by K T Quinn
“Yes, I heard. The King notified me immediately. He wanted to ensure no one acted rashly. I believe that is how he put it. I know you need to report to the King weekly Mikki, do your best, and don’t get attached to anyone. It will just make it more difficult for you if you need to report one of your fellow students to the King, and even more difficult for you when the time comes to leave. Don’t forget these people are our enemies, there will come a time when we must stand and fight them, kill them even. We are at war Mikah. Never forget that. Most of all don’t fail your King. We both know how that will end.” Mom’s voice came through the phone harsh and full of truths. This was a test from the King himself, I couldn’t fail or my family and Bri would be the ones to suffer.
“Yes Mom. I won’t let you down. I promise.” I hoped that this would be a promise I can keep.
“I know you will darling, now phone Bri. She has only called me oh say about five hundred times already, love you Mikah. Stay safe.” Mom ended the call leaving me staring at a blank screen. She was never one for big goodbyes. I opened the contacts and scrolled until I found Bri’s name and dialled. The phone rang out to voicemail so I left her a quick message and followed up with a text.
Yo bestigans, call me back stat. I’m stuck on the Bright side for six months. Miss your face xx
I put the phone down and unpacked my suitcase into the drawers on my side of the room. Another single bed sat on the opposite side of the wall waiting for my roommate who was yet to arrive.
Hopefully it was one of the Dark Siders who were yet to come. I checked the time, it was still early. Without anything else to do I lay down on top of my bed and fell asleep.
Chapter 6
I woke up to the sound of screams accompanied by the sound of hissing. Not the kind of hiss a snake would make, think more along the lines of a stovetop kettle beginning to boil with the steam hissing out of its end. Or, more accurately hissing much like a certain Wyrm who was currently curled up protectively over the second single bed in my dorm room. Rolling my eyes I turned to the source of screaming. A tall redhead student was standing at the foot of the bed frozen mid scream. Her green eyes were wide and wild, her untamed hair covered half of her face. She was wielding her suitcase ready to throw it at the cranky dragon who resembled a snake coiled and ready to strike. This was all about to go very very bad if I didn’t do something and fast. Sighing I dug out one of the twinkie bars that had been shoved into my unpacked suitcase and threw one at Wyrmie. Distracted he snatched the bar up and started shovelling it down. One fire out, one to go. I turned to the redhead and stuck my hand out at her. “Mikah Harper, magical goddess and dragon tamer. And you are?”
“Ummm...ummm.. Dr.. drr.. Dragon?” the redhead stuttered still frozen in place, her eyes watching Wyrmie in disbelief and shock. Wyrmie had now slunk over to my suitcase throwing out all of the garments looking for more snacks. He was also tangled in one of my bras. A dragon wearing a bra. I shuddered. Yep that is one thing I did not need to see in this lifetime.
“Dragon is an odd name, was your Mom you know… when you were born?” I asked using my hands to make the universal hand signal for drunk.
“Huh.. ummm no! My name is Victoria Shadewing” the redhead answered suddenly turning her attention towards me.
“I know you... I think.” The name sounded familiar, I stared at her for a moment unable to place her.
“We all know you, you’re famous. Seriously famous.” Victoria replied looking at me in awe. It was creeping me out.
“Now I know you! You’re Red! From the bus. The one who chose the light, not the dark. That Dante tried to make a grab for” I said excitedly. “Hang on, whaddya mean I’m famous?” I asked her confused. I wasn’t used to anyone knowing my name, let alone being famous for any given reason.
“Well, I keep overhearing from some of the other students about the Dragonkin, how they’ve reappeared and all of these amazing things that the old legends say the Dragonkin can do,” Victoria gushed at me. “Everyone seems really excited about it, but..” she faltered not wanting to continue.
“Come on gurl, don’t leave me hanging. What is the but? Is it bad?” I asked her. I wanted to know what the big deal was.
“Umm.. well.. Everyone I have overheard talking about it seems really puzzled why the Dragonkin spirit chose you, to umm, reincarnate into. Something about you not being warrior..ish like,” Victoria replied hanging her head clearly embarrassed at relaying this information to me.
I like her. Alessia whispered in my mind.
