“Hazel!” Rocky calls me over, one arm wrapped around Ciara’s shoulders.
With a deep breath, I join the group and hide my face behind my messy hair. “Hey, guys.”
“Hey.” Marco pulls out a chair next to him and pats it for me to sit down.
Slowly I sit down, watching Sadie’s joyful expression darken to that of hatred.
“What are you doing here?” my brother grins at me.
“Wes and I are looking for books.”
Maya rolls her eyes. “Obviously. What kind?”
“Dragon Mythology.” I’m relieved as I come out with a believable answer. “We’re really interested in it.”
Sadie’s stony expression does not falter, which unnerves me even more.
“Are you cold? You’re shaking.” Marco pulls me close to him, stroking my back and pushing my hair out of the way. “You’re really tense too; are you sick?”
“Sick?” Rocky cries.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Ciara waves her hand dismissively. “Old Scargirl is probably just trying to get Marco’s attention. But, after all, who wouldn’t want that?”
Ignoring Ciara, I mutter: “No, I’m fine.” My eyes dart back to Sadie for a second, but this time my friend catches it, and narrows his eyes.
“Are you-”
“Mew!”
This cannot get any worse.
Normie wriggles out of my bag and jumps on the table, promptly followed by Aqueous, who starts tugging his friend’s tail anxiously, his turquoise gaze locked on Sadie. He’d begged us to come along, yowling and crying whenever we went too near the door. In the end, I just gave up and put him in my bag to make him happy.
“Aww! Haze! It’s so cute!” Maya coos, reaching over to stroke Normie’s little head.
Normie confidently struts over to Maya. Ciara and Rocky also coo over him and give him loads of attention. My gaze, however, is locked on Sadie, who now has a dark smile on her face. She winks at me and sticks her tongue out.
“Let me hold it!” she coos in her sweetest voice, reaching out to grab him.
Normie hisses, fluffing up and running into my arms. He growls continuously, his gaze hard but fearful.
“What’s up with it?” Marco scratches Normie’s chin, which makes him relax a little.
Quickly! Say something!
“He doesn’t like being grabbed,” I blurt out.
A few eyebrows are raised, but no-one questions me further. Sadie’s furious gaze burns into my skin. I’m going to pay for this, for sure.
“How come?” she asks, all sweetness gone.
I shrug. “He’s-”
“I’ve found a book!”
Thank goodness.
Wes sits next to me, proudly holding a fairly old book with no writing on the front. It’s just a plain black cover with frayed yellow pages.
“Okay, let’s go.” I try to get up, but Marco doesn’t loosen his grip.
“What’s the rush? Stay a while.” My best friend raises an eyebrow at me, unnerved by my behaviour.
“No, please go. I can take your spot next to Marco when you get up.” Ciara winks at my friend, making Rocky’s eyes blaze furiously.
“Not with her here.” Wes glares at Sadie, his eyes burning.
“Wes, don’t-” I begin, only for him to angrily cut me off.
“You’re not going to take what she did to you and Aqueous, are you?” he snaps, clenching and unclenching his fists.
“What? What happened? What did you do?” Rocky shoots up, his voice echoing out across the room.
The blonde girl giggles and flips her hair. “Nothing. It was just a bit of fun.”
“Fun? You embarrassed Hazel in front of everyone! You had no right to kick Aqueous either!” Wes slams the book on the table, making Asteroid jump in front of him protectively.
“What did you do?” Rocky shouts, silencing everyone.
Mason slams his hand on the table repeatedly. “How dare you-”
“Shh, babe,” Sadie coos. “It’s fine. I’ll tell them.”
I crawl onto Marco’s lap and bury my face in his chest, trying to hide the tears and the embarrassment. My friend strokes my back and kisses the top of my head, only half-listening to Sadie.
“I was chasing the kitten for stealing Exquisite’s food. It ran into the bathroom of her cabin, and she, and others, came to see what the commotion was about,” she giggles before collecting herself. “So, I kicked her dragon, and while she was distracted, took her towel. Everyone saw how disgusting she looks with no clothes on.”
