by K L Rymer
“Great... let’s just hope I don’t go falling to my death first.”
I gasp next as she glares at me with those gleaming eyes once again, and I stagger backward, slipping on a loose rock. “A-Angie...”
The vampire bares her fangs and the sight of her takes me back to the night of the V-day ball when she tried to kill me. Especially with the way the moon shines behind her ethereal form.
“I will not let that prick win... So you will be a good little wizard and wake that fucking dragon!”
The ground quakes at the sound of her screaming next, and then a great roaring shakes the earth. I yelp.
The hill... It’s caving in!
The ground crumbles beneath our feet, and just as we go sliding down into that gaping chasm below, a blinding, white light illuminates the entire hilltop. Angelina and I shriek.
Myrddin holds his staff out as he thrusts it into the sinking ruin, and the ground stops crumbling at once. The earth rises back into place, and the castle ruin is intact once again—or as intact as an Iron Age fort could be.
Now all that remains is the howling wind.
I can’t take my eyes off Myrddin. Or my father.
He wears his cosmic cape as it flaps in the wind behind him, a fierce spark burning in his brilliant, emerald eyes. I’ve never seen anyone look so inhuman, and I’m housemates with a demon and a vampire.
“I told you not to come here....” he growls, keeping those glowing orbs on me.
I stumble on a rock. “I... I’m... s...s...”
He marches forward and seizes my arm with his iron-like grip, and his intense power surges through me instantly, leaving me breathless.
Images flash before my eyes, and I see a young boy talking to a king on this very hillock, and then two massive, scaled beasts soar into the sky, baring their claws and teeth.
A burning sensation takes over me next and I lose consciousness.
Before I pass out, I hear the distant roar of a dragon. It’s much deeper than Gwyneira’s and seems to come from the earth itself, but through the rumble I detect two words breathing hot against my cheeks.
“Keep out.”
Chapter 10.
I awake to the sound of quarreling voices.
“You had no right, Ms Ambrose!”
“Well, it was about time someone took action! Matthew has been snooping around that ruin!”
A pause and then a deep breath. “You wait until your father hears about this...”
“Go on, tell him. I don’t care. It’s about time Bryn got to work, Professor. Matthew will not wait around for us. We need to strike him down now!”
It’s Angelina and Myrddin, and I groan, turning away from their annoying sounds. “Shut the hell up. The both of you!”
They stop, peering my way, but I keep my face to a plush cushion. I lie on a couch in the headmaster’s office, the one by his cozy little fireplace, but I’ll gladly lay there forever.
I don’t want to wake up again. The voice of the Red Dragon still haunts me.
“Keep out.”
It’s hopeless, and I squeeze my eyes, fighting back tears. The dragon knows who I am now. And he doesn’t want me anywhere near him.
Yeah, it’s male... I heard it in the deep growl of his voice. Just like with the eastern dragons, he planted his thoughts directly into my head, but that was not the voice of a friendly dragon. It was cold, harsh, and deadly, and then he burned me with a wave of his red-hot magic.
“So... you’re awake.”
It’s Myrddin’s voice, and I hold my nose to the cushion.
“Get up. You and I need to have a talk, Miss Williams.”
“I said leave me alone.”
He sighs and steps closer, and I can sense that power surging from his form again. “Bryn, as your headmaster... I will not tolerate such insolence. So, if you’ll please... get up.”
I scoff. “I thought you were my father...”
Myrddin hesitates, then says. “As your father, I will not—”
“Oh, don’t even try to play the father card with me now!” I whirl around, meeting his angry, hazel eyes.
The same pair as mine.
I’ll admit I was a little harsh just now. I never once blamed him for not being a part of my life growing up. I understand. He’s a wizard and my mom’s a human. It would have been a difficult, confusing childhood.
As I’ve said in the past, he’s been more of a father to me than Larry has my whole life. But still... it’s not as if he can just tell me what to do now. As my headmaster, yes, but not my father.
