That stung, but I sensed the untamed rage in him. He didn’t like being manipulated, much less saved by the very person who’d messed up his life.
“I didn’t ask for this, okay?” I snapped.
“Neither did I,” he said dismissively as he turned, leaving me with nowhere to go but to follow him. I certainly didn’t want to venture further into the blackness to see where the knights had herded the wild dragons.
Sighing, I trailed after him. If I’d had a tail, it would have been between my legs.
No matter what I said, he wasn’t going to listen to me. I’d just saved his life. Who cares how I’d done it? Wasn’t it the deed that mattered?
Maybe Killian would never forgive me and that was just something I was going to have to live with. Still, as I watched him walk, I remembered our kiss and my tongue flashed out to capture the warmth of the memory. I wanted to feel that strange energy that awakened something inside of me, something powerful and new.
I had a feeling that I’d never get to experience the sensation ever again.
J asmine glowered at us from shore as we waded our way onto the sand. She gave Killian a raised brow.
“Don’t ask,” he growled as she shoved past her, ignoring when Jasmine’s dragon hissed.
“Relax, Jade,” she said, soothing the beast as she rubbed two fingers down the long snout. It startled me to discover a sensitive side to her, but I had a feeling only her wyvern got to see it.
“I can babysit Vivienne. You’re off the hook, Jas,” Killian said, rubbing the torn armor at his shoulder. He wouldn’t meet my gaze even though I frowned at him.
Jasmine sighed. “I’d love that, but the Dean is not happy with your antics.” She glanced at me. “She wants to see both of you in her office, now.”
“The Dean?” I asked as Killian scowled and began the long trek back to the Academy. Jasmine kept pace with us as her wyvern lifted off and headed back home through the sky. “How does he even know where we are?” I wondered. We couldn’t have been gone that long.
“She,” Jasmine corrected me. “Dean Brynhilde doesn’t miss a thing, so don’t think you can get away with the crap you pulled back there.” She flicked a lock of hair over her shoulder. “Plus, time works differently in the Tunnels,” Jasmine explained while Killian ignored us. “I’ve been staking the place out for days for you guys to return.”
“Oh,” I said, wilting as I fell into step behind Killian. Did that mean my mother already knew I was gone? She must be totally freaking out.
Then it hit me the absurdity of my situation. The last thing I expected when we returned to Dragonrider Academy was that I’d get called into the Dean’s office. I mean, seriously, I’d never gotten in trouble before back at Oakland High. Not even detention.
I guess there was a first for everything.
Jasmine and Killian bickered about what I could only guess was dragonrider stuff while my head spun. The walk back to campus seemed to draw on forever, probably because the adrenaline had worn off by now—or maybe I’d just run out of goddess ju-ju to keep me going. Killian walked with a slight limp, revealing that I hadn’t completely healed him, and Jasmine pretended like everything was fine, but the way she flexed her jaw betrayed that she didn’t like this one bit.
When we got to the gates, they were wide open, of course. No trouble getting into this place, just forget about getting out.
When we stepped onto the campus grounds, the gate swung shut behind me with a sharp clang, making me jump.
“It’s enchanted,” Jasmine explained with a cruel smile. “Any student bonded to a wyvern can enter and leave at will.”
“I see,” I said, not missing the smug note that Jasmine was letting me know I didn’t have a wyvern of my own.
Students murmured as we walked past. Killian went straight for the massive dark cathedral tower at the center of the smaller spires, seemingly immune to the shrieks and groans of dragons that flapped above us. I would never get used to this place.
Jasmine and Killian took a sharp left into the building, then head up a set of stairs. I followed as best I could, but found myself wheezing for breath after only a few twisting flights of the tortuously long climb. Jasmine gave me a smirk, sending my face flushing. It seemed like no matter what I did, I couldn’t hide that I didn’t belong here. It wasn’t like Oakland High trained me for massive spire-of-doom hiking.
When we finally reached the top, I was pretty sure I was going to pass out as I clung to the wall for support. Killian rolled his eyes while Jasmine knocked on the door.
“Enter,” came a low feminine voice.
I wasn’t sure what I expected from someone named “Brynhilde,” but I wasn’t disappointed. A woman leaned on a wide desk, her long legs framed by an attractive pantsuit that would have been classy aside from the spread of tribal tattoos over her face and arms. I made out a sea serpent, a constellation of a dragon, and possibly a cat. She ran her fingers down one long braid as she appraised me with amber eyes.
Finding myself unable to meet her scrutiny while my chest heaved to catch my breath after the ridiculous staircase, I looked away and appreciated the leather-bound books along the wall, as well as the paintings above the bookcase that featured various dragons of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The room felt relatively cozy, minus the golden sword that hung above her leather chair. I tried not to wonder if the stains on it were real.
“So, you’re
