"There's a group going down to the river. You want to come?"
She scrunched her nose up as she walked away, "Nah. Thanks though. Have fun!"
"See ya," I yelled as I walked outside.
The wind buffeted my face as soon as I opened the door. Near the edge of the terrace, wide steps led down to a picnic area. This was where I'd talked to Ashe that first night at Balaur. He'd thrown snow up at my window until I'd come down. I pictured him as he'd been that night—unshaven, his hair tousled, and his face full of concern. Ashe kissed me there and told me everything would be all right. But that was almost four months ago.
Gazing around between the stark modern concrete building of Harrow House and the English manor that was Drake House, I tried to perk myself up. I couldn't dwell on my would-be mate, or I'd be miserable. I had to live my life and try to be happy.
The trees were covered in pale green leaves, and the green shrubby plants that grew out of the forest onto the grounds of Balaur looked as if they'd never been those dull, ugly brown leafless lumps.
Several students lounged around on the picnic tables talking. Some Harrow boys were throwing a small football back and forth.
Logan is here… Aaraeth told me.
Where? I don't see him.
Over in the shade of that tree… Don't you feel him? You should always feel the other Primes around you.
Other Primes prickled at the edge of my mind. In this small group, there was Logan and Eli, but I'd felt five others at the school—all-male and ranging from a red-cheeked little Eton first-year to a seventh-year from Harrow who sported a full beard.
Instead of joining up with either of the boys, I made my way over to Mai.
"Hey! Have you seen Olivia?" I asked.
"Liv? She was just here," the girl said, spinning in a circle before shrugging.
I left her chatting to some guy from Eton and sat down on the terrace steps thinking about the Harrow fire and my mother. Thinking about Celine led to her bondmate—Evgeni Garin. He had to be my biological dad. Did I even want a relationship with him?
My mind churned on this subject until I spotted Liv. She danced across the terrace, singing a pop song, bringing a smile to my lips. Her gaze honed in behind me on the other side of the stone railing, "Eli, this was your adventure. You ready?"
I twisted around, and Elijah's gaze lingered on me for a bit too long.
"Yeah, You ready?"
I watched as the group headed down a narrow dirt path I'd seen before. I always wondered where it went to, and now I would find out.
Walking one by one, I found myself behind Mai on the trail as it led through thick brush and pine trees. Branches reached out as if trying to grab the fabric of my leggings. Birds called back and forth, and small animals darted through the underbrush. The sweet scent of pine needles surrounded me, reminding me of Ashe.
Gazing up at the trees and the sky, my foot caught on a rock, and I stumbled. But someone grabbed me by my backpack from behind and steadied me.
"Thanks," I gasped, holding my hand to my chest before turning to see who'd saved me from a faceplant.
"No problem," Eli replied, giving me a strange look as he let go of my backpack.
I kept my eyes on the trail, watching for rocks and roots, and we wound down steep switchbacks through mud, pines, and groves of tinkling aspen trees. As I walked, a feeling of contentment spread through me. I preferred being outside, and I missed it.
Before Balaur, I used to spend my days walking around rural areas doing research with my dad. We'd catch animals or explore. When we weren't working on one of his research projects, we'd go city hiking or check out local sites or museums.
I hadn't realized how out of shape I'd become until today. This walk was more challenging than I'd expected, and we were going down. How hard would the hike out be?
Just as I thought I couldn't go on, the group stopped for a break in a meadow. The grass underfoot was wet, so I took a standing break before finding a fallen log to sit on.
There were maybe fifteen people in all, many of whom I didn't know. With everyone in regular clothes, I had no idea who was from what house—except those I knew, like an Eton girl who was continually crushing on Logan. Her hands gripped his arm, her face upturned and adoring as he talked to another Drake guy. The girl almost dripped off of him, watching his every word, laughing and smiling.
It turned my stomach… but I wasn't jealous.
Liv bumped my shoulder. "Great, Cassidy's here. Go over there and mark your territory."