“Omgggg why does everyone keep saying that I’m not very warrior-ish! I have muscles! I have solid moves,” I exclaimed awkwardly shadow boxing the air.
“Um. Well. I’m sure you are… not all warriors need to be all muscle and looks,” Victoria replied with a smile. She clearly wasn’t put off by my awkward moves. Who am I kidding - if something came at me in my direction I would probably talk it to death before squealing like a girl and running in the other direction.
“Ugh, it’s alright. I know I am nothing like a warrior. I would like to be, but sadly, this is all I’ve got,” I gestured at myself before throwing myself backwards onto my bed.
“Sometimes that is all you need y’know. Just yourself” Victoria said still smiling at me. She was leaking waves of kindness. It was such a serene and joyous feeling. I felt like I had been caught in a happy bubble. I was feeling her emotions, and wasn’t quite sure how to turn it off. I really needed some help getting the hang of this empath power I had been gifted. I wondered if this was because of Alessia. If Dragonkin were empaths which would explain the random gift that was normally bestowed upon healers.
No, that gift is yours and yours alone. Alessia pushed the thought into my mind. I tucked the thought away to pull apart later.
“Yeah I know, it’s going to have to be that way I guess now I’m stuck here for another six months. What’s it like over here? Is everyone nice to you?” I asked Victoria curious. Her cheeks flushed pink and she lowered her eyes.
“Actually, I’m a little shy. No one really talks to you if you’re an outsider here. There aren’t many of us that willingly transition because of, you know.. The King,” she whispered. “I’m lucky enough to have no one back home to go missing, or to miss me for that matter.” Victoria’s shoulders slumped and the gentle waves of joy I had felt earlier slowed and ebbed away. The room felt cool and damp with sadness. “The other students here… they can be a bit mean. I thought it would be better over here, a fresh start. But it’s just worse. I’m still all alone.”
I don’t know if it was the waves of sadness that flowed around me, or the emptiness that echoed from her eyes but I felt an instant affinity, a connection if you will, with Victoria Shadewing at that exact moment. Dragon, my Alessia, felt the same way. I could feel what she felt humming through the bond that was slowly beginning to form between us. I felt a sense of righteousness, of a will to protect her from the unjust that she had clearly been experiencing for most of her existence. “You are not alone. You have us now, all three of us.” I walked over and pulled her into a big ol southern hug, or what I envisioned one would feel like since I was actually not from the South. Victoria looked at me with a grin that went ear to ear. “Really?” she asked. “Yeah really lovie. You’re stuck with us for now. So unpack yo shit” I said returning her grin and shoving her suitcase at her. “I’ve always wanted a roomie, and I’d rather have someone nice in here than a creepo I don’t know. Plus you don’t seem to mind Wyrmie now he’s calmed his farm” I said pointing in Wyrmie’s direction. He was still tangled in my bra and had given up trying to escape. Instead of asking for a rescue he was simply trying to pretend like we weren’t even there.
“No he’s actually quite cute, where did you find him?” Victoria asked.
“Oh just in some library office room Gabriel stuck me in when I arrived here. Poor guy was starving and sleeping in the bookshelf so I borrowed him” I laughed at my own joke. Get it ... found him in a lib
rary and I borrowed him.
Ha ha. So funny. I have been stuck with a comedian in this life. Oh joy. Alessia drily spoke inside my mind. Ignoring her I focused on what Victoria was trying to say to me. I found it difficult to keep two conversations going at once without looking like a crazy person speaking to myself.
“Mikah, you there? Hellooo” Victoria waved her hand in front of my face.
I pushed her hand gently away. “Yeah I’m here, sorry I was just talking to my Dragon.”
“I thought so, your face went kind of blank for a moment,” Victoria replied as she began to unpack her clothes from her suitcase into the twin set of drawers on her side of the room. “I was just telling you that the rest of the Dark Siders will be arriving any moment now. That means tomorrow will be your first day at the Academy. Hopefully you’re in all of my classes” Victoria rattled a million miles an hour. “Oh I hope we’re in Titan’s class. Have you seen him yet? He’s so handsome” she gushed before adding, “He teaches weapons class.” Victoria sighed dreamily before returning to her task.
