by Mandi Oyster
I stared at his mouth, wondering if I could skip class. Draconian could’ve killed Cody yesterday. How much more time would we have together?
Closing my eyes, I centered myself. I needed to spend time with Aurelia if I wanted to keep my friends safe. “We will. We’ll be back for lunch.” I slung my backpack over my shoulder. “Then we’ll walk you to your class. Don’t leave without us.”
Aurelia waited for me in the hallway. “Be on your guard,” she said after I closed my door. “Draconian will not be happy about your escape.”
“Yeah.” I tugged my hand through my hair. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Mandarin Center sat clear across campus from Wisteria Hall. Once we passed the main buildings, the trees grew thicker until we walked through a forest. A wooden bridge over the Rose River made the perfect place for an ambush. If a dragon stood on each side, we’d have nowhere to go.
I looked over my shoulder. Fighting the urge to run back to the dorm, I forced myself to continue.
Aurelia and I strode across the bridge, alert for danger. The rapid thumping of my heart grew louder with each step we took.
“If he is here”—Aurelia’s voice was soft but authoritative—“teleport to your room. Do not concern yourself with me.”
I nodded and kept searching the trees for any sign of danger. Birdsongs filled the sky, and squirrels ran amok. If a dragon’s hiding here, would they be so carefree?
When my foot touched the ground on the far side of the bridge, I expected dragons to surround us, but nothing happened. My legs shook, and I struggled to keep walking.
The front of Mandarin Center was all glass. From inside, there was a fantastic view of the forest with the Snowfire Mountains rising in the background.
Aurelia held the door open for me, and I stepped into the entryway. The tension in my shoulders eased.
Paintings, drawings, and photographs lined the hallways. Aurelia pointed at a painting, the one piece I tried not to look at. A red and black-skinned beast rose from Falcon Lake. His clawed hand tore through the air. Even now, his yellow eyes sent fear shooting through my body. “Is that Nefarious?”
“Yeah.” I fiddled with the straps on my backpack. “One of my dreams. Mr. Quercus liked it. I would’ve burned it.”
Throughout class, Mr. Quercus emphasized the importance of taking unique photographs. I found myself wondering what he would think about a picture of Draconian’s dragons. Something told me that he might believe it was real.
d
When class ended, Aurelia and I mixed in with the other students leaving Mandarin Center, hoping we’d find safety in numbers. Every noise had me looking over my shoulder, ready to run. Students broke off as we passed other buildings, but I felt safer in the open than I had in the forest.
“This is going to be rough.” I rubbed my shoulder, trying to ease the knot rising there.
Aurelia’s steps were hurried, but it didn’t seem to wear on her at all. “Yes. Not knowing when or where he will appear is taxing.”
Once we passed the classroom buildings, the trees thickened again. Only a handful of students were scattered around. I nodded toward a group of three girls. “Are we endangering them?”
“We may be.” She quickened her pace. I had to trot to keep up with her.
When we got to Wisteria Hall, Aurelia held the door open and ushered me in. “You are safe now.”
“Why?” I looked down the hall into the commons area. “Couldn’t he be here?”
“I warded this building to keep him out.” She tilted her head as if listening to someone. “You or I must be present for the wards to work.”
“So he could’ve snuck in.” The words tumbled over each other in their rush to leave my mouth.
She pulled me toward the stairs. “Arion has seen no sign of him or his dr—” Aurelia’s voice broke off when students stepped into the hallway.
“Who’s Arion?”
“A friend.” She waved to several ladies as we made our way to my room. “You will meet him eventually.”
I grabbed the handle, and she turned toward her door. “Is he here to help, too?”
“Not in the same capacity.”
As soon as we finished lunch, Aurelia and I escorted the others to class. When we stood outside of Dr. Cedar’s classroom, Cody pulled me into his arms. “Be careful.”
I leaned into him, resting my head against his chest. “We will.”
“We will return as soon as class is over,” Aurelia said. “Wait for us.”
I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against Cody’s. He pulled me closer, deepening the kiss.
“Get a room,” someone said.
Heat crept up my cheeks as I pulled away from him. “See you guys.”
Aurelia and I walked through, exiting Primrose Hall through the backdoor. From there, it was a straight shot across the parking lot to Sarah’s office.
The two of us were on high alert as we wove through parked cars. When we were almost to the door, Aurelia said, “Sarah and I believe it would be best for you and her not to have too much contact.”
My steps faltered. “Wait. Why?”
“If Draconian is watching”—Aurelia waved her arm in front of her—“he will notice you spend more time with her than most students. If there is an emergency, do not hesitate to talk to her.”
I kicked mulch off the sidewalk back into the flowerbed. Sarah treated me more like a daughter than my own parents did. She was proud of my powers, not embarrassed by them or ashamed of them. I’d enjoyed having an adult to look up to, and now that was being taken away from me, too.
“We will have our lessons in her office for now. There are other rooms in the building, so Draconian will have no way of knowing which one we are in. Most of the time Sarah will make a point to be gone during your lessons to keep suspicion down.”