I freeze in Marco’s arms, clinging tightly to him as if my life depended on it. A part of me expected laughing and teasing, but I knew Rocky wouldn’t let that happen.
“Get out, now,” my brother orders through gritted teeth.
“Whatever,” Sadie says in her sing-song voice. “C’mon, Masey. Later, losers.”
9
Chapter Nine
I’m tired.
I know Rocky is doing his best, but it isn’t helping.
It’s only been a few days and I’m already tired of the insults.
I’m tired of people pushing disgusting pictures into my locker.
I’m tired of caring.
And now I have another problem, which is crawling up my back.
“What is this?” Marco flicks through the old book, his gaze stony and unreadable. “This isn’t about Dragon Mythology.”
Wes shuffles in his chair in panic. “It’s-”
“Elemental markings? What do they have to do with Dragon Mythology?”
“Elemental markings?” I feel Rocky tense.
“Elemental markings are not just limited to dragons; they can appear on other animals in rare cases. We call this phenomenon-” Wes snatches the book off Marco, who shouts: “Hey!”
“Marco, what were you reading?” Rocky raises an eyebrow.
“He folded the corner of the page in the damned book!” Marco fumes. “What do you want to know about that stuff for?”
Wes doesn’t answer, just hugs the book close to his chest.
Without warning, Rocky lifts the back of my shirt, revealing my markings. Marco looks absolutely astonished, while my brother doesn’t look fazed at all.
“I thought you might get them,” he mumbles.
My brother’s standoffishness makes me pull away from him, and his stony expression doesn’t change. “Why?”
I move onto the chair beside him as he gets up and takes off his shirt completely before turning around. Pale yellow lightning bolts crawl up his back, some overflowing onto his shoulders. The markings are only just visible on his pale skin; they are nowhere near as noticeable as mine or Wes’.
“I got them when I was your age,” he explains, sitting back down on the chair. “The more Cerberus and I learned to control my element, the more markings I got.” Cerberus chirps in agreement, nudging his arm playfully. “I thought you might get them because we’re siblings. I guess it’s hereditary.”
Wes flicks through the book to the page Marco read aloud, his gaze flickering up every so often to study Rocky’s markings.
“That’s weird,” Marco scrunches his face up. “So, Haze will have blue markings all up her back by the end of First Year?”
“Have you got a problem with that?” Rocky snaps.
My friend puts his hands up apologetically. “Woah, calm down. I haven’t got any problems with it; I couldn’t care less.”
Rocky’s gaze doesn’t waver, but his eyes drop when I grab his arm. “Don’t fight.”
“Uh, you can put your shirt back on now,” Wes mutters, his eyes flicking back down to the book awkwardly.
Rocky rolls his eyes but says nothing and does as he says.
“Here!” Wes holds up the book, pointing at a large drawing. “This explains something.”
The drawing is of the eight elements, each represented by their markings. The elements are in a circle with a large multi-coloured star in the middle, emanating a white
glow.
“What does it mean?” Marco takes the book away from Wes and studies the page.
“There are eight people in total with markings. The ninth is the most powerful, the star: they are the leader. It’s how the Original Elementals came to be.”
Rocky sighs. “Where did you find this? I spent all year looking for a book that would give me information, and I found nothing.”
Wes points to the fourth aisle on the right. “I found it at the back. I went to pick up another book and it fell on my head.” He smiles sheepishly.
“So, what does it mean? The Original Elementals are following you lot around?” Marco teases, winking playfully at me.
“Oh, don’t say that!” Rocky moans. “I do embarrassing things all the time!”
“Don’t worry, we’re not being stalked. The Original Elementals were our ancestors! But, I don’t know why we’re getting the markings.” Wes scratches the back of his head in thought. “My parents took me swimming; they don’t have them.”
My brother shrugs. “Mum has never said anything about them either, but we could ask her tomorrow.”
