Dragonrider Academy: Episode 2 Read online

  Killian gave me a bitter laugh. “I forget how nauseously optimistic you humans are.”

  “Hey,” I said, sitting next to him and jabbing his rib with a finger. “You’re part human too, you know.”

  Killian shrugged as if he couldn’t refute that. I reached out to pet Topaz who trilled happily in response. Killian allowed it, so I stroked down the creature’s snout like I’d seen him do. He nuzzled my hand, making me giggle.

  “I’m the one who isn’t strong enough,” Killian said, his voice so quiet I could barely hear him. “I can’t harvest enough magic to keep Topaz healthy, and now I am afraid it’s just a losing battle. When I found you, that was supposed to be it… That was—” He went silent as his jaw flexed, making my heart melt.

  I reached out to him, unable to watch him suffer like this. The moment my fingers grazed his arms, energy surged between us and Topaz fluttered his wings. Strength made my skin heat up as if Killian and I were two parts of a wire that would ignite the room in flames.

  His blue eyes met mine and I knew that he felt it too. Our bond was stronger than he gave it credit for and something else was there… something that refueled that emptiness in my chest until I breathed in and out, releasing steam from the superheated air.

  “Don’t,” Killian weakly pleaded, but it was too late, we were both enraptured by the moment. I rested a hand on Topaz’s back before our lips met.

  Just like before, my world turned inside out and a roar of power flooded my ears.

  Killian didn’t crush his lips to mine like he had before, his touch was gentle and hesitant, as if afraid to push this too far, but he couldn’t pull away. This bond between us was real, tangible, and made me feel things I had never felt before.

  Power surged through me, filling my core and warming my extremities until I was sure I would burst into flames. I took some of the energy for myself, then redirected a portion of it down my fingertips and into the dragon who keened up at us, so trusting in the lap of his rider.

  The sensation of fullness told me when I was done. I pulled away from Killian, even though my body tingled and the desire to get lost in him forever was undeniably tempting.

  His hard blue eyes had taken on a softer glow and I was rewarded with the glimmer of a smile before he cleared his throat and turned away.

  We both stared down at Topaz who shivered off a layer of golden dust. Killian brushed away the substance, revealing healthy blue scales underneath that reflected the light. The creature flapped his wings and chirped before releasing a small puff of fire. Killian laughed. “Whoa, boy, don’t burn down the dorm or you’re going to get me stall duty again.”

  Relief made me smile, but a wave of dizziness swept over me and I grabbed my head.

  Killian surprised me by steadying me as he held my arm. “Hey, are you okay?” His anger was temporarily gone, the bitterness overwhelmed by his gratitude that his wyvern could still be saved. “You shouldn’t have done that.” The chiding comment came out flat. He disapproved of my magic, but he couldn’t argue with the results.

  “Why?” I asked as I waited for the spell to pass. “This is why I’m here, isn’t it?” The Dean had an image of me that I meant to uphold. I would be a force for good, not a curse on those who deserved my help.

  “You’re a conduit,” he said as if I should know what that meant. “When the goddess power in you runs dry, you can channel more of it from your ancestors… and from other realms.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I’m a Nephilim, and channeling the power from my realm can be dangerous. If they found out, they’d come after you.”

  “Oh,” I said, feeling weary. “That sounds… complicated.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, you could say that.” He got to his feet and Topaz chirped before wrapping around his neck. “Well, from what I know about conduits, there are other ways you can refuel.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  “Uh,” I began, then he choked on a laugh.

  “Food, Vivi. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

  I frowned. “Right, food.”

  His eyes sparked with mischief. I wasn’t sure how long this spell would last, but I would enjoy this side of Killian until I did something to remind him how wrong I was for him again. “You’re in for a treat. Dragonrider Academy food is, let’s say, magically enhanced. It’ll taste like your favorite dish.” He offered me his hand. I studied the lines on his palm before taking it.

  I wasn’t sure if this counted as a date, but my stomach rumbled in agreement that food was a spectacular idea.

