When I finished, Ashe breathed out an incredulous laugh. “All of what you just told me is exaggerated. The Elibera are not trying to rule the humans, and we’re not trying to start a war. Both sides want the same thing—it’s just the application that we disagree on. There are two main sticking points between us. First is how the Orthodox have always let mundanes do whatever they want—even when they hurt the Dragonborn. Most Elibera think that some kind of action should be taken. To what extent, well, that’s another sticking point. The other issue is using human science and technology. The Orthodox avoid human technology as much as possible—I’m sure you’ve seen it there at the school. However, it goes deeper. Many Dragonborn, not just the Elibera, want to use science to learn more about ourselves as Dragonborn. I think that if we did that, maybe we could understand why Dragonborn are dying off. Is it due to the environment, our genes? We don’t know, but it’s happening.”
“Is this like a global warming thing?” I asked.
He shook his head, “No. It’s about finding answers to fundamental questions, but the Orthodox won’t do anything about it. They want to bury their heads in the sand and pretend nothing is happening.”
I rubbed my temples. This entire thing hurt my brain.
Ashe’s eyes seemed to glow on the screen as they reflected the light.
“I know that look on your face, but you’re getting this wrong. The Orthodox and Elibera are all Dragonborn; we all follow the council and maintain a balance. Whoever explained everything to you made it sound like we’re at war. That just isn’t the case.”
“So, I shouldn’t worry about this?”
The edge of his mouth turned up in a slight smile. “No. We have twelve members on the council, and you only met eight—four from Harrow, four from Drake, and four from Eton. They’re good men and women… even your grandfather. I might not agree with him on everything, but his intentions are pure.”
“Okay,” I mumbled, wishing I could nestle into his arms and listen to the beat of his heart. It was hard to be apart from him and almost harder to see him, but not be with him.
Ashe smiled a sad smile, and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing. I wanted to reach out and smooth away that line between his brows.
When his focus shifted away from the screen, I knew bad news was coming. “Hey, so I’m not sure when we’ll be able to talk next. I’m being deployed on a classified mission.”
“What does that mean?”
He pulled on his neck, his mouth curved into a frown. “And that’s not all. Someone is challenging the ruling of the council about our bond. I don’t know the details, but I was sent an official order to keep away from you until it’s done.”
I scoffed. “But, the Dragonborn council already… who would challenge the ruling?”
“I’m not sure, but it would have to be someone with a lot of clout. Someone who might be able to claim you somehow, like a relative or maybe your biological father.”
I sucked in a breath at that. “A claim on me? That’s crazy.”
He shrugged. “I know. Power and prestige will bring out the crazies. There are all kinds of rumors going around the Dragonborn about you and your mom. Many believe your father could be a Prime from Europe because your mom spent a lot of time abroad. Others claim he could be human. Do you have any idea who he is?”
I bit my thumbnail and shook my head. “No, I don’t… hold on, my mom had a bondmate.”
“She did? Do you have a name? I could look him up.”
“Yeah, his name was Evgeni Alexander Garin.”
Ashe sucked in a long breath before letting it out. “Evgeni Garin?”
I nodded, expecting him to tell me more, except at that moment, Becca, Mai, and Esther waltzed into the room, chatting and laughing.
“I should go…. Try not to get into any trouble,” Ashe said, giving me that half-grin that made my breath hitch.
I laughed at his warning and watched my screen go black.
The three girls didn’t stay long, and after reapplying makeup, they shuffled through the door, leaving the room quiet once more.
Sitting in my bed, I let out a long sigh and picked up Stuff-tee. White stuffing leaked out of his side, and I pushed it back in with my fingers, only to have it pop out again.
Ashe and I should’ve completed the bond. That way, there could be nothing anyone could say. There’d be no separation, no video chats that could be interrupted, and no boys like Logan trying to worm their way into my life.
Waiting also brought out my insecurities. After all, if George could blow me off so easily and just walk away—how much easier would it be for Ashe?