My heart stops. Mum’s coming tomorrow?
Tomorrow?
What am I supposed to say to her?
Wes shakes his head and flicks through the book once more. “I just don’t know what it means...” he mutters to himself.
Marco shrugs. “Don’t let it bother you guys; your ‘leader’ should come soon enough. Hey, maybe you’re all aliens? It would explain why you look so weird.” He chuckles at his own joke.
“Hilarious.” I roll my eyes agitatedly.
“At least you’re not upset anymore,” he points out softly.
It’s true: I must have stopped crying ages ago, but not noticed. This is a good distraction from Sadie’s harsh words.
“I guess we could look it up.” Wes puts the book down and closes it slowly, looking lost.
Rocky sighs deeply. “I’ve already looked online; there are just pictures of dragon markings.”
Normie wails loudly as Aqueous tackles Asteroid, and the two bored dragons get into a play fight. The small kitten jumps into the fray, batting at the duo with his soft paws.
“I think we should sleep on it,” Rocky sighs.
“'We’? I’m allowed to join the club?” Marco teases.
“You’re my mentor,” I point out. “I have to confide in you.”
Marco fist pumps the air in mock excitement. “It doesn’t mean you need to all the time.”
“Let’s meet up here tomorrow, around six o’clock, to do research, okay?” Wes packs the book in his bag, ushering Normie to climb in as well.
“Hazel and I can’t. We’ll meet you at eight.” Rocky wraps his arm around me. “Mum is coming down.”
Marco sighs. “See you two at eight, then.”
* * *
The day passes far too quickly for my liking. It’s soon half five, and Rocky arrived to take me to the hotel Mum is staying at.
I haven’t been able to calm my nerves all day.
What if she doesn’t like me?
What if I don’t like her?
Currently, we’re sitting in the hotel’s dining room. Dinner is being served so Rocky thought we might as well just eat here. The room is quite small, with dusty red carpets and yellow walls. A few colourful paintings hang from the walls, though some are crooked. Silver trays hold the food at the far end of the room, and many people have crowded around to get their share of the buffet.
My leg won’t stop bouncing out of nervousness, so Rocky keeps mistaking me for being cold. Aqueous and Normie are itching to eat, but I’ve told them both to stay put until Mum arrives. Cerberus is being more patient, sitting obediently at my brother’s side with her tongue lolling out. She nuzzles him every so often, expecting a reward for being good.
Without warning, a dark brown dragon rushes towards Cerberus. Rocky’s companion jumps up and plays with her new playmate, batting at its tail.
“Mum!” Rocky jumps up and hugs someone behind him.
I take a deep breath and swivel round in my chair.
The first thing that hits me is how beautiful she is. She is tall, skinny, with long jet-black hair tied back in a tight ponytail, not leaving much room for her forehead to move. Her skin is a porcelain white, like Rocky’s, matched with a pair of warm brown eyes and soft, delicate features.
“Hey, baby,” she coos, ruffling my brother’s hair as he pulls away.
Her eyes land on me, and I shuffle nervously in my seat.
Do I hug her too?
Do I sit here?
Do I say nothing?
Mum answers my question for me, by holding her arms out and whispering: “Come here, darling.”
Without a second thought, I’m in her arms. It feels warm and familiar being with her again, though I barely remember her as a child.
“I’ve missed you,” she murmurs, so softly I can barely hear her.
“I’ve missed you more.”
She laughs and pulls away, wiping tears off her face, and mine. We both sit down, her dragon settling down next to her.
“This is Warrior.” She pats the dragon on the head. “You remember her, don’t you?”
Warrior shakes her head, revealing pale blue snowflake markings on her neck and chest. Mum is an ice Elemental, then.
Aqueous jumps on my lap, whining and pointing to the buffet with his tail.
“Who is this?” Mum pats the table, which Aqueous immediately jumps on, expecting food.
“Aqueous. And this-” I reach down and scoop Normie up in my arms “-is Normie.”