  The cafeteria was conveniently placed on the ground floor of what I could only describe as a castle. “Do you people not understand subtlety?” I asked as Killian guided me to the long line.

  I almost expected him to cut in front, being all posh and arrogant as he was, but he took his place at the end and waited patiently as he scratched Topaz who nibbled on his ear. After a minute of me staring at him, he shrugged. “I’m an honorable knight. That means we wait.” He smirked and unlatched Topaz from his earlobe. “Even if that means my wyvern tries to take a bite out of me.”

  My tongue watered as the aroma of tender meats and mac and cheese met my nose, but none of the plates matched the description of the dishes my brain tried to process. I recalled that Killian said that the food was magical here, and I watched as students who filled the long tables stuffed spoonfuls of white mush into their mouths. It glowed, taking on different forms of sandwiches, meat entrees, and even soups. “I thought you said that the Academy was low on magic,” I marveled.

  “We have a couple of dwarves who serve the meals,” Killian said, pointing at the bobbing heads I’d missed behind the long wall of the buffet table that seemed to miraculously refill itself. “Their magic isn’t good for much other than smithing armor and making some awesome food.”

  “Uh… huh,” I said, deciding that I wasn’t going to process anymore bizarre magical facts about this place for the day.

  After what felt like millennia, we sat down to eat and I spotted Jasmine glowered at us from across the room. She waited until Killian acknowledged her and she widened her eyes as if to say, What the heck are you doing?

  He shrugged before turning to his food and digging in, making sure to slip Topaz a few bites. I wanted to ask him the same questions Jasmine had on her face, although with a lesser sense of animosity. Where did we stand? Were we a thing now? Had he forgiven me?

  “Eat your food,” he commanded as if he could hear my thoughts.

  When I took a bite, I no longer cared about the questions swirling around in my head. “Oh my God,” I murmured, then cocked my head. “I guess I should say ‘Oh my Goddess?’”

  Killian chuckled. “Oh, don’t let any of the other students hear you say that. We have a theology class about deities and there are those who think the goddess of the realms is just an overpowered supernatural. Just because she protects the realms doesn’t mean she created them.”

  “Hmm,” I said as I took another bite of what looked like white mush, but tasted like the best mac and cheese on steak I’d ever had. The combination had come about when I’d run out of things to cook with my mother and it had been a joke, only to turn into my signature dish. While I was glad I didn’t have to necessarily give up my Catholic upbringing, I reminded myself I wasn’t going to process any weird facts today.

  After we ate, Killian stormed down the halls with Topaz clinging to his neck, his nose in the air as if he enjoyed every moment of feeling healthy again. Central Hall housed the majority of the classrooms, according to Killian, as well as other significant rooms that needed protecting—like the Egg Sanctuary.

  “Are you ready for orientation?” he asked. “It can be intense.”

  “More intense than what I’ve already been through?”

  He chuckled, opened his mouth to say something then threw his arm over me, blocking me from taking another step.

  “Ow!” I bit out as his powerful blow knocked the wind out of me.

  “Sor
ry,” he said as he released me. “It’s enchanted. I forgot you aren’t attuned until you bond to a wyvern.” He glanced down at the pink mist that rose out from the step beneath us. I didn’t want to know what would have happened if I’d run into it. He waved his hand over it and sparks flew across the ground as it was dispelled.

  “Why are there booby traps inside the campus?” I wheezed as I rubbed my stomach. “Are there any other surprises that I should be aware of?”

  “It’s a necessity, and yes, you should always be on your guard,” he said as if that were obvious. “Dragon eggs are powerful objects on their own, even unhatched. They could be a source of great evil in the wrong hands.”

  I bit the inside of my lip, then winced and ran over the groove with my tongue. I really needed to stop that bad habit.

  It reminded me once again of the duality that the Dean had tried to describe to me.

  It can be a blessing or a curse.

  I followed Killian down more steps, trying not to complain once again about the lack of elevators. Several more enchantments glimmered to life as we descended. Bulbless lamps burst with magical flames and lit our way, followed by a waterfall that framed a small entrance. Killian stepped through without hesitation, so I followed. Neither of us came out wet on the other side, although a slightly sour stench clung to my uniform.