I sputtered, "My territory? Logan?"
She smiled. "He's made it obvious that he wants something with you…"
I cut her off, "And I've made it obvious that I don't. It's no big deal. Logan can do what he wants."
Olivia snorted. "Just shoot me if I ever act like a complete idiot like that."
We laughed and earned a death glare from the girl.
Sipping my water, I coughed. I chided myself for grabbing fizzy instead of flat.
I showed Liv the bottle and laughed, "I'm going to burp all the way down this trail."
The group started moving again. Somehow, I found myself slotted between Logan and Eli.
Logan would hold branches out of my way only to let them smack Eli after I walked, though. When we came to a tree that had fallen over the path, Logan moved to the side and held his hand out to help me over it.
I laughed, "It's okay, I've got it."
"It's no problem," he told me, beaming his Captain America smile, his hazel eyes sparkling.
So, I gave in and let him hold my hand to help me over the log. When I stepped down on the other side, Eli stared at me over Logan's back. The Harrow Prime pressed his lips together and watched us with narrowed eyes.
Turning my back to Eli, I started walking again.
"Has that yearbook shown up yet?" Asked Logan.
"Oh, that? No. How's the thesis paper editing?" Turning, I caught a glimpse of him behind me, and he smiled before reaching past me to push a branch out of the way. He was so close that I could feel the heat coming off his body in the fresh spring air.
"My thesis paper is on schedule. I finished the first edits, and I'll get it back with suggestions next week. I haven't been to the library much; have you missed me?"
I couldn't help but laugh at his teasing. "Oh, every day!" I exaggerated.
"Oh, hey, I found out that Mr. Daniels went to school around the same time as your mom, so he might be another person to talk to."
"The hipster guy? Thanks. I have him for Civics."
Logan stared at me, holding my gaze a little too long. Behind him, I could see Elijah's exasperated expression.
What was going on between them?
Aaraeth snorted. They are trying to claim their territory.
Claim their territory?
Claim you.
Me? Well, that isn't going to happen, I snarled.
Then why do you act like it could happen with Logan? You are teasing him.
I frowned at Aaraeth's words… I am not. He's just fun to talk to.
Be careful, she warned.
Just as I thought my legs were going to give out or the guys would break into a fight, the trail spilled into a grassy meadow. Pines swayed in the breeze, and the sound of babbling water lured us to a steep embankment above a swiftly flowing river.
On the edge of the water, there were circular shaped pools made from rocks, sticks, and mud. Steam rose from those ponds like mini hot tubs.
"Hot springs…" I whispered, bringing to mind my ritual.
Leaning against a large rock, I watched as a few of the guys began moving rocks to dam the flow of the river's icy water from rushing into the warm pools.
Half the group had already stripped down to swimsuits and were cautiously checking temperatures of different pools with pale bare feet.
Olivia had already found a spot and motioned me over.
"Well?" She asked, pulling off her fleece, revealing a bathing suit ben
eath.
"Well, what?"
Her face fell. "Oh, crap! I always forget that you're new! You didn't bring a suit, did you? Just wear your underwear. No one will even notice."
I shook my head and twisted my lips. "Crap."
She folded her clothes and placed them on a flat rock along with her backpack.
"I forget how much you don't know about this place," she said, gingerly stepping into the steaming pool and settling onto her butt.
Perching on a rock near her, I unlaced my shoes and rested my feet in the water.
Glancing around, I noticed that everyone but me had stripped down and now sat in one of the pools. I chewed my bottom lip.
"Just get in!" Liv whispered.
"I can't. I'm not wearing any underwear."
She sagged, "Uggh! Are you serious? That sucks!"
Two girls switched pools, getting in between Liv and me. For a moment, I sat on the edge virtually alone until Elijah came over, balancing on the rocks and trying not to step in the mud.
"You're not swimming?" he told me cheerfully, a rock shifting beneath his feet.