“Aww.” Mum strokes Normie, who confidently struts around the table, soaking up the attention.
Aqueous growls again, pointing towards the buffet once more. “Alright, alright. I give in, come on.” My companion grins and flies towards the trays, jumping up and down on a table close by.
“I’ll come with you; Cerberus is about to explode.” Rocky flicks his hand for Cerberus to follow, and she immediately jumps up and scampers over to the trays, pushing an elderly couple out the way. “Oh fuck!” My brother chases after his companion, apologising profusely to the couple.
“Cerberus is over-excitable,” Mum giggles. “She fits Rocky perfectly.”
With Rocky gone, I decide it’s the perfect opportunity to ask about the markings. The both of us asking about it might make her suspicious.
“Mum, this is a bit of a weird question, but do we have a family history of dragon markings?”
She stiffens before regaining her composure. “What do you mean, dear?”
“It’s just that-”
“Look! They’ve just restocked the spaghetti.” She interrupts, though I have the feeling she did it on purpose.
I collect a plate with a few pieces of chicken for Aqueous and Normie to share, before getting a plate of spaghetti for myself. We return to the table with Rocky, who now has Cerberus under control.
Before giving my companions their food I cut up the chicken into smaller pieces, so it’s easier for Normie to chew. Aqueous wriggles impatiently, pawing at my knee for the plate. After what he perceives to be a lifetime of waiting, the plate is on the floor and the duo tuck in as if they haven’t eaten for a week and a half. Rocky begins wolfing his dinner down, similar to the way Aqueous and Normie are eating.
Mum asks us both loads of questions about school and everyday life. She seemed particularly happy when Rocky mentioned Ciara as his girlfriend. I rolled my eyes at that. She told me about her job as a waitress, and how she earns extra money through cleaning. The question about markings is not brought up again.
“Have you made any new friends since coming here, Hazel?”
“Yeah; Wes is okay.”
“Wes is a boy’s name,” she smiles.
My face heats up at what she’s implying. “We’re just friends.”
“Mm-hm. That’s what they all say.” She giggles at my horrified expression. “You used to hang around wi
th Marco White a lot as a baby; are you still friends with him?”
“Unfortunately,” Rocky sighs.
She raises an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s a pain in the ass.”
“He’s only a pain in your ass because you want him to be a pain, so you’ll have an excuse not to like him,” I point out, waving my fork in his face.
Rocky just rolls his eyes in reply.
Mum’s eyes dart between us, before realization dawns on her face. “Ah, I see.”
“See what?” I question.
“You’ll know when you’re older,” she grins, taking another mouthful of salad.
* * *
After dinner, we headed over to the library, but I was sad to leave my mother. It was nice to catch up, even if only for a few hours.
“There they are!” Marco waves us over by one of the computers.
Wes is too busy scrolling through websites to look up, so he half-heartedly waves with one hand. Two chairs are in between them. I pick the one closer to Wes, so Rocky wouldn’t kick off and start an argument.
“Anything?” Propping one elbow on the table, I scan the current website he’s on.
“No, nothing,” he mumbles. “It’s all about dragon markings. But-” He passes me a small pile of paper. “-I found stuff on the Original Elementals, so that could be helpful.”
Flicking through the pages, I see that the few diagrams that are on them are like the one in the book.
“I found this website,” Marco leans back in his chair. “But it’s filtered.”
“Filtered?”
“Yeah, the school doesn’t want us going on it, basically.”
“What’s it about?” Wes looks up. “It could be important.”
Marco clicks on the website, coming up with a red screen with the word ‘FILTERED’ in bold white letters. “It’s an article called ‘Can Elemental markings appear on humans?’”
I bite my fingernail in thought. “Can we bypass the filter?”
Marco shakes his head. “The school has to disable it themselves.”
“What about the museum trip?” Wes sits up, rubbing his tired eyes.
Elemental Dragons Book 1: Blood and Water Page 8