  “That was the Waterfall of Intention,” Killian explained, his shoulders relaxing as he appraised me. “Another one of the dwarves’ inventions. If either of us had ill will toward the Egg Sanctuary, it would have attempted to block us.”

  “Cool,” I said, once again clinging to my decision not to think too hard about magical revelations that I didn’t understand. “Sounds high-tech.”

  He raised a brow. “High… tech?”

  I smirked. “You know, technology? Phones? Computers? Elevators?” I couldn’t help but adding the last one.

  A line formed as he furrowed his brows. “I haven’t heard of those things.”

  Right. I kept forgetting Killian and I were literally raised in different worlds. “I’m getting total revenge when you come back to Earth with me,” I said, bopping his nose with my finger.

  He frowned and backed away as the energy from the brief contact sizzled through the air. “Don’t count on it,” he murmured before turning to a closed door and knocking.

  I didn’t have time to ask if he meant we wouldn’t be going to Earth together, or if he was so arrogant to believe he was beyond culture shock. A fumbling noise sounded, followed by the eye-slot yanking open. A pair of green eyes peered at us as a grumpy male voice barked, “Who is it?”

  “Orientation student for you,” Killian said. “You know the rules, Finn. Don’t make me wait out here all day.” He wrinkled his nose. “Plus, I think your Intention Waterfall is accumulating mold.”

  Cursing ensued as the eye-slit slammed shut. More fumbling sounded before the door creaked open. Killian pushed his way inside while the dwarf scowled at us. He dragged along a step-ladder while he grumbled something about good-for-nothing knights.

  “Vivi, meet Finn,” Killian said with a wry smile. “He’s delighted to meet a new student, I’m sure.”

  “Waste of time!” Finn grumbled as he waddled into the massive room filled with shelves of colorful, ovular objects poking out of perfectly spherical nests.

  I scanned the otherworldly display, taking in the ruby reds, emerald greens, and even a few diamond and pearl shells inside the nests.

  “Stop gawking,” Finn barked as he shuffled over to a bucket. He yanked his ladder into place. “Make yerself useful.” He shoved a brush into my hand that dripped with shimmering goop.

  I gave Killian a pleading glance, but the dwarf had given him a brush too and he dutifully coated one of the eggs on the higher shelves Finn had trouble reaching.

  “May I ask what this stuff is?” I asked as I found an egg of my own to coat.

  “No questions!” Finn insisted. “More coating!”

  If this was my orientation, I wasn’t impressed.

  Killian seemed unperturbed by the dwarf’s demands and moved onto the next egg as Topaz settled around his neck for a nap, securing himself in place with his talons. Killian didn’t seem to mind. “It’s a mixture of enchanted oils and dragon blood,” he said.

  I paused my brushstrokes and inspected the glimmering moisture that sank into the egg I was working on. “Blood?”

  Finn snorted. “Don’t act surprised. What else would nourish dragon eggs but the lifeforce of their own?” He slapped another layer of the goop onto the shell. “It’s not like I’m covering the eggs to fry them.”

  Killian smirked at me. “Don’t mind Finn, he’s just grumpy because he’s been working overtime to keep the eggs alive.” There was a note of humor in his voice, but I didn’t miss the melancholy note to it.

  There’s not much magic left.

  “I can hear you,” Finn snapped. He jumped down his ladder to recoat his brush when ash began to trickle to the floor.

  Blood rushed in my ears and my birthmark began to burn, but Killian rested a light touch on my arm, calming me as energy swarmed between us. “It’s the egg sorting through the corrupted components of the wild dragon blood and the usable magic, keeping the clean parts and discarding the rest. It knows what it’s doing, don’t worry.”

  “Huh,” I murmured as Finn absently swept the ash into a dustpan, ignoring my amazement.

  “We helped you with your chores,” Killian complained, raising his voice. “Can we get on with orientation now? We do have actual things to do, Finn.”

