Fire Born Dragon (Rule 9 Academy Book 1)

by Elizabeth Rain

  I giggled. “Shifter? What, I’m going to turn into a fire-breathing dragon?” I stared at Thomas. “Better watch out, make me mad and I’m gonna scorch your ass.” Everyone laughed. But nobody thought it was funny.

  Sirris cheeks turned pink. “Well, maybe, but it could mean a lot of things. Exceptional strength, ability to use fire. I’m not the best one to ask that question. Save that one for the History of Magical Creatures and Mrs. Shamon.”

  I wrinkled my nose. I wasn’t asking that witchy broad anything.

  I changed the subject. “So, whatever I am or can do? I suppose I’ll figure it out—I hope.” I looked at each of them, ending on Sirris.

  “Your turn. What are you or what can you do?” Before she could answer, Kimmy nudged us both. We followed her eyes. Ahead of us, floating along on whisper quiet feet, walked a girl about my age. She might have skimmed the 5’ mark. Jet black hair drifted in a neat braid down her slim back. She dressed in unrelieved black and forest green; her dress outdated and simple where almost everyone else wore jeans and sweatshirts and jackets. There were others that walked alone. Most of them wore their lack of confidence and nerves like a heavy burden.

  Instead, she walked ahead like she was comfortable in her skin. Her eyes moved about up and down the crowd, direct and intelligent. She was familiar, and I remembered I’d seen her at the ice cream parlor in Breathless.

  Kimmy whispered. “That’s Fern Mason. She’s second year with my brothers. Nice enough but doesn’t say much. Capital L in Loner, but that’s the way she likes it.” Kimmy moved up behind her brother, Thomas and hooked arms with him and winked. He shook her off with an irritated shove. She laughed and reached up to mess with his unruly hair which earned a promise of ‘later’. He walked faster, leaving her behind with her brother, Todd, who slanted her a glare.

  I glanced to where Fern had been; but she was gone.

  I hadn’t forgotten my earlier question though. I looked at Sirris and raised an eyebrow.

  With a sunny smile, Sirris linked arms with me. “Oh, I suppose you want the answer to your question? See, not sure what I can do. This is my first year, so learning—like you.” I nodded. She was like me then.

  Sirris continued. “Oh, and what I am, is a Mermaid. Well, halfling Mermaid I suppose. Daddy is all human. Mom was full lake mermaid.” She looked pensive when she mentioned her mother. My head was swimming with the impossible.

  I stopped so sudden that Sirris had to grip my arm and drag me forward so I didn’t get bumped from behind.

  “I thought that was a myth?” I gasped. I looked at her jean clad hips and little feet ensconced in fluorescent pink Sketchers. “You have legs. Where is your tail?”

  Sirris covered her mouth and giggled almost out of control. Thomas shot her a dirty, admonishing look over his shoulder. She stuck her tongue out at his broad back when he turned around.

  “Now Sadie, Fins and a tail? I can’t walk on those. But in the water...”

  I remembered our hike up the other side of Hallow top mountain and how we’d taken an icy dip in the Lake. I remembered the strange iridescent shimmer of color in the water beside her as she swam.

  “How is it you spend so much time on land though? Don’t you need the water to survive or something.”

  Sirris frowned. “I do, yes, but halfling, remember? I need to be in the water often or my skin really dries out and peels. It’s gross. But I’m good as long as I visit a lake or pond a couple times a week.”

  “What about in the winter? Everything freezes.”

  “Not the hot springs. Oh, you don’t know about those do you? That’s a date. I’ll show you next chance we get. They’re outstanding and you’ll love them. They aren’t freezing.”

  I watched Thomas and his brother’s and sister’s as they moved together ahead of us, all of them broad of shoulder, dark skinned and handsome. They all had light brown eyes with a yellowish cast.

  The room threatened to tilt sideways as I struggled to take it all in.

  “And Thomas and his family... what are they?” I whispered the question.

  Sirris pulled me forward, and I leaned into her for support.