He’s not even on my birth certificate.
Hurt passes through Myrddin’s eyes for a moment, but it disappears quickly and now he’s my hardy headmaster once again. “You disobeyed me, Bryn. You went against my wishes and sought out the Red Dragon for yourself.”
I close my eyes, turning away. Even though it was Angelina who forced me to go against my will, I still can’t throw the blame her way. It would only sound like an excuse.
I look up at Angelina. She crosses her arms as she doesn’t return my gaze, and I wonder if she feels any remorse. She threw our whole plan out of whack. The dragon has lost all trust in me now.
“You do know that I will have to punish the both of you,” Myrddin announces next.
A cold sweat breaks out across my skin, and I tremble. He’s going to take our powers.
“But... I will not take your powers.”
Angelina and I glance his way, surprised.
Myrddin stands in the middle of the warm room, massaging his temples. He still wears the cape, the one with the swirling galaxies as he uses his magical staff as a walking aid.
He finally looks up at last, and he appears older. I haven’t seen much of him these past few weeks, but the stress of trying to locate Matthew seems to have caught up with him.
“You are both dismissed.”
Angelina doesn’t need to be told twice. She’s out of the door the moment he finishes speaking. I hesitate, remaining on my seat.
I deliberate whether I should tell Myrddin about the dragon.
“You needn’t bother. I heard him too, Bryn.”
I watch the headmaster for a while, fighting off tears.
So, does this mean we failed then?
Myrddin turns my way at last, a tight smile on his face. “His name is Brynmawr, by the way. Similar to yours. It means “Great Hill” in Welsh. Sorry I never told you sooner... but I wanted to wait until the time was right.”
My eyes bulge and I wince, throwing my hand up to my forehead.
Ugh, migraine.
So... my name is hill in Welsh... but the Red Dragon’s is great hill.”
Well, great... Even more reason to fear him now.
I rise to my feet and stagger out the door. Even though he’s mad at me, Myrddin still helps me out of the room, summoning Gelert to take me the rest of the way upstairs.
Lucky thing the spirit dog warned the headmaster in time.
I’d be dragon chow now.
...
As punishment, Angelina and I won’t be attending the Yule ball.
It seemed fair in the end. What we did was way out of order, and I don’t think neither of us was too excited by the prospect of going anyway. As far as I know, Angelina has no date.
Most guys at the school are too afraid to ask her, and who could blame them.
I decided that I needed to get away from the academy for a few days and stay with Megan and Sophie. They rented a house along with another girl in their second year (no more dorms). It’s small within a narrow street, but cozy enough. Besides, you wake to the sound of seagulls every morning. Pretty nice.
I still give them rent money. I would feel like I was taking advantage otherwise.
It’s just good to be back in the world of normality. I can even pretend that I’m just an ordinary student again who doesn’t have to wake a big ass dragon inside a hill.
Currently, I sit beside Megan inside one of the university’s laboratorie
s wearing a white lab coat. Normally, I would be doing assays and dissections during these classes, but today we get to look at pretty insect wings beneath a light microscope.
Entomology is fun.
Unbeknownst to my human friend though, I have a dragon scale inside my pocket.
The moment I held it in my hands, I just wanted to put it beneath a microscope and get a good look at its molecular structure.
I know I hypothesized “keratin”, but it could be something so much more complicated.
Also, it would be good for me to get to know these dragons on a biological level. Not that I plan on dissecting the Red Dragon or anything. (I’m supposed to be earning his trust, not losing it.)
I take a quick look around the class. Students are busy peering into microscopes on their own workbenches, so I shove the scale beneath the microscope, turning the resolution to x10.
Blurred images take form at last.
Gwyneira’s scale has a tough, grainy texture with multiple layers. There are bright, silvery lines running between the sheets, and every so often they give off a white glow similar to Mattie’s magic.
I gasp when I realize what I’m looking at.
Magic.
It looks like a network of veins, spreading from one layer to the next, and I can’t believe my luck.
