Dragonrider Academy: Episode 2 Read online

  Dragonrider Academy: Episode Two Copyright © 2020 by A.J. Flowers

  * * *

  Cover Art by Rebecca Frank

  * * *

  All Persons Fictitious Disclaimer:

  This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.

  * * *

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system.

  Published in the United States.

  CONTENTS

  Also by A.J. Flowers

  Blurb

  1. A Kiss to Remember

  2. Servitude

  3. Fight or Flight

  4. Time Out

  5. Rekindled

  6. Dragon's Blood

  Blurb

  A Note from the Author

  Also by A.J. Flowers

  ALSO BY A.J. FLOWERS

  YA Fantasy Romance

  Valkyrie Allegiance (A Complete Series)

  Valkyrie Landing (Book 1)

  Valkyrie Rebellion (Book 2)

  Valkyrie Uprising (Book 3)

  Daughter of Dragons (Standalone)

  Dragonrider Academy (Episode 1)

  Dragonrider Academy (Episode 2)

  Dragonrider Academy (Episode 3)

  Dragonrider Academy (Episode 4)

  Celestial Downfall: Twisted Angelic Realms (Complete Series)

  Fallen to Grace (Book 1)

  Rise to Hope (Book 2)

  Stand for Justice (Book 3)

  Manor Saffron (Book 4)

  GameLit

  Reborn Online: Dungeon Worlds

  Post Apocalypse

  40 Days: The Atomic Fall Series

  It’s funny how everything can change in an instant.

  I went from being an invisible wallflower with no friends, no dreams, and no future to being thrust into a world of dragons and magic. I’ve bonded with Killian, my sexy-as-sin partner and my dragonrider mentor who has been in this world all his life. Together we will raise our dragons into adulthood and protect the realms from evil.

  * * *

  That was how it was supposed to go… anyway.

  * * *

  Nothing works as it should when it comes to me. After our first—and probably only—kiss, Killian hates me. The bond let him venture deep into my soul and what he saw horrified both of us.

  * * *

  There are secrets in my blood, secrets that might be best kept in the dark.

  * * *

  It’s too late to go back now. I’m a full-fledged student at Dragonrider Academy and there’s only one thing left to do.

  * * *

  It’s time to meet my dragon.

  Dragonrider Academy: Episode 2

  The kiss told me more about Killian than a lifetime of experience ever could.

  In that instant, I knew that this was real, that I belonged here, and that Killian was my mate.

  It felt as if I grew wings and I soared to new heights with Killian at my side. He’d lived a hard life, but he wasn’t much older than me at just eighteen. He grew up knowing what he was, that he would one day attend Dragonrider Academy and would be tied to the rider bond with a female he barely knew. His race was the most common one from which knights and dragonriders were chosen. They were called Nephilim, a hybrid between human and angel which made them the perfect protectors. They were strong, nearly immortal, and had enough humanity to be compatible with the rider bond.

  Being what he was, though, he didn’t have a lifetime among the humans he was meant to protect. He envied that of me, that I had gotten to feel normal, but just like I explored his mind he explored mine. He understood that “normal” wasn’t how my life had been at all. I’d in fact been lonely, confused, and distant and it would have been better if I could have grown up with my own kind.

  My race was all but dying out, however, the women of Avalon. I saw the mystical city through his memories of the stories of what it had once been. It was an island covered in fog filled with beautiful women who wore crystalline headdresses and spoke prophecies given by the goddess. Knights protected Avalon—but they had failed a hundred years ago. Wild dragons had destroyed it and the image in my mind changed the beautiful city growing dark as it flooded with water, all light and fires snuffing out as the crashing waves overtook the city filled with screams. It kept going, the dragons swarming in the distance until there was only muted silence underwater.

  Those who escaped fled to other realms, and my ancestor was the only one who went to Earth.

  A tear sizzled down my cheek as the thoughts and memories flashed through my mind, all the while I was still locked in a debilitating kiss with the beautiful Nephilim and dragonrider named Killian.

  Still, I sensed something he tried to hide from me. Instinct made me seek it out as I searched through his mind. We were bonded, now, and there would be no secrets between us.

  I found it and a jolt of cold washed over me. What surprised me was that this was my own secret. I had indeed called Killian, although I hadn’t been aware of it. He’d been met with a golden finch throughout his life, a spirit of wellbeing that he thought had been from Heaven. It had guided him to the Academy and promised him the perfect mate, one who would make him stronger and wiser and help his dragon thrive.

  That had all been a lie. I had too much humanity in me. I needed him to help me bring my father’s murderer to justice, but that’s all I had ever cared about. I couldn’t keep his wyvern alive. I probably couldn’t even bring mine into the world. But if I bonded to Killian, I would inherit his power as a Nephilim and it would be enough for me to discover who had killed my father and to do something about it.

  I’d never cared about saving the world. I’d never thought what it would do to Killian or his wyvern to use him like that. I’d only been a distraught girl who’d lost everything and wanted to make it right.