“I’m not sure I would call him handsome. Uptight and annoying maybe. Okay fine. He’s handsome but he irritates me with all of his hoity toityness. He thinks he’s so much better than us. That guy had a stinking attitude,” I said clearly sulking.
“But he has abs! It’s all about the abs,” Victoria sighed putting the last of her folded clothes in the drawers.
I sighed in return while thinking of his abs, I had never met someone who irritated me on such a high level but who I also shared some kind of connection with. A knock sounded at the door before Rowdy barged his way in with two hot chocolates that he shoved in both mine, and Victoria’s hands. He threw himself down on my bed dramatically, folding his arms behind his head.
“I’m bored. Amuse me,” he said as he closed his eyes.
“Ummm how about you amuse us since you barged on in here like you own the place,” I retorted sipping on my hot chocolate. It was delicious.
“But I do. Own the place I mean,” Rowdy replied.
I was about to refute his comment but Victoria shook her head at me trying to signal that he had been telling me the truth. Well I’ll be damned. Mind-Reading Blondie was also a Richie Rich wannabe.
“Not Richie Rich. Jeez woman, stop thinking so loudly. I’m trying to relax here!” Rowdy grabbed one of the pillows, and shoved it over his head for added drama.
Victoria’s cheeks were tinged with pink, and she was staring at Rowdy like she wanted to eat him. “You know he can read minds,” I said to Victoria.
“Stop ruining all the fun,” Rowdy whined. “I like looking at her thoughts, they’re pretty, just like she is.” Rowdy smiled at Victoria, and her cheeks turned brighter. She was now a human tomato. “I’m sorry though darling, if you were a guy I would be all over that,” Rowdy said as he signalled at all of Victoria. “You don’t have a brother by any chance do you?” he said with a wink and a grin.
Victoria’s face momentarily fell before her smile filled her face again. Rowdy had that effect on people as far as I could see. He was like a walking talking ray of sunshine. He was fast becoming one of my best friends, it made being stuck on this side a little more bearable. I thought of my best friend back home, I wondered how she was doing. I had tried to call her a few times but she didn’t pick up. Her text messages were short and brief not fun and chatty like they used to be. I shook my head and focused on the present, my new friends and a small Wyrm dragon who were all crowded in my room gossiping about Titan. How I had missed the transition of topics from Victoria’s hypothetical brother to the resident god-like male specimen I do not know.
“I heard that he’s single,” Victoria said quietly with a small grin.
“Oh he is very much so ladies, now that he has grown a brain, and given that blonde idiot Sabine the flick.” Rowdy said returning Victoria’s grin.
“Who’s Sabine?” I asked. I threw the empty cup of hot chocolate cup in the bin, and raised my hands in victory, taking a mock bow.
“She’s one of your fellow students, who is a long time family friend of Titan’s family. Their parents pushed them together, and Titan went along with it for a while. Clearly he was not thinking with his brain on that one - just his eyes,” Rowdy replied from his position on my bed.
“He means she’s a bitch,” Victoria said without thinking, quickly covering up her mouth in shock as the words tumbled out.
“Yeah that she is. Stay away from her, love. You’re on her hitlist. She ascended last year, so she already knows how to use her gifts. Actually, try and lay low while you spend your allocated time here. A lot of Bright-siders aren’t real welcoming to outsiders. Something I’m trying to change,” Rowdy said with a look of warning. He looked lost in thought for a moment. “You need a protective amulet. Something to keep you safe from any malicious magic, or abilities while you are over here. You’re too important to this war - and to me - to lose so early in the fight.”
I thought of the beautiful golden gemstone ring that Nazar had gifted to Alessia and I. It warmed to my touch as I absentmindedly stroked it. It felt safe, like protection.
‘Agreed. Keeps us safe’ Alessia agreed with me.
Rowdy grabbed the hand that the gemstone ring was on with a gasp. “Where did you get this?” he asked.
“Umm Nazar?” I replied. I gave Rowdy a questioning look, what was all this fuss about? It was just a ring.
‘Treasure’ Alessia added. Yes dragon, treasure.