Matthew may have magic on his side, but I have science!
So... Gwyneira’s magic is still inside this scale. That may explain why it feels warm to the touch. Will Brynmawr have similar magic in his scales too? I wonder if his magic is red like mine...
“What’s that?”
Quickly, I shove the scale back into my pocket and meet Megan’s blue eyes. “Nothing.”
She raises one of her red eyebrows then shrugs, peering back into her microscope. She adds another note to her annotation of a housefly.
It’s pretty good too. It actually looks like a fly.
Shoot. I could have drawn what I saw with Gwyneira’s scale. But I’m not that talented—leave the art to the Angelinas and Megans of this world.
I insert my slide back under the microscope, resuming my work on house flies. Surprise, surprise, they’re ugly up close though their eyes are pretty neat.
“So, do you fancy going out for Mad Friday drinks with us this year, Bryn?”
Mad Friday is the last Friday before Christmas. It’s an excuse to party and get wasted pretty much. These Brits do love their ale after all.
It just so happens to fall on the same night as the Yule ball. Not that I’m going to the ball anyway.
So, party at Bangor it is then.
“Yeah, why not.”
“Good. We’re all dressing up as Mrs Claus.”
I laugh. “Like in Mean Girls? I’m so in. As long as I get to be Regina George.”
Megan snorts. “We all know I’d be Lindsey, anyway.”
She flicks her red hair and I chuckle once again. It just feels great to talk about normal, superficial things again.
“Sophie can be Gretchen. We just need a Karen,” Megan continues.
I chew my lip, trying to think of anyone at our university who could go as Karen. We need another blonde at least.
“What’s the name of the one from your drama club? Felicia or something?”
I roll my eyes. Why can’t anyone get that poor pixie’s name right?
“Felicity.”
“Felicity then. She’d be a good Karen.”
“She would, but she’s busy that night.”
Megan pauses. “Oh... well... can you think of anyone else?”
My mind immediately goes to Angelina, and I balk at the idea. The last thing a bunch of run-of-the-mill girls like us need is that beautiful bitch outshining us. Besides, Angelina’s no Karen. She’s a Regina through and through, and she’s not taking my crown as queen B.
Also, she’s a vampire. She’d just want to eat everyone.
“No, sorry.”
Megan shrugs. “It’s all right. We can get by without Karen... Well, it’s a date then. And make sure you come. We don’t get to see you anymore. We miss you.”
Funny, I had the same conversation with Felicity the other day. I can see now why I was so understanding. I have my own separate life away from the academy. So she’s allowed to have a different group of friends too.
“I can’t wait.”
Megan smiles and peers back into her microscope, and I do the same, trying to make out the vasculature of that house fly’s wings.
I guess it’s a date then.
Chapter 11.
I gaze at myself before the mirror in my kinky Mrs. Claus outfit, checking out my ass. All that working out in Mr. Tanaka’s class has finally paid off.
I’m in my room at the academy, and carefully I attach my pin to my outfit so I can teleport to Bangor.
There comes a knock at my door, and I call over my shoulder. “Come in.”
My gut clenches when Angelina walks inside (I’m seeing far too much of her lately). Her impassive, cold eyes fall on my kinky outfit, and I put my hands on my hips.
What? She’s not the only one who can look sexy around her.
“Well, you look like a slut.”
I roll my eyes. “Gee, thanks.”
Angelina hums in amusement. “That arse though. I can see all that training has paid off.”
I smile smugly and check myself out again. If only Mattie could see me now.
She saunters over to my bed and sits and I give her a pointed look. “What?”
The vampire looks me in the eyes. “I wanted to apologise... I got carried away. He burned me too, you know. After he dumped me for you. I’ll admit I could never understand why. Don’t get me wrong. You’re cute and all, but in a boring, non-vampire kind of way.”
I scoff. “Aw, well aren’t you sweet? Get out of my room.”