“It makes sense, but it’s going to be hard to get used to. I was in constant contact with her during the whole Nefarious ordeal.”
“It is the best way to keep Sarah safe and Nefarious out of Draconian’s hands,” she said.
“I understand.” I ran my hand through my hair, catching in the tangled ends. “It seems like she’s leaving Samantha and Cody hanging out to dry, though. Draconian will come after them, and she’ll be safe.”
“Sarah had a tough time with that.” Aurelia strode off, prompting me to follow. “I talked her into it. Either you or I will be with Cody, Samantha, and Dan most of the time. Together we can keep them safe. It is impractical for either of us to be with Sarah constantly.”
“Well, you better teach me what you know, so I can keep them safe.”
We stepped into Sarah’s office, but she didn’t come out to greet us. Aurelia sat on one of the couches, and I sat on the other, facing her. She folded her hands in her lap. “I need you to tell me what powers you have. I have seen you use some of them, but I need to know all of your abilities and how strong they are.”
“Okay, well there’s invisibility, fire, ice, flying, walking through walls.” I ticked them off on my fingers as I listed them. “I can sense when Cody’s near, read minds, teleport, heal, create a force field thingy around me, and somehow I crushed Bryce’s hand last fall.” Tilting my head, I looked at the ceiling. “I think that’s all.”
“You are more advanced than I presumed.” She sounded impressed.
“They all kind of came when I needed them.” I stared out the window, looking at the crisp, blue sky. Poufy clouds floated by. “Although, I’m not sure why I can tell when Cody’s around and not anyone else.”
“You have a special bond with him.” She crossed her legs and clasped her hands around her knee. “You have known him most of your life and have shared many experiences with him.”
“Yeah.” A smile snuck
onto my face. “We’ve been friends as long as I can remember.”
“If you want to learn to recognize other people, all you have to do is be more aware of their essence.”
My eyebrows pulled together. “How do I do that?”
“Concentrate on each person you meet. Let yourself into their minds. Once you have been in their heads, you will be able to sense them. You will know who each person is by their aura. Everyone’s is different.”
“I don’t want to invade everyone’s thoughts.” I was uncomfortable with the prospect of it. “When I read Cody’s mind, it was purely an accident.”
“There is no need to read their minds.” She stared over my shoulder. Her pupils contracted, looking like slits for an instant. “I am not quite sure how to explain it. You … just be.”
Sitting across from Aurelia, watching her speak, I realized she rarely talked with her hands. She sat almost perfectly still, taking in everything. She reminded me of a predator watching its prey, waiting for a moment of weakness.
“Try it on me. Even if you wanted to, you could not read my thoughts. My mind is well guarded.”
“Are you sure?” I bent forward with my elbows on my knees. “I know there are a lot of things you haven’t told us yet.” In my head, I finished by saying, Like who or what you really are.
“A mind as ancient as mine is not easy to comprehend.” A smile touched her lips. “Go ahead, whenever you are ready.”
I stared into her golden eyes and let myself relax. Images flashed through my mind—fairies, unicorns, fire, gold, and beautiful trees. Then serenity washed over me, peacefulness like I felt when I died in my dream. When I looked away from her, I knew for sure she was good and was here to help me any way she could.
“Why did I see those things?”
“I chose to let you. I saw no reason to conceal them. They give nothing away.”
“Are they clues?”
“They are memories.”
“Will I be able to sense you now?” I twisted my earring around.
“You will only sense my presence if I want you to. I am not like the others, as you know. I can keep myself closed off to you. Though, if there is danger, I will not.”
“If you’re not like the others, are you like me?” I looked down at my pink shoes. “How did you come to be so old?”
Her voice softened. “I am not like you either. I am immortal. Please do not ask me anymore. When the time comes, you will know everything.”
“Sorry.” I closed my eyes and shook my head. “I’m curious. I want to know how I ended up like this. I’d also like to know what’s going to happen to me. I just want answers.”
“Youth is full of questions no matter the species.” She turned her head toward Sarah’s office. “Shall we see if Sarah will come out here? If you do the same to her, you will be able to tell when she is around. It may come in helpful if Draconian takes her.”
“I’ll get her.” Walking to her door, my stomach clenched. What if she doesn’t want to see me? I knocked softly on the door.
“Yes.”
Peeking in, I said, “Can you come out here for a minute?”
“Sure.” She pushed her chair back and followed me out.
She sat across from me, and I gazed into her hazel eyes. Images flashed through my mind. Nefarious attacked her. I lie on her couch, broken, bleeding, and burned. Cody sat on the floor next to me. His face was pale. Grief and torment distorted his features. When the images stopped, I felt warm and comfortable.
“That should do.” I tucked my trembling hands into my armpits.
“I imagine I saw the same things you did.” Sarah reached toward me, then pulled her hand back. “I’ve been dwelling on all of the bad stuff that happened with Nefarious. I’m worried about you and what’s to come.”
“Me too.” I tried to summon a laugh, but it sounded more like a whimper. “Your aura is warm and comforting. Aurelia’s is tranquil.” My eyebrows pinched together. “I don’t know what Cody’s is. I’ll have to pay attention next time I’m with him; I just know it’s him.”
