by M Guida
My eyes widened. “You mean they’re still killing people?”
“Yes, as much as I wished it wasn’t true. There’s really no need for it except for the high a vampire receives after feeling the last heartbeat of their prey.”
“That’s horrible.”
“No different from the people who are addicted to drugs.”
“But they don’t murder people.”
He cocked his eyebrow and I felt the need to correct myself..
“Sorry. I guess that was dumb, when you think of all the violence around drugs and how many people overdose.”
“Yes. Each of the academies have their own problems with their kind growing dark, but Ryker is especially obsessed with us, because we accept all supernaturals. He wants to keep each race separated, so the dark demons can be the most powerful.”
I finished the last of my cinnamon roll. “Am I supposed to eat all my meals with you now?”
“Until you gain control of your dragon, yes.”
Not what I wanted to hear. If I wanted to get back with my friends, I had to help my dragon get over her obsession.
“If I’m not mistaken, I believe it’s time for your first class.”
I grabbed my backpack.
“Good luck today.”
I smiled. “Thank you. Breakfast was great.”
I rushed out the door to find my posse of friends––Mina, Poppy, and Katona––waiting for me.
“Hey.” Poppy giggled. “You’re moving up in the world.”
I came down the steps and lowered my voice, “Believe me, I would rather be with you guys. It’s weird eating with him.” I glanced over my shoulder as we walked away. “Do you guys know he has blood slaves?”
“Not blood slaves,” Katona corrected. “Blood slaves means humans who are held against their will. He has willing donors.” She chuckled. “Believe me.”
We headed across the courtyard to the tower classrooms. “How come I’m just finding all this out now? I feel like I lived in a cave my whole life.”
Poppy nudged me. “You sort of did. You were raised human.”
I rolled my eyes. “Hilarious.”
“Is it true,” Katona asked, “that both Demi and Vivian teaching you?”
Vivian and Demi walked across the courtyard, talking to each other, and looking at me as if trying to decide the best way to serve me up on a silver platter. “Unfortunately, yes.”
Katona followed my gaze. “That sucks.”
“Tell me about it,” I mumbled. “And I have them first period.”
Mina patted me on the back. “Good luck. I’m sure if they try anything really mean, Anton will kick them out of here.”
“Maybe. My experience is money talks.”
Vivian snapped her fingers. “Student, oh student. Come over here. You don’t want to be late for your first day of school.” She laughed, but her laughter faded when Bo grabbed her arm.
I don’t know what he said to her, but her haughtiness vanished instantly. With her hands wringing and her eyes blinking, she looked as anxious as I felt.
I headed over toward her, my nerves in twisted knots.
“Raven. School’s in session. Let’s go.” Demi flitted her blue eyes over me. Her long blond hair was pulled up into a ponytail and with her plaid purple skirt and white shirt, she reminded me of the stuck-up cheerleaders who had made my life miserable in high school.
“Yup. Come on.” Vivian motioned with her arm.
I folded my arms across my chest. “Where are we going?”
“Anton’s given us an empty classroom on the first floor,” Demi said. “Move it.”
The girls led me to a room that wasn’t like any classroom I’ve ever seen. Overstuffed red and purple pillows, yoga mats, and bean bags replaced desks. Flames flickered in a fireplace. The window were hung with long purple drapes, and four long candelabras stood in each corner. Definitely Anton’s touch.
But what was really strange there was a small stereo system across from the fireplace.
“Wow,” I mumbled.
Demi dropped her backpack on the floor. “Impressive, isn’t it? We told Anton what we wanted, and he supplied it.”
Vivian plopped her backpack next to Demi’s. “Are you going to stay for a while, Raven?”
I glared but dropped mine next to hers.
She and Demi sat on two matts in the middle of the floor. One matt faced them, which obviously was mine.
I took my place and crossed my legs.
“From what Anton told us, you need to learn to control your dragon,” Vivian said. “I can’t believe you don’t know how to do that.”
I clenched my fists and forced my arms to remain close to my sides.
“Viv,” Demi said. “Do you want to get the extra credit or not?”
Vivian sighed and looked away.
“What do you do right now to calm your dragon?” Demi asked.
I wanted to blurt out a smart retort, but then it hit me. I’d never had to quiet my dragon. She had always been calm.
Lying would be foolish, and it wouldn’t help me get back to my friends or see Bo and Lucien any sooner.
I lowered my head. “I haven’t had to. She’s never been upset before.”
“Really?” Vivian asked.
I looked at her. “Is that strange?”
“Actually, it is. Dragons are temperamental beasts, and you have to learn to control them at an early age. If you don’t, a dragon won’t shift back into human form.”
Fear streaked down my spine. “What?”
Vivian rolled her eyes. “You didn’t know that?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“I keep forgetting you were raised human and didn’t learn the obvious things,” she said.
Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but so far, that had proven to be true. “Okay. I admit it, I’ve been living in a box my whole life. How do I fix this?”
Demi gave me a tight smile. “That’s what we’re here to teach you.”
I gritted my teeth.
Demi crossed her legs. “What have both Lucien and Bo taught you the first two years?”