"Why are you so happy about that?" I asked.
Pulling my feet from the pool, I allowed them to start to dry in the cool breeze.
"So, who are the visitors you're trying to escape?"
"What? Who?" I asked, looking around in panic.
"All I know is that people came to Balaur to see you." The truth ran through his words.
"Who's here to see me? Why didn't you tell me this before we left?" I groaned.
He shrugged.
"Well, shit. Thanks, Eli!" Waving my hand, I tried to get Olivia's attention. "I've got to hike back up. Want to come with me?"
She shook her head and yelled to be heard over the other conversations, "Just wait for the group. Come over here and sit down."
"I can't."
Liv shrugged and went back to her conversation.
Eli still stood beside me, "Are you going to go back up? You'll be fine. Just follow the trail."
Hastily I dried my feet with my socks before pulling them on and lacing my shoes.
Getting up from the slanted rock, I turned and bumped into Logan. He grabbed my arm to steady himself before letting go. Standing there in his swim trunks, he balanced on the rocks.
"No swimsuit? It's okay, just go in your underwear," he told me, his face surprisingly guileless.
I laughed at him. "I can't. Apparently, someone is looking for me—a visitor—according to Elijah. I'm going to hike back. I'll be slow. You'll probably catch me anyway."
Stepping around him, I plodded back up the riverbank. I turned and watched the group chat, laugh, and splash in the water.
Except for Logan—he stood watching me, his mouth pressed in a worried line as he held up a hand in goodbye.
I chewed my lip and debated staying anyway, but my curiosity won. Who was the visitor? Ashe? My grandmother? Maybe it was George.
After hiking up the embankment, I took one last look at the group. Elijah's eyes darted away quickly when I glanced his way.
He is so weird, I told Aaraeth.
But instead of answering, she kept silent. Something worried her about that boy.
Yeah? I asked. He's an asshole.
Turning my back on the group, I began to hike up the ravine's steep slope alone. I often thought I heard something or someone, but there was nothing when I spun to look.
The trail felt much, much longer this way, and I had to stop several times just to catch my breath.
As I neared the meadow where we'd stopped on our way down, I knew I was almost to the top. Taking a standing break, I pulled out my sandwich and unwrapped it.
But, just as I was about to take a bite, a man's voice called my name.
"Sydney?"
I let out an undignified screech, dropping my sandwich when I spotted two large men moving toward me. They were on the trail, so I darted off in the opposite direction, weaving and ducking through the trees. I could hear them coming after me and sprinted as fast as my legs would take me.
I turned to sneak a peek behind me. The two big guys ran, while a third strode at a leisurely pace behind them. I suppose the third man felt confident that the other two would catch me.
And he was right.
With plenty of rocks and trees to mar my path, they didn't have to wait too long. The whole thing seemed to happen in slow motion. I moved to duck, but I'd been too slow, and the branch hit me square in the forehead. I heard it crack and felt the bark tear at my skin and hair. My arms flailed like windmills, but I stayed upright.
Continuing to run, I found myself in another small meadow and charged across it, the ground slanting down into the canyon below. My heart thundered in my chest, and my lungs hurt with each quick breath as my feet pounded through the wet grasses. Blood ran down my face and into my eyes, blurring my vision.
Then, something caught my left foot, and before I could react, I went down, hitting the ground hard.
Stunned and with the wind knocked out of me, I lay there, unable to move.
My first response should've been to call for Aaraeth, but the thought never occurred to me until it was too late.
Before I could get up, I was rolled over and hauled up by a pair of beefy arms.
I sucked in a breath to scream, but the brute held me in a chokehold and squeezed. As my vision went black, I couldn't help but wonder where the fuck Taya was.
13
Drowsy and dizzy, I blinked in confusion up at the small patch of blue sky surrounded by trees. I hovered in that blissful forgetfulness until memories flooded my mind.