I was laying there, holding my lamb and feeling sorry for myself, when a knock sounded on the door.
Olivia popped inside and pulled the door closed behind herself. “I saw you hug Logan. What was that about? Were you guys kissing? I couldn’t tell.”
“When?”
“When? Like not too long ago—after dinner, in the courtyard. Oooooohhh… is there something you need to tell me?” A wide grin spread across her perfect mocha complexion.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the expectant expression on her face.
Sitting up, I frowned. “Nothing is going on with Logan. He helped me with some research, that’s it.”
She raised an eyebrow, puckering her pink lips in thought. “Mmmmmm. That boy is a dog.”
I smirked. “You don’t need to tell me what a player Logan Brooks is. Trust me, I already know.”
Liv settled down on the foot of my bed and leaned against the wall like I’d been doing.
“Did you take good notes from today’s bio-lab?” Olivia asked.
I straightened and looked through the papers, notecards, and notebooks spread across the bed before answering. “Uh…notes yes, good? I don’t know,” I told her, handing her my science notebook, “but whatever I have, you’re welcome to it.”
She frowned and began paging through the spiral-bound pages. “Crud. It’s because Sullivan talks too fast. I need to slow him down like fifty percent.”
Her comment made me laugh. “He’s not a video.”
Shrugging, she smiled. “Well, it would be nice if he were. I’d make him talk at fifty percent.”
I yawned and began gathering up texts and loose papers before placing them on my desk. “You’re welcome to stay, but I’m gonna get ready for bed.”
She focused on something in my notebook, her face solemn. “What is this?” Turning the pages to me, I saw my handwriting:
Celine—Yearbook? Friends? Teachers? Boyfriends? Clubs?
Angeven and Calla Moorhead.
Evgeni Garin
The Elibera
I grabbed the notebook from her, “Give me that!”
“The Elibera? Who’s this Garin guy?”
“I don’t know. And as for the Elibera, I don’t need to hear a bunch of bad things about them from you as well!” I spat in frustration.
Olivia raised one dark eyebrow at me and folded her arms across her ample chest. “You don’t need to be a bitch about it. I haven’t asked you about Ashe… or spring break or anything! But I heard the rumors. Rumor is that the council gave your bond the green light. Did you do it?” She took the notebook back. “You didn’t, did you? Maybe if you would’ve gotten a good dicking down, you wouldn’t be so uptight!”
Her eyes bore into me, and I regretted my outburst. “I’m sorry. I am tightly wound right now, but it’s not what you think. It’s not because of the bond. It’s because of something else.”
Olivia cocked her head and raised her eyebrows. “I’m listening. Spill.”
“Ashe and I didn’t complete the bond, that’s true.”
“No shit.”
I furrowed my brows, “How does everyone know that we didn’t do it?”
She shook her head and laughed aloud. “Because someone in the council opened their big fat mouth about the ruling. Besides, if you’d have done it, I think I’d know it by your face. Y
ou wouldn’t still be radiating this… I don’t know… tension.”
I groaned.
She tapped a French manicured nail against my notebook, “So what is this about? And don’t give me bullshit excuses this time.”
Chewing my lip, I met her eye. “Ashe took me to New York.”
“Oh? Your dad? Did you go to see him? How is he? Is he okay? I’m surprised you didn’t stay. I love New York!”
“Shhhh!” I hushed her. “No one but Taya knows that we went. And yes, I did talk to my… to George.”
“How could you not tell me this until now?! Is he Dragonborn?” She smoothed her hair away from her face.
“Hey! I’ve been right here, where have you been?”
Here eyes sparkled with mischief. “Busy… with Nate, but that’s old news. I want to hear about New York!”
“Okay, so here’s a revelation. The man who I thought was my dad isn’t.” My voice wavered a bit, and my eyes burned with unshed tears. I pushed those feelings away. I still wasn’t sure what to make of his actions or his secret message. I told her about how weird George acted and then about the letter Taya had given me.
