The smart one. That’s what Eva’s best friend Cole has called her since they met all those years ago. The responsible one, the one who was going to do something with her life, escape the nothingness of their nowhereville town.
Smart.
Then why has she found herself alone, in a cemetery, screaming in pain. With a man she swears has wings.
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This is a companion short story to the USA Today Bestselling Series Keeper of Dragons.
1
The hot Texas sun blistered down on me. I trudged through the walkway leading to the student activity building. Coeds lined the path while an excitement of chatter for the upcoming semester filled the air. I rolled my eyes at them but quickly scolded myself for such an immature gesture. It wasn’t their fault I didn’t share in the same delight about college. I even thought, once I got here, I would feel different. The truth was, I was only here because it was the right thing to do. You know, the next step to adulthood. Or so I thought.
I pulled open the heavy metal door to the cafeteria. A brisk air emitting from the air conditioner cooled me down instantly. I looked around. It was too early for lunch, so most of my classmates were hunched around the lounge area. I could hear laughter as I raced through the food line and grabbed myself a drink and sandwich that I planned on eating during class. Only a handful of students were here now for summer classes, most were here early for sports. Fall semester didn’t even begin for another six weeks.
I paced through an empty corridor that led to my English 101 class. It wasn’t a class I was particularly interested in, but a prerequisite I was forced to take for just about every other course. I found an empty seat towards the back, dropped my bag at my feet and plopped down just as the professor strolled through the door. Normally, I am early for everything, my closest friend Cole used to even joke about it all the time because he was always late. But today, I was off. My body ached everywhere and my throat had been scratchy for the last few days. Just what I needed, I thought. To get sick right as my summer classes had begun.
I observed the professor while he handed out the class syllabus. He was short and fat. His glasses sat at the top of his nose, ready to fall at any moment. There were only ten or so other students in the class, and most looked eager to begin their first college course as they flipped through the syllabus to see what the class would entail. I on the other hand left the syllabus on my desk and waited for the professor to go over it.
Nevertheless, I tuned him out almost immediately. My eyes were drawn to the windows beside me that overlooked the main quad. The class sat three stories in the air, higher than all the buildings in the small town of Clover I grew up in. From my vantage point I felt that I could touch the clouds floating off in the distance. The sun was visibly bright as it glowed behind the wisps of clouds in the sky.
“Am I boring you already?” A gruff voice came from ahead of me.
I tore my eyes away from the window and looked up into the eyes of my professor. Somewhere along the way he had pushed his glasses to the top of his head. His gray hair poked out everywhere around them, while his dark brown, almost black eyes bored into me.
“Sorry, sir.” I said, clearing my throat. “I didn’t mean to get distracted.”
He cocked his head to the side as he digested my apology. He never took his eyes from mine. A feeling of unease surrounded me. He huffed in agitation and turned back to the rest of the class, returning to the front of the room as I sighed in relief. The man gave me the heebie-jeebies. I shook off the sudden anxiety that had overpowered me and turned my attention back to the syllabus review.
The rest of the class dragged by. The professor took the allotted time going over every single word outlined in his syllabus. So much for getting out early on the first day, I thought. When class finally ended, I gathered my backpack and threw it over my shoulder. While I walked out the door, a strange feeling that someone was watching overcame me. I looked over my shoulder to get a glimpse of my professor. His beady eyes were locked on me. A fire promptly ignited within me, signaling that I should run out the door towards my dorm, so I booked it.
As I sprinted to my dorm building, I noticed a storm was approaching. The once clear sky was now covered in dark, ferocious clouds. The dorm was deserted, only a handful of residents had moved in so far. Without pause, I ran up the four flights of stairs to my room.
