“It should be you going,” I finally said. “I feel like I’ve taken something from you. If there was a way to switch with you, I would.” The words I’d tried to keep to myself all month burst out of me.
“Don’t say that, Sophie,” he said with his eyes still on the ground. “You’ve always dreamed of going to Animage Academy. I’m a simple guy. Being a regular warlock is just fine with me.”
“I think you’re lying,” I said. “You’re supposed to be the next dragon.”
“But I’m not. Animage magic is unpredictable. Everyone knows that.” His voice was clipped, but he lifted his head and put both of his hands on my shoulder. “You’ve always been smarter and tougher than me. If only one of us could be an animage, it should be you. You’re going to be something fierce.”
“I wish both of us were going.” My forehead pressed against his chest. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”
“Yeah, I know how you feel. But I’ll be at The School of Prophecy and Revelation here in town. So maybe we will get to see each other soon.”
“The supernatural community really needs to come up with better names for its schools,” I muttered into his chest. Simon chuckled and pulled me into a hug. In all my dreams about my first day at Animage Academy, Simon was always with me. I never thought I’d have to do it alone. Simon finally pulled back and tugged my ponytail affectionately. He headed toward Mom and Dad.
“Bye, Soph. Have a good term.” They walked back through the red door and disappeared as I waved. I was alone. I was at Animage Academy. This was home now. I squared my shoulders and turned back to the lobby.
Two other students were waiting across the lobby. They were talking as I walked over and barely noticed me. It seemed they already knew each other as they talked about people I didn’t know until Mrs. Winnifred walked over with another student in tow. She checked her clipboard.
“So, we have Mr. Ryan Lisbon?” A guy to my right with claws for fingernails raised his hand. Mrs. Winnifred nodded.
“Miss Alicia Hall?” The other student Ryan had been talking to raised her hand in turn.
“Mr. Cinders Damon?” The newest student to join inclined his head at Mrs. Winnifred. There were only four of us, did she really need to take the roll again?
“And Miss Sophie Pears—”
“Me, that’s me.” I said, more abruptly than I’d meant to. I wasn’t sure if I wanted my fellow students to know who I was just yet. Too late, all three students were staring at me. Mrs. Winifred didn’t seem to notice. She motioned us all through the door and began walking and talking as she led us down a large hallway with portraits on each side.
“Students have been arriving for the last hour. Most of them come by portal set up in the main ballroom. We encourage new students who can, to come in the front, but I imagine you will use portal transport from now on. It’s much simpler. All the students should be here by 8 a.m. Until then, you will wait in the auditorium.”
As we walked, I heard the three students behind me talking in whispered voices.
“Is that Sophie Pearson, the daughter of the dragon?”
“It has to be, there aren’t any other Pearsons.”
“Did you hear her twin brother isn’t one of us?”
“But then who will be the next dragon? Is it her?”
“It can’t be, the dragon has always been the oldest male in that family since like the beginning of time. It wouldn’t just change, would it?”
“Maybe there aren’t any more dragons.”
The back of my neck was turning red. My focus shifted to what Mrs. Winnifred was saying and I ignored the students behind me. I didn’t want them to know I could hear everything as clear as if they were screaming it into my ear. We walked through a door at the end of the hall and came into the back of the auditorium.
“Well, here we are,” Mrs. Winnifred said. “Have a seat, I need to get back to continue greeting the rest of the students.” As she walked away, I noticed a banded cat tail sticking out of the back of her red skirt.
The students I was with went their own ways after Mrs. Winnifred left. The two who knew each other walked toward a large group of students sitting together in the back corner. They were all fit and big. A few wolf ears and tails gave them away as werewolves. Even in places like the academy they liked to form packs.
I wanted to go find a seat, but I found myself rooted to the spot. I scanned the crowd for anyone I knew. No one. The last time I had talked to my friends from primary school, none of them had been acceptance to the academy. I went to glance at my watch before I realized it wasn’t there anymore. There was frantic whispering in the group of werewolves.
“The dragon’s daughter?” I heard someone say.
“Shhhhh.” I turned to Simon to roll my eyes. Of course, he wasn’t there. I wasn’t used to facing crowds on my own without Simon’s wit and charisma to hide behind.
“Sophie, you need to sit down,” I mumbled to myself. It worked. My feet moved, and I found an empty seat in the back. I kept my head down and tried not to listen in to the conversations going on around me. Listening in on conversations had become a favorite pastime of mine, turned out it was less fun when the conversations were about me. Sometimes I couldn’t tune it out.
“Yeah, the dragon.”
“Pearson?”
“Where’s her brother?”
I needed something to do