“More importantly,” Aurelia said, “next time you are around Draconian, you will have to see if you can read his aura. It would be beneficial if you knew when he was near.”
“Yeah”—a chill prickled down my neck—“but, I’m scared to see what flashes through his mind.”
Sarah stood and smoothed her cream slacks. “If you’re done with me, I need to finish some things.”
“Go ahead.” Aurelia nodded. “I want Dacia to get some practice using each of her abilities.”
Sarah went back to her office, closing the door behind her.
“Okay.” I rubbed my hands together. “What’s next?”
“Which of your powers do you use most often?” she asked.
“Fire, lightning, ice, or healing I suppose.”
She thought for a while before saying, “Sarah’s office is a bit small for lightning. Maybe we could go down to Falcon Lake some evening and you could show me then. There are not a lot of students here for the summer, so I think we would be able to go there without making a scene, especially if we went out on a stormy night.” She pointed at my hands. “Show me what you can do with ice.”
“Well, the easiest way to do that is to start with fire.” I showed her how I could freeze fire, thinking I’d never get tired of watching ice devour the flames.
Her eyes widened a fraction. “That is amazing. Now, hover and concentrate on ice. Instead of releasing it, hold it in.”
Goosebumps raised the hair on my arms. Shivers trembled through my body. I struggled not to shoot ice from my fingertips. Clenching my hands into fists, I fought to hold it inside me. My teeth chattered and my breath clouded the air.
“Keep it up,” Aurelia said.
Looking at her was like peering through a frost-covered window. Prisms danced through the air. My fingers and toes went numb. A tingling sensation spread up my arms and legs. “I can’t h-h-hold it anymore.”
Aurelia held her hand up. “You are doing great, Dacia, a few more seconds.”
“C-can’t …” My vision cleared, and the chills subsided.
“You did.” Aurelia pointed at me. “Look at your hands.”
I held them out, twisting and turning them, astonished by the transformation. My body was a solid block of ice. Staring at my hand, I studied it. The lines on my palms were etched into the ice. I opened and closed my fist. “Cool.” I giggled at my pun.
Aurelia shook her head.
“It’s almost as strange as looking down and finding I’m invisible, but … what can I gain from this?”
“If Draconian had hold of you and you did this, it would be like he was touching dry ice. He would be forced to let go, if only for a moment. You can grab onto something and freeze it instantaneously … just like you are now. If you held onto another living being that did not have your healing powers, you would do severe damage to it. Also, this comes in handy when you are fighting against ice. It is an excellent skill to have.”
“So, uh, can I do something like this only with fire?”
“Yes, you should be able to. Do you want to try it?”
I stared down at the hunter carpet. “Will I burn through Sarah’s floor?”
“You would burn anything you came into contact with. Keep hovering, and think about fire. But, Dacia, do not stay ablaze for too long. You may start to singe things in here if the heat becomes too intense.”
“How do I go back to normal?” The thought of staying this way forever suddenly terrified me.
“Just let it go,” she said.
“You mean I have to freeze something?” My hand slid across the top of my head, and I couldn’t help but smile. “I guess I can’t pull my hand through my hair when it’s froz
en.”
“No, you cannot.” She smiled. “Let the moisture dissipate into the air.”
I held my palm up and imagined releasing the cold, almost like evaporation. My fingertips pinkened. The thaw spread up my arms and over my body. My skin tingled as warmth returned. Then I was back to normal.
“That was weird.” I wiggled my fingers and toes and rubbed my arms and legs. Everything seemed intact and normal. “Do you want me to try with fire?”
“Yes. I believe that would be wise.” She crossed her legs and waited.
I lifted myself about a foot off the ground and concentrated on fire. This time I had a better idea of what to expect. When the urge to shoot flames across the room threatened, I drew that power into me. Sweat dripped off my forehead. Warmth radiated up my arms. Then, within seconds, I became an inferno. Panic clawed at my chest. I slipped toward the ground but remembered to hover just in time.
“You are a quick study.” Aurelia leaned forward. Her eyes lit up, reflecting the flames back at me. “How does it feel?”
“Scary. Weird. Uncomfortable. I don’t like it.”
“You should extinguish yourself. Then we can talk about things.”
By the time I did what she said, exhaustion had spread throughout my body. I slumped on the couch, closing my eyes. “What happens if somebody throws a bucket of water on me when I’m engulfed in flames or throws something at me and shatters me when I’m frozen?”
“If enough water is thrown on you, your flames may extinguish. You cannot be shattered or melted,” Aurelia said. “You can still get hurt but not in those ways.”
“How do you know—” I yawned “—something worse won’t happen?”
“I have been alive in excess of two thousand years. I have seen more than you could ever imagine. You are still Dacia. You do not become the flames or the ice. Next time a dragon tries to capture you, try turning yourself into flames. Its claws will not be able to grasp you. They will slip through the fire, and you will be free. I know this is a lot to take in, but I need you to trust me. There is a great deal you can learn from me.”