I quickly unlocked my door and slammed it behind me. I threw my bag on my bed and dropped myself onto the old wooden chair that sat next to my equally aged desk. I perched my feet on unpacked boxes I had brought from home. Boxes were still lying everywhere because I had zero motivation to begin the tedious task of unpacking. I looked at my desk. I had a second hand laptop and a used cell phone with a cracked screen. My grandparents had saved every penny in order to send me to college. Luckily, I managed to land a few scholarships that paid the bulk of my way.
I picked up my phone and twirled it through my fingers. I wanted to call Cole. I hadn’t spoken to him since I left last week. This was new to me; we had spent all our free time together since we were kids. I begged him to fill out applications for college, but he just shrugged me off, positive he wouldn’t qualify for any scholarships and his parents were a lot like my grandparents financially.
I flicked my finger over the splintered screen of my phone, bringing it to life. I decided to call my grandparents. Conrad and Sue Daniels were saints in my eyes. They took me in when my father could no longer “handle me.” Apparently taking care of his only daughter after the death of his wife, my mom, was too much to manage. I’ve only heard from him a handful of times since.
I dialed my grandparent’s number and waited for them to answer. I could picture them yelling at one another while they dimly searched for the phone they could never seem to find. After a few rings, the answering machine beeped, so I hung up to hit redial. They would eventually find the phone and answer.
“Eva. Darling are you there?”
My grandmother shouted through the line. I chuckled as she pulled the phone from her mouth and yelled at my grandfather that she had yes indeed found the phone.
“Sorry, hunny are you still there? Your grandfather will be the death of me.” She laughed at the same statement she had said to me at least a thousand times.
“Yup, I’m still here. How are you?” I asked.
I listened as my grandfather had found the other phone and clicked on the line, cutting my grandmothers response off. Static filled my ears until I heard my grandmother yell at my grandfather once again. Laughing, I realized nothing much had changed. This nonsense of a phone call was exactly what I needed to perk me back up.
The phone call was short and sweet. My grandparents were just about to head out the door for a church event when I called. I leaned over my window in time to see the heavy clouds release a torrential down pour. Thunder shook my dorm window while I watched lightning strike in the distance. By the looks of it, I’d be stuck here for the remainder of the night.
I pushed off the window and turned to look at the boxes scattered around the room. I hadn’t unpacked a single one. I huffed and turned towards my bed. Thankfully, I had a small bout of energy last week and pulled a blanket and pillow from one of the boxes. I shook my head with a sigh as I sat down and pulled the soft blue blanket over me. Maybe some sleep will help me shake whatever bug I seemed to be coming down with.
Tomorrow I’ll unpack. Tomorrow I’ll get settled. Tomorrow will be better.
2
I awoke with a burst of unfamiliar energy. A dream, or a noise, or something startled me awake. I sat up and shook off the unease. I stretched my arms above my head with a groan; my body still ached everywhere. I flung myself out of bed and grabbed the first pair of jogging shorts I could find. The clock on my phone read seven. No one would be up this early. A run would help clear my head. My campus had a walking path that ran around the adjacent cemetery. No one was ever around, which meant I could enjoy the run in peace.
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nbsp; I locked the door behind me and headed down the stairs to the lobby. I heard and saw no one as I walked to the start of the path behind my dorm. I quickly stretched, then began my jog down the path. The ground was still damp from the rain shower the night before, but the day was clear and the air was fresh. I breathed in deeply as I listened to the birds talk back and forth with each other.
I was about a mile in to my run when I noticed that it got quiet. The birds no longer chirped; the only noise I heard was the sound of my breathing and the pumping of my blood that trembled up through my body and out through my ears. I stopped running and placed my hands on my bent knees. I closed my eyes and tried to catch my breath from the sudden stop. My body still ached. I opened my eyes to look around, but everything was fuzzy. Suddenly, a loud banging started at my temples. I grabbed my head by the palm of my hands as if it would stop the pounding. It didn’t. I fell to my knees as my whole body shook.
“Breathe. Relax.”
An unfamiliar voice came from above me. I tried to look up at whoever it could be, but the throbbing in my head made it impossible.