“Besides how to act like a slut,” Vivian murmured under her breath.
I gasped, and it took every ounce of energy I had not to wring her skinny neck.
Demi smacked her in the arm. “Viv, stop.”
“Last year, Lucien showed me how to use my Golden Demon blood to cloak myself and light a fire.”
Vivian narrowed her eyes. “So, that’s how you passed your dragon trials.” Her disgust made me want to scream at her, but I counted backward.
Demi threw up her arms. “Vivian, Will. You. Stop.”
“Okay,” Vivian snapped.
Something fluttered in my chest, and once more I couldn’t breathe. “It’s… happening again.”
Vivian scooted back. “What’s happening again?”
“My dragon… I think… she’s… trying to draw on the protection spell.”
Demi grabbed my hands. “Why?”
“Because you’re… fighting.” My voice was fading, and I had a hard time concentrating.
Demi squeezed my hands. “Raven, listen to me. Think of a happy place or a happy time and call upon your Golden Demon. Do it now.” Her tone pierced the fog in my brain.
Lucien’s and Bo’s faces swam in front of my eyes. I remembered their brawny arms holding me tight when I was scared. But what I remembered most of all was their faith in me. They both had said the same thing to me.
I believe in you. I believe in you. I believe in you.
Their words echoed in my mind.
Lucien’s face crowded out Bo’s. I wasn’t sure why. His intense gaze had gripped me. No one had ever had that much faith in me. Bo had abandoned me last year, but not Lucien. Tingling sensations ballooned in my chest. Feelings of warmth filled me, as if I had drunk a hot cup of cocoa.
The tension in my chest eased, and I opened my eyes.
Demi released my hands. “Tha
t’s some grip you have. Tell me what you felt.”
I didn’t want to tell her or Vivian what had gotten me through this. It would be like rubbing salt into old wounds.
“Warmth,” I said.
“Good. That’s what you were supposed to feel.”
“Golden demons can think of happier times, and it helps calm them, much faster than humans.”
“That’s not always true with all dragons,” Vivian interrupted.
“Then how do I calm my dragon?”
Vivian laughed. “Humans have always had the simple answer and never knew it. Think of about rhymes or wives’ tales you’ve heard. I’m sure even you can think of it.”
She was really trying my patience, but then it hit me like a brick. All the fairytales my mom used to read me. Maybe she was secretly trying to tell me something.
I blurted, “Music. Music calms the savage beast.”
“Yes.” Vivian chuckled, or more like cackled. “But the trick is… you have to find the right music or song. Every dragon is different. Some like classical, opera, rock, hip-hop, or even church music. Or even just one specific song. That’s the key.”
“You mean I have to sing to my dragon?”
Vivian shrugged. “Or just play the music, or hum, or something like that. We need to find out what your dragon will respond to.”
“We’ve also learned something else today,” a male voice said.
My heartbeat rocked, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. We all gasped and turned around. As if by magic, Anton stepped out of the shadows of a dark corner.
“Have you been there that whole time?” I asked, not able to control the anger shaking my voice. I couldn’t believe he’d let Vivian be such a bitch to me.
“Yes, I have.” He swept toward us. “And what I have learned is that’s it’s not just Bo and Lucien’s arguing that sets off your dragon. I suspect it’s because silver dragons crave peace. And Vivian was able to prove that with how she bullied you.”
Vivian’s face paled, and she had the good grace to lower her head.
I put my hand over my mouth to hide a smile, but by Anton’s disapproving gaze, I wasn’t sure I was being effective.
“I think this will be all for today.” Anton walked over to the door and opened it. “Tomorrow, we will have another session. Raven, your assignment, is to listen to different music and report back what works with your dragon.”
He made it sound so easy, but when had anything at Legacy Academy ever been easy?
Chapter 10
In my second class, Powerful Objects, I got a break from Vivian. I wasn’t sure what class she had instead, but she wasn’t in here. Unfortunately, neither were Bo nor Lucien. It was strange not having either of them in my class. Usually at least of them would be there with me.
At least Mina was here. She leaned in next to me. “How was it?”
“Vivian was in rare form, and guess who was there the entire time without us knowing it?”
“I don’t know. Lucien?”
My shoulders slumped. “I wish. No, Anton. He concealed himself in the shadows. What pisses me off is he never reprimanded Vivian for being a total bitch.”
“Really? That’s so unlike him.”
I was about to ask her what music she used to calm her dragon when Professor Gorwin Elfiel entered the room. He was Fae, with long white hair and sparkling blue eyes. I knew I had him for demonology, but didn’t realize he would be teaching this class too.
“Good morning, students. Welcome back to your third year. I will be teaching you about Power Objects. Some of you have already discovered how they work.”
He gazed at me, and I smiled briefly. Not only did I have a magical orb, Bo’s father had given me a magical necklace that helped me pass my first dragon test.
“Power can be infused into any object.” He picked up a piece of chalk. “Even this could contain power if a spell had been cast upon it.”
He placed it back down. “However, we are going to be concentrating on magical objects. Some of you already possess some.” Amusement flickered in his eyes as he looked again at me.