  The dwarf gave Killian the stink-eye. “Don’t expect me to stop workin’ just because a Knight and a wanna-be Valkyrie shows up.” He dipped his brush again. “Ain’t nobody else have the magic finesse to keep these eggs alive.”

  “Aren’t there others who can help you?” I asked, honestly concerned about the overworked dwarf.

  “Nope,” he said, going back to his work. “I’m the last of the healers. My pops wanted me to become a Smithy, but I always did have a soft spot for the old ways.” He ran his thumb over a crack in one of the eggs, smoothing the liquid into the seam until it healed. “Not many care about the dragons these days, not after the destruction they’ve caused. But there is good in them, the young an’ innocent, if raised the right way.” He glanced at me, then at the mark on my shoulder. “Gah, fine.” He shoved his brush into the bucket and stormed up to me, taking my hands. He turned them over, inspecting them until he was satisfied. “I can’t read what realm you should ally with.”

  “Water?” Killian suggested, his humor disappearing into a grim scowl. “She comes from Avalon ties.”

  The dwarf shook his head. “That’s not how the magic works, boy, you know that. It’s about the heart.” He thumped Killian in the chest.

  “So, what then?” I asked, looking at my hands again. “How do I tell which kind of dragon I’m supposed to bond with?” Jasmine had an Emerald dragon, from what I remembered of the Dean’s display it was a realm of warriors and life. That reflected her personality well. Killian, his was a water dragon, which surprised me. Avalon’s origins reflected peace, serenity, and the ability to adapt to new situations. Maybe that did fit him, after he’d gone from hating me to accepting our bond. The anger was still there; I felt it underneath the surface, but there was hope that we could come to some sort of understanding.

  “Does she know nothing?” the dwarf spat as if disgusted with me.

  “I’m new to all of this,” I said, trying not to sound too defensive.

  “That much is clear,” he said, snorting.

  “Here,” Killian said, taking my hand gently in his own as he brought my fingers to one of the warm shells. Energy swarmed between us and he pulled away, allowing me to focus on the sensation of the rough shell. “Do you feel anything?”

  “Am I supposed to?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to feel an epiphany, or a surge of magic like I had with the riderbond with Killian. Othe
r than the warmth and the faint thump of a heartbeat inside, I couldn’t feel anything else.

  “Try the next one,” Killian offered, and so began the long process of checking each egg for some mystical connection that I was starting to believe didn’t exist.

  When we reached the final egg, Finn had completed his task of coating the shells and tapped his foot impatiently while he crossed his arms. I brushed away sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand before I pressed my fingertips to the shell.

  Nothing.

  “Well,” Finn said with a sense of resign, “it seems you’ve brought us a dud, Killian.”

  Killian furrowed his brows. “This can’t be right.” He glanced at me, his thumb running across my birthmark. Energy surged between us instantly, making my toes curl. “I’ve seen the magic you can do. There has to be a dragon who is attuned with your aura…” He glanced at Finn. “Are there any others?”

  The dwarf rubbed his hands on a dirty cloth. “Not any that are still alive, no, there’s… hey!”

  Finn shouted after me as I stepped into the darkness, drawn by a tingling down my spine that intensified with every step. I passed between a set of two bookshelves shoved closely together, reaching around to find a door that had a rusty knob. I turned it, but found it locked. A humming sounded in my ears, followed by a sensation of warmth and the need to protect… something.

  “I need in here,” I snapped with certainty.

  “There’s nothing for you in there, lass,” the dwarf said, but he pulled a chain of keys from his buckle anyway. He worked at the lock and creaked the door open, snapping his fingers to send more of the magical lanterns sputtering to life. I stepped inside the room that made a strange sensation crawl across my skin. Eggs lined the shelves of the dimly lit room, except these had no color and no life. Cracks lined the shells, giving them the appearance of being left out in the sun for too long.

  My nose wrinkled as the aroma hit me. Killian noticed it too. The faint stench we’d come across at the entry waterfall wasn’t mold…