  When I had created the golden finch I’d named Solstice, it had taken all my memories of that intent with it. Any innate knowledge that I’d had about my destiny had vanished because it took all of my strength to create that spirit that would fool Killian into doing exactly what I wanted.

  I’d won.

  And now he knew.

  Now we both knew.

  Killian jerked away from the kiss, shocking me when rage crossed his features. He grabbed my shoulders hard and pushed me away, making me stumble back to the bed as he shook his head, seemingly trying to clear it of some vile thought I’d put in there.

  He snapped his fingers and ordered his wyvern to stay as he hurried to the doorway and didn’t look back.

  “Killian,” I said, my voice trembling now from the shock of losing his warmth. “You know I was just a child when I did that…”

  He thrust up one hand to silence me and I bit my lip. His body stiffened as if he was restraining himself from turning and strangling me. Finally, he relaxed his hand to his side.

  “I have to go,” he said, his once velvety sensual voice turned hard as stone. “Jasmine will be here to collect you soon. Don’t go anywhere and don’t touch anything.” He shoved through the exit and slammed the door behind him.

  I rushed to follow him, but heard a latch click and his heavy footsteps marched away. “Killian?” I shouted as I hit the door. It didn’t budge against my efforts. I fiddled with the handle, but it had been locked into place. “Killian!”

  I looked back to the nest as my chest heaved, my lungs sucking in air like I was drowning. My skin burned from the energies we’d exchanged and I ra
n my fingers over my birthmark, finding it scalding hot, sending waves of power through my body enough that made me dizzy.

  What had I done?

  The wyvern was still sleeping through all of the excitement and I lifted the blanket to check on it.

  Its once translucent wings were now a brilliant gold. It opened one eye to regard me, chirped in welcome, and then closed his eye again to go back to sleep.

  To my relief, the bond didn’t seem to harm it. If anything, it had grown stronger.

  I draped the blanket over him again and blinked a few times as guilty tears threatened to flow. I went to the window and spotted a multitude of students on the campus grounds, all of them spanning out like a broken wave as Killian stormed through them.

  Golden waves of energy emanated from his footsteps and I had a feeling that whatever the consequences of this bond… I was going to pay the price for them very soon.

  Welcome to Dragonrider Academy indeed.

  I stared up at the ceiling as I slumped onto Killian’s bed, completely stunned by the revelations we’d both witnessed.

  I’d done this to myself?

  How had I even known that Dragonrider Academy had existed?

  A small part of my soul must have always known. It was the goddess blood in my veins doing its best to protect me… but this wasn’t what I wanted. This was a mistake and I wanted to just curl up in a ball and let this whole nightmare pass over me until I woke up.

  Pulling the bedsheets over my head, I enveloped myself in Killian’s scent. We were bonded now and my heart ached to be apart from him, not to be able to learn more about him and why we were meant to be together… why I had called him to me in the first place.

  There was so much more to this. I could feel it underneath the surface. So many secrets just waiting to be resolved.

  I’d been so alone all my life. Just me, my mom, and Solstice, when in all reality I’d had a whole line of strong and powerful women behind me.

  Something about that made me feel better. Unfortunately, I had a feeling none of my ancestors were going to help me out right now. My only ally at Dragonrider Academy was furious with me, and I didn’t blame him. If something had manipulated me like that, I would have been out for blood. I could only hope that there was more to this, that our bond was real and he could grow to understand… to forgive me.

  More so… that I could forgive myself.

  A soft snore brought me out of my self-pity. I pulled down the sheet to peek at Topaz, Killian’s wyvern. The breathing didn’t sound quite right. Whatever boon from the initial wave of power was gone, and now he struggled again. I wished more than anything that I could help the poor creature regain his strength, but therein was the true problem, the reason I didn’t deserve Killian’s consideration or forgiveness.

  I was too human. Useless on my own.

  My heart twisted, boring a hole in my chest as I realized I’d let Killian and his wyvern down.

  The one thing that he couldn’t deny is that there had been an almost otherworldly connection between us the moment our hands had touched. I might be more human than goddess, but there was a magical part of me that responded to Killian—and if I could connect with that, maybe I could fix the mess I’d made.

  The door slammed open and I squeaked. A female stood in the entryway and curled her lip back on a sneer.

  “Oh. Hi, Jasmine,” I said, trying to quell the tremor in my voice. Sure, she was epically terrifying, but whatever punishment she had ready for me, I deserved it.

  She glowered at me with brilliant eyes the color of jade. I wasn’t sure if she was more upset that I’d beaten her in a duel—one she’d started—or if she knew what had just gone on with Killian. How close were those two, anyway?

  “What’d you do to Killian?” she snapped, the protectiveness in her voice surprising me.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied. If Killian didn’t tell her, then I certainly wasn’t going to be picking at that wound. She’d probably use me for target practice if she knew the whole truth, and even though I’d won a duel once, I didn’t want to try my luck a second time.

  Then I remembered what Killian had said the moment I’d won the duel… she owed me servitude, whatever that meant.