  “I could tell you Sadie, but I think you already know, don’t you?”

  The thing is, I did. “Werewolves.” I hissed, my mind spinning.

  Sirris nodded. “Sure, entire clan of them live on Shephard’s Mountain. One of the oldest families in Breathless. Nothing like those other things though. Whatever those were, they’re nothing like anything I’ve ever seen.”

  Thomas’ broad back stiffened, and I suspected he heard our conversation, preternatural hearing and all that.

  Sirris continued. “About Thomas, I’d be careful asking him too many questions. It’s kind of a touchy subject for him. He hasn’t gone through his change yet, but it’s getting closer. Makes them real grouchy, especially the boys. Kinda like some rite of passage thing I don’t understand. Ask Kimmy when you get a chance. She’s an excellent one for answers.

  Thomas slowed down and walked on the other side of Sirris, glaring down at her but speaking to me.

  “And periods. You can ask Kimmy about that one too when she goes through her change.” He added, caustic. Yup, not happy. My eyes slid to Sirris. Hers were jumping with humor up at Thomas.

  I shook my head. She was picking on purpose and enjoying every minute of his irritated attention.

  THE LAST TIME I’D BEEN inside Drae Hallow hadn’t left near the impression this did. Then I’d entered the darkness and left so exhausted I could barely see two feet in front of me.

  I didn’t see much more now as we moved out of the mountain corridors and into broad daylight. The same trees from before blocked my view. But as we walked, I glimpsed blue through the trees and realized the lake on my left was huge. I caught sight of a compact building and several odd shapes arranged at odd intervals in an open field before we wound out of the trees and onto the large bluff from before. “Sutter’s field. Practice arena for War and Combat and other classes like it.” Murmured Thomas. I blinked up at him.

  Were we going to war?

  I noticed what I had missed the first time. On the bluff, high above the lake the path divided. Straightaway it meandered almost straight down into the town of Bitterroot on the Northwest side of the lake. I could just make out the tall, plain building I’d spent the night in and first met Drae Council the following day. If I looked out and beyond the town and lake it sat on, I saw another lake on the other end of the valley. Much smaller and wooded on all sides.

  To our right another path circled back along the lake in the direction we’d come. I could just make out the beginnings of several buildings in the distance. The rain had stopped, and the sun was threatening to peek out from behind the clouds as they broke apart. We rested and grabbed out water bottles. I was parched, draining the rest of mine and storing the empty. Sirris was working on a second. It figured I’d notice details like that now. Your Powers of observation are stellar, Cross.

  Then we were off again and entering the school grounds of Rule 9 Academy. I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting. The entire academy sat on the Southwest corner of Bitterroot Lake.

  The most unusual collection of buildings sprawled out for close to a half mile and dotted the school grounds. No two were the same shape or size, almost as if each building had been dreamed up by an original architect and designed to meet a different administrator’s imagination. The only common thread was the use of the same earth colored bricks throughout in their construction, and the ivy that crept every wall and over some of the roofs acting as camouflage. Neat paved sidewalks connected them all in a meandering trail of crisscrossing concrete. Benches, flowering shrubs, and plants dotted the edge of the sidewalk along the walkways. They gave the campus an aesthetic appeal it might have otherwise lacked.

  Almost dead center was the largest building by far. Long and rectangular, it rose two stories and reminded me of an observatory. Huge pillars sat to each side of the step
s leading up, with part of the building done in red square brick. The other formed a towering domed glass ceiling. As we grew nearer, I saw long rows of tables through the narrow fifteen foot dormer windows that formed the walls of the dome.

  This had to be the cafeteria. Double doors opened through the two story brick front. From inside, the light from the domed lunch room spilled into the wide hallway as we headed in that direction. I barely realized that the rest of the building served a purpose I had yet to discover.

  We walked straight away through a large open doorway and down a wide set of steps into the cafeteria, or as the Mayor Seul called it, the left half of the Commons.

  They strung tables and chairs out in random fashion in an array of shapes and seating arrangements, but the rich maple gave them warmth. Curtains and flowers in a mis-match of peach and blue somehow tied it all in.