“Who…who are you?” I stuttered through gritted teeth.
“It will be okay. I am a friend. You just need to relax.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Let the change happen.” He whispered gently by my ear.
I couldn’t ask him what he meant. The pain that was overtaking my body was too much to bear. My back arched and slanted towards the ground. I felt like I was being split in half. My skin tingled with what felt like water trickling under my skin. I fiercely rubbed at my arms with the palms of my hands as the slight trickle started to burn. A pair of strong hands pulled my arms apart.
“Don’t, you’ll make it worse. Just breathe.” The man whispered to me as he now held my hands.
“What-.”
Suddenly, the wind pierced through my chest while my back felt like it was being ripped apart. I fell forward, rapidly grasping for breath. I opened my eyes and looked at my hands. A gold-like sparkle raced up my arms and covered my body with an out-of-this-world glisten. I turned my hands over in wonder. What had just happened?
For the first time, I looked up at the man. He gazed down at me with eyes like two pools of fire. I gasped and kicked my feet to scooch away from him.
“Your eyes-.” I pointed as I continued to move away.
“Are red. Yes.” The man avowed with ease. “My name is Cairo. I will not hurt you.” He placed his hands up in the air as a sign of peace.
I took a deep breath and decided to suspend my attempted departure. I placed my hands on the ground in front of me and pushed myself upward to face Cairo. I absorbed his appearance. He was a colossal man; I estimated he stood about six and a half feet tall. His hair was so blonde it looked white as snow, making his red eyes even more noticeable.
I looked down at my hands once more and took in the gold that now covered my skin. My new golden tint looked like scales. I held my hands up to him. I hoped he would understand what I needed from him, for I couldn’t get the words out.
He took a breath and stepped closer to me as his hands remained up in the air. When he reached about a foot away, Cairo looked down at me.
“You’re a dramon.” He stated. “It means half-human.” He paused as if looking for the right words. “Half-dragon.” He said softly.
Did he just say dragon? I tried to stay calm while digesting this statement. He had to be crazy. As the thought of fleeing flashed through my head again, a sudden flapping noise emerged from my back, catching me completely off-guard. I turned my head slightly to get a glimpse of the odd commotion. To my amazement, something was fluttering back and forth out of my spine. I jumped at the unexpected movement. My eyes never left my back, though. I watched as thick golden scales lashed uncontrollably back and forth. I reached my hand out to touch them, but they instantly jerked away from my touch.
“Your dragon is strong.” Cairo chuckled.
“Dragon!” I found my voice as I shouted the word at him.
“Yes, dragon.” He paused. “But you are different than other dramons I’ve come across.” He cocked his head as he continued to stare at me.
“Is that a good thing?” I asked cautiously while attempting to touch my wings once more.
“Yes and no.” He paused again, seeming to choose his next words carefully. “If you are who I think you are.”
He closed his eyes and looked down at the ground. It took him a few minutes to compose himself. When he finally looked back up at me, his eyes burned with that red blaze of fire. I took a step back.
Cario’s eyes dimmed. He shook his head. “Let’s see if you can fly.”
3
Fly? I couldn’t fly. I was just, well, I did have wings, I thought. I looked up to the man Cairo, wondering if he too was a dramon. How else would he know what I was?
I asked him.
“No. I’m a Woland. One of four types of dragons,” he explained.
“So, I’m a type of dragon?” This conversation was crazy.
“Technically, no. You’re a dramon.” He paused. “You’re your own species.” He cocked his head with the thought.
“There are others though? Others like me?”
“Yes. However, I’ve never met one with wings. Which makes you special.” He explained. “I’d like to see just how special you are. Let’s start with flying.”
“How?” I looked over my shoulder at my wings. They shined an impressive golden-red, extending in magnificent resilience. They seemed to be flapping amongst some kind of imaginary breeze.
“Can you move them?”