“This hasn’t been seen in a long, long time. It’s the Amulet of Rozar, it is one of the most sacred runes of protection in the Oracle line. The Oracle is never without it - ever! It puts him in great danger. Nazar must have seen something worth dying for in the future if he gave this to you!” Rowdy said in a mix of shock and horror.
“I have to go” he blurted as he stormed to the door. “Nazar must be protected, I must get a protection team onto him stat.” The single window rattled as Rowdy slammed the door behind him.
“I think I might stick with you. I think things are about to get interesting,” Victoria said as she surveyed the messy room.
The room resembled the aftermath of a hurricane, hurricane Rowdy. “I could do with some fun.”
Victoria winked and bent down to start picking up the bits and pieces that had scattered on the floor.
Chapter 7
The bells of SkyeBjorn Academy were loud and musical. Too joyful for this time of morning. I pulled on my ratty sneakers ready for the first day of class. I eyed the suitcase full of garments that had been sent over to me on behalf of the King. I bet my right boot that a succubus had packed it. That would explain the leather knee high boots with the sharp studs running up the sides, or the amount of teeny tiny crop tops thrown in there. The only salvageable items I was wearing - a white razorback tank and a pair of black leather pants that squished all the right bits in and felt like I was wearing clouds. Not that I would admit to my secret love of these pants. I would have to ask Mom if she could send some clothes over for me from home so I wouldn’t need to dress like I was ready for a night out on the town in the succubus quarter. I looked down at a sleeping Wyrmie with longing. He had taken up residence in my top drawer and was currently curled up asleep in a little ball. I wanted to take him to classes with me as my own personal security blanket but Skyebjorn Academy had a strict no pets rule. I think the only reason I had been able to keep him in my dorm room was because everyone was secretly afraid he would decide to morph into his true size and kill us all. I knew that he wouldn’t do that though, he was way too lazy and had a never ending supply of snacks. I sprinkled some pretzels and candy around his sleeping body for when he woke up. That way he wouldn’t bitch me out for leaving him behind when I got back from class. The second bell chimed indicating that it was time to make our way to class. Crap! I wanted to find caffeine before class started. I grabbed my backpack and shoved my jacket inside and raced out the door, giving the guard stationed outside a quick grin
and a wave. Gabriel had refused to budge on having a personal guard on Wyrmie 100% of the time. Apparently he was too much of a danger to let him have free run of the place now he was out of hibernation. Personally I thought it was ludicrous because when I found him in the library he was all on his lonesome.
I pulled out the map of the school Victoria had given me earlier and tried to navigate my way to class. Victoria had an early meeting with Gabriel to talk about her role on the Brightside so was meeting me in class. I couldn’t make tops or tails of the map so shoved it back in my pocket and followed the other students meandering in the hallways drifting towards different doors. I looked for familiar faces in the bustling crowd for familiar faces. The unascended should have already joined the Brightside but I hadn’t yet seen them. I drifted down the hallway and lost myself in the crowd. I noticed some of the students staring at me. A girl with short pink hair in a pixie cut smiled at me before turning to her locker and pulling books out to stuff into her bag. I returned her smile and kept walking following the crowd.
“Dragonkin.”
“She looks weak… why did the dragonkin choose her?”
“Pathetic.” The whispers came from behind me. I straightened my back and pretended that I couldn’t hear them. My skin prickled and goosebumps ran along my arms. I began to feel desolate and bleak. I felt alone, scared...sad. I felt so utterly and completely alone and out of place. I felt as if a black smog had settled over me and made itself my second skin.
‘These feelings are not your own. Look, down there.’ Lessi whispered in my mind showing me an image of where she wanted me to look. A few lockers down a tall blonde had somebody cornered. I couldn’t see past her pink backpack or the two other girls that were helping her. I walked a little closer trying to be as discreet as possible.
“We don’t want you here demon scum” the blonde snarled, her pretty features contorted in anger making her as ugly as she sounded. A girl with mint green hair cowered against the lockers cornered between the three girls. She was holding up her small pink Hello Kitty backpack up as a shield and shook in fear. A shroud of black fog surrounded her, it swirled and moved as if it had a life of its own. Small tendrils of light weaved in and out of her hair and her arms in-sync with the black shroud of fog. It was like some sort of sticky second skin.