Heat swelled over my cheeks and I looked down.
Mina whispered, “Is he referring to the magical orb?”
“Probably.” I doodled on my notebook.
I had taken it from Anton’s office my first year without asking. Okay––stolen.
Last year, Anton said he had allowed me to have it…or had wanted me to have it. I don’t know…at any rate, he just didn’t give it to me. Maybe there was another secret purpose. With Anton, I never knew.
The worst thing was I usually mulled this over with Lucien, and he was forbidden––again.
So frustrating.
“There are some limitations with these magical objects,” the professor said.
He caught my attention with those words.
“Sometimes the powers of the objects aren’t as effective if they’re not used properly. For instance, sometimes one magical object must be paired with another one to reach its full potential.”
I jerked my head up and held my breath. Is this why my magical orb wasn’t working? Or the spell book?
“The other problem is the object may take over the free will of the user, if used for long enough periods of time. You must develop a psychic shield to prevent the object from controlling you.” He gave me a pointed look. “Such as a spell book. The danger is if you become enslaved, your personality, or your very being, could change…and the change might be permanent.”
I froze. Was that happening to my dragon? What if we were under the wrong assumption about her? I needed to talk with Anton about this, but what I really wanted to do was to talk to either Bo or Lucien.
“So what we are going to work on today is developing a psychic shield, so that you will have at least one defense from coming under the spell. Can anyone guess how you create such a shield?”
Dead silence rolled over the class and every arm seemed to press against everyone’s side.
Professor Elfiel cocked his eyebrow. “No takers.” His gaze focused on me. “Raven, can you guess how this might be done?”
I slumped in my seat, not having the slightest idea on how to do create a psychic shield. I thought about it. “By meditation.”
He smiled. “Very good. Meditation is part of it, but not all of it.”
I smiled. At least I got part of it right.
“You must produce a light,” he said. “Everyone’s light is different. Colors hold power, and if you can tap into your proper color, you can build a psychic shield.”
He picked up what looked like a deck of playing cards out of a wicker basket that was on his desk. “These are decks of mystic token color cards, and there are fifty-two cards in each one. I’m going to hand out the cards to you. I want you to put the cards face down and not look at the colors. This is essential for this lesson to work. Don’t turn them over until I tell you to do so. Does everyone understand?”
I nodded and hoped I didn’t screw this up like I had in other classes. What always seemed to be simple for everyone else was always a fiasco for me. He placed the deck in front of me, which had a picture of Wyvern Tower on the cover, and I stared at the deck, afraid to even touch it.
Don’t mess up Don’t mess up Don’t mess up
Professor Elfiel stood in front of the class and scanned the room. “Now, I want you to carefully place the cards face down and spread them into a fan. Don’t look at them.”
I methodically did as he instructed.
He stretched out his arms and in a loud voice, he said, “Cledore.”
The cards shimmered, and the back of my neck prickled.
“Now move your palm slowly across the fan. When you feel tingles, the card will pop automatically and hit your palm.”
I held my breath and skimmed my palm slowly across the fan of cards.
A card floated up into Mina’s palm, and she turned her card over. It was a brilliant aqua green. “Wow, it’s so pret
ty.”
Nothing happened. I swiped my hand and didn’t feel a single tingle. All around me, my classmates had cards floating up and discovering their color.
Mina frowned. “Maybe you’re moving your hand too fast.”
“No, I’m not.”
I exhaled and took a deep breath. This time, I inched my hand across, still not even a tremor.
Beads of sweat broke out across my forehead. Why was this happening again?
Dr. Elfiel approached me. “Are you having difficulty in discovering your color?”
I put my palm on top of the cards, willing them to do something, but nothing happened. “Yes. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.”
“I was wondering if this would happen with you.”
I wanted to crawl under my desk at his words. He scooped up the cards and put them back in the basket. He took another deck out of the basket and spread them out on my desk. Instead of the towers, this one had Anton’s residence.
“Move your hand over this one.”
I glanced nervously over at Mina, who shrugged. Every eye was on me, and my uniform stuck to my sleek skin.
I bit my lip, hoping I wouldn’t screw up again. Goosebumps broke out over both my arms and the tips of my fingers turned numb, then not one but two cards slammed into my palm.
No one else had two cards.
I turned my hand over and stilled. I had a white and a black card.
Professor Elfiel scratched his chin. “Interesting. Only one other person has ever pulled those two cards.”
By the anxiety in his eyes, I knew this was bad. Really bad. You’re-off-to-see-the-Hollows bad.
I blurted. “Who?”
“Your father. Neither black nor white are colors. Your father had to meld those two colors together.”
That didn’t seem so hard. “So, his color was gray?”
“No. I don’t think you understand. Black is the absence of light. White is comprised of all hues on the visible light spectrum. However, neither one of them is a color; they’re shades. And shades can’t produce a psychic shield. You must blend them as your father did, but I must warn you, the process can be extremely painful. It can even kill you.”
Chills swished all around me, and I shivered until my teeth chattered.
Mina clasped my shaking hand. “How does she blend them?”
