitchen.

  Without looking back over my shoulder, I was certain of the odd glare I must have earned from Rayen. Smiling to myself, I snagged the loaf from on top of the fridge, and then borrowed the long, grill fork thingamajig. By the time I passed back through the living room, I had completely confused him.

  “Just … don’t ask,” I said with a laugh.

  Kissing him once, I stepped out onto the dock. Next, I kept a straight path until I was certain he’d gone back inside, and then made a beeline for the falls. The echo of the grotto greeted me soon after, and with any luck, the bread bag hadn’t taken on any water. Then again, if it did, it wouldn’t be my problem. It’d be Tristan’s.

  I laid eyes on him as my flames ignited, only burning hot enough to dry my clothes and hair quickly. His cheeks had hollowed out quite a bit since I last laid eyes on him, and his ribs protruded a bit more than before.

  “Somebody looks hungry,” I teased while opening the bread I held. Couldn’t help it. The bastard deserved that and much more.

  His eyes flitted down toward the first drop of food I’d offered him in weeks. A mere human would have died long before now, but being a supernatural had played to his advantage. Although, even our bodies had their limits.

  I grabbed a slice and stuck it to the end of the long fork, mov
ing it slowly toward Tristan’s mouth. I could practically see him salivating as he didn’t even break his gaze to blink.

  Like a dog set free in a butcher shop, he snapped and snarled at the offering and I stared in amazement at how quickly the fork was cleaned.

  I eyed him—this traitor who looked eerily like the one I once thought to be a friend, only with a few more years on him. The idea of how he played me sickened me and the second slice I planned to give stayed in the bag. The look of disappointment when he realized he’d had his fill for the day was beyond satisfying.

  However, disappointment quickly faded into frustration, and then into anger.

  “What day is it?” he grumbled, wriggling in the invisible restraints that held him.

  I peered up after tossing the bag aside. “Tuesday,” I answered freely. “Why?”

  His breathing was a bit labored when he shrugged. “Just wondering if I’ve kept track of the days as well as I hoped.”

  “Well, did you?” I asked nonchalantly. Not caring one way or another.

  His eyes stayed trained on me as I lowered down the stone wall and took a seat. “I have,” he answered. “And … might I trouble you for the time?”

  There was no missing the feigned civility, which only made me more curious about all the chatter.

  “Do you have someplace to be?” I inquired with a laugh. “Because if that’s the case, you might want to tell whoever’s waiting that you’re all booked up today, buddy.”

  A smile touched his lips.

  “I have no plans, but something tells me yours may take a sudden turn in a bit.”

  Something about the smug way he said that set my nerves on edge. As much as I hated how the statement piqued my curiosity, I had to know.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  The corners of his mouth lifted even more. “Well, that all depends on how important the two names I’m about to mention are to you.”

  My heart thundered inside my chest, and on cue, the rage inside me began to brim over.

  “Malu and Sydney,” he uttered sinisterly. “Weren’t those the two from the orphanage you so carelessly gushed about to me and your other … ‘friends’?”