“But I get it now.” She rises to her feet and comes to stand by my side, and in my huge heels, I’m nearly as tall as her. “You’re feisty but also vulnerable. Men love that.”
A lump clogs in my throat. That’s exactly what Mattie told me by the river last spring, and I swallow hard, facing myself in the mirror again. A misty sheen has taken over my green eyes.
I meet Angelina’s icy blues again, and I can’t help but notice how they’ve melted a little. This is Angelina trying to be nice after all, and it’s thawed her frozen exterior at last.
Well, if that doesn’t warm your heart.
She eyeballs my outfit again. “Why Mrs Claus though?”
I scrunch up my eyebrows. “Because it’s Christmas... Besides, it’s from the Jingle Bell Rock scene from Mean Girls. You know, the story of your life?”
Angelina stares at me with a blank expression. “Mean what now?”
My eyes swell in size. She hasn’t even seen Mean Girls—the uncultured swine! At least she won’t be after my crown as queen B.
I shake my head, fixing my Santa hat. “I guess you are just a pretty face after all, Angie.”
She releases an exasperated sigh and storms out the room. “Whatever. Have fun with your humans, Bryn. Just remember to wash yourself when you get back. The scent of human blood will drive me insane.”
The door slams shut, and I give her the middle finger.
“I saw that!” she shouts down the hallway.
Ooh, she can see through doors. How fucking disturbing.
She really is a pervert.
...
I clip-clop down the stairs like a herd of galloping horses in my heels, trying not to fall onto my face as I head to the common room. I may as well see what the others look like. It is the night of the Yule ball after all.
When I enter the room, Zahara produces a loud wolf whistle. “Well, look what we’ve got here.”
I smirk, spinning around so they can all get a good look. “Check out my gluteus maximus.”
They do and Jack, Thomas, and Damien stare. You know you’ve got it when a bunch of hot, supernatural men check you out.
I spot Felici
ty glaring at Damien as his red eyes don’t move from my peachy ass. She harrumphs, folding her arms, and I stop spinning before WWIII breaks out.
I look at what they all wear now.
Well, well, well, don’t we all look fancy...
Jack and Thomas wear tuxedos while Nora and Felicity wear sparkling dresses. Unfortunately, Zahara and Damien look like something Tim Burton dreamed up.
They normally dress gothic, but tonight they have amped it up to the max. Damien looks as if he’s escaped from an asylum with his arms tied up in a black straight jacket. His makeup is white too as he has painted his lips black. Plus, he has his horns out like a beast from hell.
Then there’s Zahara looking like Morticia’s twin in her figure-hugging black dress with the long trail.
They’ve gone as each other’s dates. Still as friends though, but I see they’ve broken away from traditional ball gowns and tuxedos.
Fair play.
Felicity looks sweet as ever. Her dress is extra sparkly tonight with a matching tiara, and once again I want to put her up on my shelf. She won’t stop giving Damien and Zahara evil daggers.
I hope she realizes that it doesn’t mean that anything is going on between them, but if Zahara’s not careful, she’ll lose a shoe.
Angelina glides down the stairs next in her luxurious nightgown and pajamas, then slouches down onto the settee, opening up a magazine. She’s trying to make a point of how she has no plans but to stay in her PJs all night (because staying in is the new cool now).
The vampire glances up, turning the pages of her magazine. “Well, don’t all stop on my account.”
Zahara scowls and drags Damien away by the belts of his straight jacket. “We wouldn’t dream of it. Let’s go, Devil Boy.”
The two of them leave through the door, and Felicity glares at Zahara’s back. Devil Boy was her nickname for the demon after all.
She notices me staring then and busies herself with her tiara, acting nonchalant.
Whatever... I have Mad Friday celebrations to get to. So I teleport to Bangor, leaving everyone else to their Yuletide celebrations.
...
I sit inside a booth in a noisy nightclub with Megan and Sophie. Their roommate Lauren has joined us. They asked her to be Karen in the end since she’s small, cute, and blonde, and now we’re a complete set.