Cold, prickling, fear nearly took my breath away as I struggled to pull myself to a sitting position. The action made my head spin again. I groaned and squeezed my eyes closed, hoping the spinning would stop.
“Aaraeth?” I called out, but she was silent.
Licking my lips, I struggled to swallow. My throat was so dry. But my backside was wet from either the dewy grass or mud. My head pounded, and my fingers came away from my hairline covered in blood.
“What did you do to me?” I demanded of my unseen assailants as I shifted in the wet grass and pine needles.
A cultured baritone addressed me, “You’ve been given a sedative to keep you calm and prevent you from calling on your dragon.”
The baritone came from a well-dressed man who was clearly the boss. He wore European cut trousers, a button-down black and white striped shirt, and bespoke Italian leather shoes.
Stony faced and blond, he reminded me of Lucius Malfoy from Harry Potter except with short hair.
When he spoke to his henchmen, my mind struggled to identify the language.
Then it hit me. It was Russian.
He spoke to them in Russian while cocking his head to the side and looking me over as if I were a horse at auction.
I stared back at the guy defiantly even though my mind felt cloudy—as if my memories were locked up in a box.
The boss looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn’t place him, and even trying to think hurt my head.
“You ran before I could introduce myself,” the boss said in his American accent, “Do you know who I am?”
I frowned… and scrutinized his face. Somewhere in that locked box of thoughts, recognition sparked, but I couldn’t quite reach it…
“I’m Evgeni Garin,” he told me. “You must be Sydney. It’s interesting that just now you surface in the dragon world… and a Prime no less.”
The man hovered over me, looking down as if he were trying to decide something. Then, he motioned to his henchmen and spoke in Russian.
They neared me, grabbed each of my arms, and pulled me until I leaned against a tree.
“Is that better?” Evgeni asked.
Both goons wore dark t-shirts that bulged with muscles, one was bald, and the other had his dark hair slicked into a low ponytail. They backed away but still stood nearby, watching as if I were some kind of wild animal.
&n
bsp; At least this spot was slightly drier and more comfortable.
Pulling my knees to my chest clumsily, I held onto them, the forest spinning around me from the drug.
“Aaraeth!?” I yelled, but there was nothing.
“She can’t respond,” Evgeni told me in his smooth voice.
Aaraeth?! I screamed in my mind.
Her absence sent a chill down my spine.
Trying to clear the drug from my system, I struggled to stand but found my body heavy and uncoordinated, making it impossible.
Evgeni knelt down and held out a glass bottle of fancy water. “Here, drink. If you calm down, you’ll feel better. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just want to talk to you.” I refused his water, and he capped the bottle, handing it back to Ponytail.
The other goon, Baldy, handed him my backpack. Evgeni bent and laid the pack at my hip, the remaining half-empty water bottle making a thunk as it hit the ground.
When I didn’t move to open it, he unzipped the bag and pulled out my own water. Unscrewing the top, he held it out to me. Reluctantly, I took it. My mouth was parched, and even though I was stubborn and angry, I wasn’t stupid.
I downed the entire bottle, and when I was done, I dropped it between my splayed legs.
When I met Evgeni’s eye, I let out a massive burp feeling quite proud of myself.
“You really think I’m your daughter?” I asked, letting my head lull against the tree.
A smirk seemed to play at the edges of his lips as he watched me. “Yes, I do. However, the Dragonborn council refused to let me see you and denied my request for a paternity test.”
I touched my bloody hair again. Memories began trickling back in.
“Why didn’t you just email me or call me like a normal person? I would’ve done your stupid paternity test myself! Did it ever occur to you that maybe I wanted to know who my biological father was as well? Not that it really matters.” I spat out as crossly as I could with a cotton brain and limp body.
“I tried. The school filters your communication.”
“I called you, but your goon hung up on me,” I growled, my head pounding in my skull. “How long does this stuff take to wear off anyway? I feel like shit.”
Over Easy (The Dragon Born Academy Book 2) Page 11