Move them? They wouldn’t even let me touch them. I took a deep breath. I could do this; no way was I going to have wings and not be able to fly. The thought excited and terrified me all at once. I mentally tried to move them as if connecting my thoughts to their potential movement would work like it did with any of my other limbs. But nothing happened.
I closed my eyes and rolled my shoulders. I took another breath and concentrated on my wings. Abruptly, I felt a twitch. It was something within me. Something I’d never felt before. I grabbed on to the feeling and concentrated on my golden wings. Suddenly, they began to flap in rhythm with my breathing. I took another big breath and opened my eyes to Cairo. He looked scared.
“Am I doing it wrong?” I asked. I thought he wanted me to move them.
“No. You’re doing amazing.” He cocked his head to the side, a gesture I was beginning to realize meant he was deep in thought. “Your eyes. They’re glowing. They’re gold.” He stared at me as he spoke, his own eyes glowing a vibrant red.
“My eyes are gold?” I was confused; my eyes had been blue for eighteen years.
“It’s normal. All dragons’ eyes change colors, it represents the founding dragon that you reside from,” he explained.
“So, what’s a gold dragon called? I mean you’re a red dragon then? Woland.” I asked.
“Yes, I’m a Woland. We have three other founders. Blue dragons are Galians, Green are Leslos.” He paused. “And silver are Siens.”
I was still confused. He said there were only four types of dragons and none were gold. But I wasn’t a dragon. I was a dramon with wings?
“You’re a dramon. I think.” He sighed. “We need to go to Ochana, the elders there will know who you are.”
“Where is that?” I’d never heard of such a place.
He chuckled. “Let’s get you in the air first. I’m going to shift into my dragon. I need you to stay calm and focus on controlling your wings.” He paused and looked towards the sky. “Once we get in the air, stay close.”
“Won’t people see us? I mean it’s not every day you see dragons flying through the air?” I attempted a joke to calm my nerves.
“Don’t worry about that. I will mask us using my mahier.” He stated.
“A mah-what?” I asked.
He looked back towards me. “Dragon magic.” He winked and turned his head once again to the sky.
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sp; Dragon magic? How cool. I hoped I had some of that. I mean I did have wings. I looked down at my arms and the full-fledged development of scales that now protruded from my once human skin.
“Ready?” He asked.
“As I’ll ever be.” And that was the truth.
In a blink a large red dragon stood in front of me. He was as high as the trees and as wide as a Mack truck. His red scales sparkled in the morning sun, sending white stars around the cemetery. He snorted to get my attention. Immediately, I looked up into his red eyes. They were the same as before, which gave me an ounce of comfort.
I concentrated once again on my breathing; somehow the rhythm was connected to the flapping of my wings. They began much quicker than before, with a speed that almost took me off the ground.
Cairo pushed his powerful hind legs off the ground and shot into the air. I watched from the ground as he circled high above me. The idea of soaring through the clouds motivated me to join him.
I pushed my legs off the ground and concentrated on my breathing. Swiftly, I began to fly forward. I made it about ten feet off the ground when I lost my rhythm and tumbled back to where I started. Somehow I landed on my feet. I looked up at Cairo as he continued to circle me. I wanted to join him in the air.
I took a deep breath and pushed hard off the ground. I concentrated on my breathing, keeping my breaths even as I gained height. I looked down towards the ground just as my feet grazed the tops of the trees. I felt free, filling my lungs with the clean morning air. I attempted to steer towards Cairo as he lazily flew around me. My movements were jerky but controllable.
Cairo motioned with his head for me to follow him. He began moving north, away from my campus. I wondered if I would ever be able to return. Surely I would be able to shift back into my normal self, just as Cairo could. Quickly, my thoughts turned to my grandparents and Cole. How would they react to all of this? Would I be able to tell them? I owed Cole a phone call later today anyways; his birthday was yesterday, the big eighteen. Just six days after me.
Rebels and Realms: A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection Page 13
