by Rachel Jonas
Bursting out into the hallway on a mission, I went straight for the door next to mine. My fist slammed into it with three swift knocks, and the one inside opened up in a panic.
“What the—“
“Here, use this to prick yourself,” I said handing over the earring without explanation, “and catch a few drops of your blood in this.”
The kid stared at the bottle cap when I handed that to him next.
“Why on earth would I do a thing like that?” he practically laughed. “Because I need the blood of a virgin, and that ship sailed for me a long time ago, and … because I’ll show you my boobs if you cooperate.”
He scoffed at the offer. “What makes you think I’m a virgin?”
My brow shot up and the incredulous expression he wore melted away. “Fine,” he conceded, “but boobs first.”
Rolling my eyes with a sigh, I reached for the hem of my shirt and flashed him the goods.
“Blood. Now,” I urged.
Taking a moment to gather himself after likely seeing a half-naked woman in the flesh for the first time, the kid did as I asked, wincing when the needle broke skin.
“There,” he said, cautiously handing the bottle cap to me. “I don’t know what this was about, but if you need more, you know where to find me, and you know how to get it.”
“In your dreams, nerd,” I sighed, already halfway back to my room.
Locking myself inside again, I added the blood to my concoction, and then exhaled deep as I clutched my lighter.
“Please, please let this work.”
With one final breath, I ignited the corner of a sheet of paper, and then let it fall into the can.
The items lit with a loud whoosh that made me fall back on the heels of my palms, staring as an array of colors illuminated my room. My eyes glanced toward the sprinklers above, praying they didn’t turn on and ruin everything.
There was a sign I waited for, one that would let me know this had all worked, and at the sight of the flames turning black, I was grinning from ear to ear.
This was it.
If I hadn’t been relieved to the point of tears, I might have celebrated having been so sweet with my magic. Because, I totally was.
However … priorities.
Rushing to grab an ink pen from the floor beneath my desk, I scribbled a message on a piece of paper, along with a name, and then crumbled it into a ball before tossing it into the fire.
If this worked, then Noelle’s aunt Hilda—a witch who’d been hard on us both, but loved us even harder—would soon receive this smoke signal of sorts. Assuming the phone lines weren’t the only form of communication on lockdown. It may have been a longshot, but it was the only hope we had.
And we really, really needed this to work, because things had gotten so far out of hand. It was this revelation that prompted me to take this step. Prompted me to take even more extreme measures.
For instance, that sheet of paper didn’t only request that Noelle’s Aunt Hilda come to her rescue. I’d asked her to bring everyone.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I accepted that Noelle would probably hate me for what I’d just done, because she’d never want to put those she loves in harm’s way. I couldn’t afford to worry about losing her again as a friend, so soon after the fence between us had begun to mend. What was important at this point, was her survival.
Hopefully, with any luck, the entire royal family would be stepping foot on Sanluuk in the near future, prepared to fight alongside us.
Sooner rather than later.
For Noelle’s sake …
***
Bonus Content
THIRD TERM, the final installment in the DRAGON FIRE ACADEMY series, releases this winter. If you want to find out how it all ends, make sure to reserve your copy! However, if you want more of Noelle and the Omegas NOW, gain instant access to a free, SECRET SITE where you’ll find these exclusive bonuses:
A huge, HUGE secret I was supposed to keep until later this year (hint: It may or may not involve Noelle’s family … shhhh)
Omega Hive Character Profiles
The DFA Soundtrack (new songs added with each installment)
A Special Invitation
My Inspiration Board
A teaser gallery
A link to Noelle’s Origin Story
THE LOST ROYALS SAGA
Experience Noelle’s legacy from the very beginning.
Hotheaded dragons, ferocious wolves, powerful witches … this series has it all!
Grab THE LOST ROYALS SAGA today! Always FREE with Kindle Unlimited.
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