  I glanced up at the look on her face, wondering if this was her idea of being my servant. “So, are you here to help me? Because of the duel… and all.”

  Her eyes narrowed and I swear the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. “Beginner’s luck,” she snapped, then she rummaged through the dresser and plucked out some clothes. She threw them at my face. “Put those on,” she growled. “Unless you want to run around in your bikini all day, that is, and distract more of our knights from their classes.”

  Ignoring her, I pulled on the outfit over my bathing suit. It was dry already and I wasn’t interested in asking Jasmine if she had any underwear for me.

  She waited until I pulled on the polo shirt and smoothed the pleated skirt. It felt like it was missing something until Jasmine shoved an Academy pin at me. I took it, but managed to prick my finger in the process. “Ouch!” I said with a wince. Jasmine rolled her eyes.

  I stared at the bead of dark-red blood that welled up from my skin. It stung—which meant that this wasn’t a nightmare.

  This was real, and I needed to get my act together.

  Sticking my thumb in my mouth, I fumbled with the pin until she impatiently yanked it from me and jabbed it through my collar.

  “Seriously, are you scared of a little blood?” Jasmine scoffed. “What kind of dragonrider did Killian think you’d be?”

  It wasn’t fair, I knew that. Killian had been manipulated into thinking that I was going to be the perfect dragonrider for the Academy, that everything was going to work out and I don’t know, we’d fly off into the sunset or something.

  Instead… he’d gotten me, the freak-show with just enough goddess blood in her veins to get her into trouble.

  As Jasmine rambled on to herself every reason she could think of I didn’t deserve to be here, I couldn’t help but agree with her. Everything weighed on me like a ton of bricks and a ringing began echoing in my ears. The room rushed in on me… becoming too small and too stale.

  I needed to get out. I needed some fresh air.

  No, not just fresh air, I needed to get out of this place. Everything felt wrong. I hadn’t noticed it before how the ground slightly vibrated and something felt… off.

  A thought occurred to me. Perhaps if I left the Academy it would be enough to break the riderbond before it was too late. Maybe there was a chance to undo the mess I’d made. My father’s killer might still be out there, but Killian didn’t deserve this. I couldn’t trade his future and his wyvern’s life for my own selfishness.

  If I could fix this… I should.

  The second Jasmine turned, I rushed past her and she shouted after me, but I kept going.

  My feet slapped against the stone floor as I bolted, not taking the time to find shoes to wear. I didn’t wait to see if Jasmine was rushing after me.

  I ran.

  I stumbled past the students who shouted after me, as if they knew I was a fraud. They didn’t want me here. Nobody wanted me here.

  I kept going until I hit the burning sand and I didn’t look back.

  M y lungs burned and I gulped in hot air until I reached the Academy’s ornate wrought-iron gate that ran around the far edge of the campus. One glance over my shoulder made me dizzy as I took in the swirling dragons… but Jasmine and her massive wyvern weren’t among them. Surely I wasn’t fast enough to outrun her. Maybe she’d let me go.

  Of course she’d let me go. She didn’t want me here.

  Determined, I turned back to the gate and gave it a light shake.

  Locked, okay. No big deal.

  Goddess blood or not, I didn’t have super strength. It’d come in handy when I’d fought Jasmine, though, so maybe there was some way I could activate it again.

  I bac
ked up a few steps and evaluated my target.

  Okay, you got this. Just think of Superman… draw your strength from the ground… and… go!

  I launched, hurling myself at the gate and slammed into it with all my weight.

  Then fell onto the ground with an undignified thump.

  “Ouch,” I murmured as I rubbed my shoulder that had collided with the immovable bars.

  Groaning, I got to my feet and chewed my lip. So, I wasn’t going to pummel down the gate like a superhero. Maybe I was looking at this the wrong way. I shook my hands and glanced up at the top of the gate. It had to tower at least twenty feet, but if I wasn’t entirely human, maybe I could jump over it?

  “Worth a shot,” I mumbled, and backed up a few steps before I launched myself, this time upward instead of forward.

  While it was a pretty good jump, I still didn’t get farther than a few feet off the ground and I clipped my chin on the bars as I slammed into them.

  Hitting the ground again, I rubbed the knot forming under my skin. At this rate I was going nowhere fast.

  A whoosh of air rushed all around me, sending sand and dust particles clogging my nose. I coughed and sputtered as a voice came from behind me.

  “What in the realms are you doing?” Jasmine asked.

  I turned just in time to see her dragon crouching, eyeing me with a mischievous gleam. I realized that this time Killian wasn’t here to keep me from being a snack.

  “I’m trying to leave,” I said, as if that wasn’t obvious. “Nobody wants me here.”

  Her hand fell to the scabbard at her hip, her fingers flexing over the hilt of her blade. “You’re right about that much, and coming out here with no witnesses was a stupid mistake.”

  Fear washed over me, sending that buzz in my ears on overdrive. The mark on my shoulder burned and I released a sharp breath as the pain made my vision blur.