Olivia frowned, her eyes on her fingers as they ran the hem of her uniform skirt.
“That is messed up. If he wrote to you, why wouldn’t he be happy to see you?”
“He must have his reasons…”
She frowned and hummed, “Mmmm… he better.”
I bit my lip and agreed. “Well, I’m not holding my breath waiting to hear them, if that’s what you’re worried about. Anyhow, today in the library, I found the yearbooks from Celine’s time here, but something’s weird, she’s missing from her 6th-year. She was involved in all these sports and activities, but when she came back, nothing. Tomorrow during study hall, I’m going to talk to Mrs. Moorhead, my mom’s cousin. She might remember something that could be helpful.”
Liv nodded, “If one of my cousins left school for a year, I’d have all the tea. I bet she knows a lot. I mean, how does your mom go missing for a whole year? If she was as involved as you say, then it had to have been a pretty big scandal.”
I yawned and stretched, “Yeah. Want to come with me when I go talk to Mrs. Moorehead tomorrow?”
She covered her own yawn before nodding and getting up.
“Tomorrow, study hall?”
“Yeah.”
“See you there!”
6
The morning dragged on, just as it does when I’m watching the clock. By the time study hall came around, I was worked up, ready to get some answers, and relieved that Olivia would be by my side. However, as I sank into the wooden bench in the teacher’s hall, I gazed around me. I was always finding something I hadn’t noticed before, like dragons hidden in the woodwork or custom carved pegs to hold shelves.
The first time I’d entered Wyvern Hall had been like traveling back in time. The grand staircase wound itself through the building’s center with intricately carved banisters before ending in dark carved wyverns sitting upright like dogs. If gentlemen in top-hats or ladies in wide petticoat-laden skirts roamed the spaces, it wouldn’t have surprised me one bit. Balaur was a masterpiece back in the 1800s when it was built with all the modern conveniences of the time.
But the teacher’s hall on the 4th floor was a different story. It was a converted attic space with a lower ceiling and dormer windows. Instead of being bright and airy like the classrooms below, this hallway was dim and cozy, smelling of burned coffee, dust, and mildew.
To reach it, you had to navigate one of the two stairwells at each end of the building. These flights of steps were narrow, steep, and lined with wrought iron as they wound upward. If you leaned over the middle, you could see all the way to the main floor.
When I spotted Olivia slogging toward me, I raised my eyebrows at her tardy arrival.
She held up a hand to ward off my questions and spat out, “You don’t want to know.”
My bandwidth was pretty much taken up with the current task of dealing with my past and navigating a new reality, but Liv needed me.
“More drama with Nate?” I guessed as I stood and shouldered my bag. Nate was Olivia’s boyfriend. The guy had sky blue eyes and creamy latte skin. He was fine AF… but unfortunately, the boy was well aware.
My friend sniffed, her nostrils flaring as we strode down the hall. “I think we might be done.”
“I thought you guys made up. What happened?”
“I’m an idiot is what’s happened. He’s still texting that neighbor girl back in Atlanta. When I saw those hearts pop up… mmmm… no way! I’m not putting up with that shit again. If he wants a side hoe, he can forget about me.”
“Are you sure you saw what you think you saw?”
She shrugged, lips pursed before continuing, “It’s not like I didn’t know it was coming. Chris warned me before we even dated.”
Chris was a 6th-year student like Logan and Nate, as well as Olivia’s second cousin.
Spotting Mrs. Moorhead’s name on a placard outside one of the closed doors, I pointed, and we stopped.
“I’m sorry. I thought Nate was a good guy,” I commiserated.
“I know. Me too.” She blew out a long sigh. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m too hard on him.”
I frowned. “You could always see what he has to say?”
Liv gave me a tight smile and groaned.
Holding my fist up to knock on the teacher’s door, I asked, “You ready?”
She nodded.
Mrs. Moorhead called out for us to enter, and Olivia pushed the door open.