  I moved with Sirris and the Tuttles to an enormous table near the center and sat down.

  Looking around, I realized that almost dead center they had pushed together several tables and Mayor Seul and the Council, now numbering nine sat together in a sea of goldenrod and purple. The number of students had grown. I realized they must be the prefects. They wore formal robes of navy blue, but I caught glimpses of simple jeans and dresses beneath them when they fluttered aside. They sat together at another table that had to have held 20, whispering amongst themselves.

  Mayor Seul stood, and the room grew quiet, as he waited at the podium in front of the lines of tables.

  “Welcome to the one hundred twenty-third year of Rule 9 Academy. I hope everyone has a successful and productive year. May you all leave with knowledge gained and friends made. Behind me, this year’s cooks have created something Magical for you to enjoy. His smile widened. Starting with the prefects table we’ll move left to right and dismiss tables to grab brunch cafeteria style. Once we are all served, I’ll have my prefects deliver class schedules. After that, we’ll split into groups and prefects will give everyone a tour. Those of you second year and above will just have to be patient. You may yet discover some changes along the way you aren’t aware of that happened over the summer. Prefects will have room assignments and your roommates for the dorms. You can take a few minutes to drop your bags when you pass through them. Unpack later. Now, let’s get some food and catch up with those we haven’t seen all summer. Take a moment to welcome the freshmen too. Recall you all started there? Let’s eat.

  I noticed that the council members got up and went with the prefects.

  I took a moment to look around.

  When I was younger, before the divorce, my family had moved around a lot. Dad wasn’t in the military and he’d never been too clear why moving so often was necessary and after a while I’d stopped asking. But as a result, I remembered at least four different schools in the last nine years. This would be the fifth. Close to 120 students filled the hall. If I had expected their magical abilities to set them apart, they disappointed me. I waited for our table to be called. Beside me Terry and Todd argued and fought. I wondered how often Kimmy’s brother’s got kicked out for wrestling.

  At a large table three down from ours I noticed manicured nails and designer labels sitting next to perfectly combed hair. The boys wore insolence like a heavy coat. The preps, I decided. On the other side from where we sat, the nerds and geeks clustered at least fifteen strong around a square table filled with students that had never heard of contacts and whose lack of fashion sense scared even me.

  My eyes moved over a table of students that were harder to pigeon hole. They didn’t seem to fit in with any of the other groups, and so had formed a group of their own. Perhaps misfits was their label. If I weren’t already sitting with Thomas and Sirris, that’s where I would have been. My eyes brushed over a boy at the misfit table with perfect features and unblinking eyes, noting the way he moved in a disjointed fashion that seemed to always be out of step. He didn’t talk much, but his companions attempted to include him. Could he be autistic?

  Moving down the length of the misfit table, my eyes froze on the girl at the end. Alone in a sea of loners sat Fern Mason. Her black eyes met mine, dark braid forward in a long rope in front. I was the first to look away under the brunt of that frank stare.

  The Tuttles pushed chairs back, and I followed my table to get our food.

  I hadn’t expected to be hungry, but brunch was pretty good. Our table had barely finished when Mayor Seul stood up and took to the podium once more. I noticed then what I had missed before as I looked beyond him to the prefects table and met a pair of bright blue eyes.

  I leaned over and hissed in Sirris ear. “What’s he doing here!”

  Sirris jumped and followed my irritated gaze, trying to see what I did.

  “Ahh. Tall boy from the ice-cream parlor? That’s Nick. Nick Seul? The Mayor’s son.”

  I sat back and whipped my head away from the insolent smirk turning that hard mouth up at the corners.

  I hadn’t seen that coming. I mean it wasn’t like they looked anything alike, but they did I realized. The tall thin athletic builds, long straight black hair and similar light eyes. Even the shape of their jawline was the same. It had been there in front of me the whole time, only I hadn’t made the connection.