Once inside, we took positions in the two chairs across from the teacher. Stacks of papers lined her desk, some marked in red, others waiting to be graded. A poster on the wall listed the three branches of the US government along with various maps of the United States as it grew over time. That earthy chocolate scent of books wafted over me, and I glanced between Olivia and my mother’s cousin.
“Hi, I hope you don’t mind us dropping in… this is my friend, Olivia, by the way.”
Liv waved, and Calla looked up from her work, a gentle smile crossing her lips. “Hello, Olivia. Sydney, I was wondering if I should search you out or if you’d come to see me.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my chair as my relative stared at me with wide eyes, the same turquoise color as my own. I built up this moment so much in my head that I almost forgot what I was going to ask. An awkward silence hung in the room for several beats before I finally spoke.
“I came to ask you about my mom,” I said, my voice sharp, like a knife through paper, it silenced the ticking of the clock and Calla’s pen as it marked the paper.
Mrs. Moorhead narrowed her eyes and glanced between Liv and me as she spoke. “Honestly, I don’t know what you think I know. I told you that I barely knew Celine.”
“But you’re cousins. And weren’t you both here at school together?”
“For a little bit, but Celine was older,” she murmured, sipping from a black Balaur Academy mug.
I sank into the chair, feeling defeated, but when I met Liv’s eyes, she widened them and nodded toward the teacher.
Straightening my back, I questioned, “I was going through my mother’s yearbooks, and I noticed that she was missing a year. Do you know what happened to her? Why wasn’t she at school?”
The red pen slipped between Calla’s fingers and onto some poor student’s paper. She made no move to pick it up as it rolled off the tests and clattered onto the floor.
Leaning over her desk, she held my gaze. Lines etched her eyes in fear or some emotion I couldn’t identify.
“This is a personal family matter. Maybe we should speak in private,” she breathed, her voice low as she flicked her gaze to Olivia and back.
I nodded. “It’s okay. Liv is my support. She won’t say a word. I can trust her.”
I stared at Calla, as she covered her face with ink-stained fingers.
The tension built within me, and I felt my face grow hot
with anger. Why was everyone dodging my questions?
I sought out the teacher’s wyvern and plucked at her attention as gently as possible to avoid detection. Then as quietly and subtly as I could, I ordered the teacher’s beast, make her tell me.
Mrs. Moorhead looked up at me and smoothed her brown hair behind her ears. “All right. There were rumors that Celine was abducted.”
Olivia’s crossed leg slipped to the ground, and her shoe slapped the floor.
Mrs. Moorhead glanced up and frowned at my friend.
“Sorry, my… go on,” Liv whispered, pressing her knees together and adjusting her skirt across them.
I scooted forward until I perched on the edge of my seat, resting my elbows on the wide desk. “She was abducted? Like kidnapped?”
Calla shook her head. “I remember thinking that she ran away, but this was so long ago. I don’t know. I was young and not privy to the comings and goings of the PL and his family. But, I remember a search and people looking for her.”
Aaraeth hissed in my ear, she keeps many secrets.
I sucked in a breath and felt my eyes flashing in anger. “If you think you’re protecting me from something, you aren’t. You’re only hurting me. Did she run away or not?”
The teacher couldn’t meet my gaze. Instead, she busied herself by straightening her papers.
Tell me, I pushed, not caring if she felt my nudge or not.
“They say she was abducted. That’s all I know,” Calla said, bending to pick up her pen before straightening the cushion on her chair.
Olivia sat beside me wide-eyed, lips pursed and shaking her head. “So, was she kidnapped or did she run away? Either one is horrible.”
I chimed in, pushing on Calla, “So, then what happened? She must’ve come home at some point.”
Mrs. Moorhead ducked her head, examining a rip on her desk calendar as if it held the answers to the universe. “The Militia brought her home a few months later.”
“Did she ever tell you what happened? Or my grandparents, did they say what happened?” I asked, my voice tight.
Shaking her head, the teacher shrugged one shoulder in response. “What could they say? She didn’t go to school that year….”
Over Easy Page 5