  I tried to concentrate on what Mayor Seul was saying. “... have your lists of classes...” He indicated the stacks of manila envelopes in each prefects hands.

  “They will spread out and call out your names. Come down and get your lists and remain with your prefect for the tour of the academy and dorms. We’ll meet back here at noon for a quick lunch and then the rest of your day can be spent settling in and getting to know your roommates for the year.

  “Class starts tomorrow at 7:00.” I heard several groans from students who like me, had been on the noon to midnight schedule during the summer.

  He ended on what should have been a positive note, but instead I realized was an ominous warning. “Let’s have a marvelous year. Be careful, and above all, stay safe.”

  While he’d been finishing up, the prefects had spread around the room. I watched as Kimmy’s name was called and she went to join a tall girl with short red hair and an overabundance of freckles.

  The rest of my table got up until I sat awkward and alone at my table waiting to be called. Had they forgotten me? How humiliating would that be? I felt eyes on me and knew I’d drawn the eyes of other students around me, wondering the same thing I was.

  All at once, in a low voice that vibrated straight through me, I heard my name. I leapt to my feet, my heart racing. I knew that voice. It could only be my luck.

  I grabbed my bag and weaved my way between tables to join the group, careful not to look up until I had to. But I had to take my class list, and no way was I going to have him thinking I was nervous. My eyes rose and met his and I held my hand out. He assessed and dismissed me with a cool look of derision as he handed me my envelope. But we both jumped at the shot of electricity that shot through our fingers when they brushed. I whipped my hands to my side and my eyes narrowed further as I backed away and moved to the back of the group as far away from him as I could manage and remain in the group. With a last amused glance in my direction, he turned back to calling out names. I looked at the other students in my group as they called the last names. Sirris, Thomas and all the siblings were in different groups than mine. The only familiar face was Fern Mason. She stood on my left at the back of the crowd with me. She didn’t look so calm and sure of herself now. She looked nervous. Our eyes met and though she didn’t smile, she seemed to relax. Or maybe I had imagined that last bit.

  Nick set off at a brisk pace, leading us through the door we’d entered earlier and into the main compound of the school. For the rest of the morning we moved through various buildings and over the grounds of Rule 9. I lost count after we’d gone through at least eight different buildings. Each seemed to be for some unique purpose, independent of the building next to it. The building names went by in a blur and I knew I�
�d never remember half of them. Instructors were in their classrooms and we stopped at several and listened to short speeches by some of the staff.

  I looked at my list again as we moved to the next building. I was here for the first hour tomorrow. I followed the line over to the instructor. C. Shamon and groaned. Perfect! In all I had five classes. Three in the morning and two in the afternoon. My afternoon classes had a lab that took place on Sutter’s field. No wonder the lunches were so long. It would take me twenty minutes just to walk back.

  Carol Shamon glared at me so hard when I entered, her wire-framed glasses quivered on the end of her long nose as she looked down at me. Several of the students noticed and turned to stare in my direction, curious to see what I had done to catch her attention.

  This wouldn’t be my favorite class.

  It relieved me when we left less than ten minutes later for the next classroom. I sat next to Fern Mason and looked up just as Will Bennett noticed me and smiled. Noticing the attention, Fern glanced in my direction and frowned. It was the most emotion I’d seen her show all day.

  A tiny woman in Green Nike’s and a spandex running suit taught elemental Magic. She stared at her class out of brilliant green eyes, slinging a swath of rich black hair over her shoulders that reached the middle of her back. I looked at my list. F. Hodges. I wondered at her ancestry, wondering if she might be of Native American or Asian descent. She mesmerized me as she used her hands and light-airy voice to give her five minute speech on the four elements and the semester’s each were taught.

  And just like that, it was lunch time, and I headed for the door with everyone else. I’d survived the morning and avoid any further interaction with Nick Seul. At the door before he left, he reminded everyone to meet him in the main hall outside the cafeteria at 1:00 sharp for the rest of the tour.

  Mayor Seul was there once more. Before he dismissed us in reverse order from before to get lunch, he gave one more five minute speech.