“Sorry,” I said. It couldn’t have been easy.
“It wasn’t your fault, Elena.”
“I should’ve stayed.”
“How?” He gave me a broken smile. “All you’ve ever been taught is that in times of real trouble, you run. It’s the only thing Herbert showed you, Elena.”
I nodded. How the fuck did he know that? Matt. He’d put two and two together. Blake was smart.
“Then I felt how you needed your abilities. I was going insane at that time.”
I wondered what it would be like to see him insane. I’ve seen crazy and psycho, but not insane. I remembered it then. A scream, an agonizing scream.
I sat back up and folded my arms around my knees.
Had I heard him that night? It happened before my abilities appeared. Blake still spoke, but I didn’t hear a single word he said, because I kept hearing that scream. It wasn’t one of the three I’d killed. I’d looked. They hadn’t heard it.
He brought me back to the conversations when he stroked my back and was sitting right next to me. “I destroyed the cafeteria. Master Longwei put it back together real fast. Said the last time you had done it, they’d taken precautions.”
I smiled softly and felt like crap for not listening to what had happened that led up to the destruction of the cafeteria.
The subject changed to a lighter note again and we spoke again about the things we loved the most. Me, it was easy: flying and drawing.
Blake had a huge list. It all fell into the deranged adrenaline junky category again. We were so different to one another and I feared that after tonight he was going to discover that I was just plain and boring because I didn’t have an exciting life like he did, and that we had absolutely nothing in common.
We called it a night as he glanced at his watch and an awkward silence fell between us as we walked back down.
“I’ve said way too much, haven’t I?”
“Shhh, Elena. If anybody finds us here, there are going to be months of detention.”
I burst out in laughter and cupped my mouth.
“Shhh,” he said again and smiled the smile that made my knees wobble.
I sucked in my lips and continued walking down the stairs.
We finally reached my floor.
“Sorry about tonight,” he spoke.
“Sorry?” I whispered back.
“It’s like four, Elena. You didn’t get much sleep.”
I smiled. “Well, at least I won’t be the only useless one in class tomorrow.”
His laugh sounded so guilty. “Believe me, a day without sleep does absolutely nothing to me. I’m still filled with energy.”
I grunted. “So unfair. You better discover how you can transfer that to me,” I joked.
“Maybe I should. Who knows what else we can do?”
“It was a joke, Blake.”
“It’s not impossible, Elena,” he said and pulled me in for a hug. “Sweet dreams, Princess.” He kissed me on top of my head. His lips lingered a few seconds and I breathed in his musky scent mixed with some roasted oak that reminded me of fire. Then he let me go and skipped down the stairs without making a sound. “I need to go practice,” he said over his shoulder and winked.
I shook my head and went into my room.
I rested with my back against the door after I closed it, grinning. Grinning like an idiot. The doubt was clawing the pit of my stomach again but I forced it away this time just by going through the long conversation we’d had up on the roof. It had to be real.
“ELENA!” BECKY YELLED,” and I found myself inside the cafeteria. I had a slight headache from the lack of sleep and felt drained.
“Becky,” Blake’s voice was right next to me. When did he get here? And in his human form?
“How long was I out?”
“Not that long. Here is your coffee, it’s still warm.”
“You’ve had to heat it back up twice with your fire, don’t lie.” Becky gave her two cents worth.
“Seriously, why didn’t you wake me?” I looked at Blake.
“You looked so peaceful.”
“I need food,” I scolded him and pushed myself up.
“Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed.”
I grunted inwardly because it wasn’t just his fault. I could’ve easily told him that I needed my sleep and I hadn’t.
I went to the buffet area, got a bowl with muesli and yogurt, and went back to the table.
Everyone seemed to be done eating. Why on earth hadn’t they woken me up? It was so embarrassing.
I gulped down my breakfast.
“So what time did you come in last night?” Becky still wanted to know.
“Got absolutely nothing to do with you.”
“Ouch, you are grouchy,” she sang.
“I’m tired and I’ve got a slight headache and really don’t have the strength to answer you at the moment, so deal with my grouchiness.”
“You have a headache?” Blake spoke softly.
“Slight headache,” I said again. Oh my word, I was grouchy.
“Here,” Blake said and turned me on my pillow to face him. He put his hands on my temples and the singing sensation started again. The headache disappeared slightly, but the tiredness was still there.
“I need energy,” I sulked.
“Haven’t figured that one out yet, sorry.”
“I hate you so much right now.”
“Elena was with you last night?” Sammy wanted to know and I looked at Becky. She didn’t tell her a thing last night.
“Stay out of it, Samantha, you’re not Mom,” Blake snapped softly.
“But Dad will love that, Blake,” she teased him.
“Oh yeah, you really going to go that way?” he said in a blackmailing manner. “I’m sure he will love that Dean secret more.”
She gasped and blushed scarlet.
Becky snorted in her cup and looked at her. “What Dean secret?”
Sammy turned even redder.
“Whatever,” she said to her brother and got up. “I need to quickly go somewhere.”
Blake laughed.
“Sis,” I slapped him.
“Ouch.” He laughed and rubbed his arm.
“What secret?” Becky asked him.
I grunted again. She was so nosy. Sure she was my best friend, but I could not recall me or Sammy ever being this nosy when she and George started dating.
MY REFLEXES WERE slow in Art of War and I almost fell on my ass a couple of times. Blake caught me every time with a huge grin on his face as he pulled me back up fast.
“Elena, what is up with you today?” a dozen teachers asked me.
“Nothing,” I would say, pretending to be wide-awake. I hated this because the day was completely wasted.
After school, Blake walked with me to my room.
“I need to sleep,” I almost shouted at him as I pounded him softly on his chest. It was so unfair that he was still filled with so much energy.
“Okay, Miss grouchy. Sleep it is.” He opened my room.
I fell on my bed and drifted away the second my head connected with my pillow.
When I opened my eyes, a patch of my linen was slightly wet.
I had drooled.
The numbers on my digital clock read 18:15.
The sound of bikes was playing in the background and I lifted up my head.
“Seriously,” George said. “You are a fucking cheat, Blake.”
“Am not,” he said, chuckling. “I’m just a better driver than you, Georgie.”
A motorcycle racing game played on our TV screen.
“You have a real bike,” I chirped tiredly from my bed and George laughed. “Remember the one you chucked back in my face?” I joked. I closed my eyes again. A few seconds later my bed shifted.
His scent clouded my mind, as it always did, and when I opened my eyes, he was lying next to me. His warmth radiated from him and I curled myself up into a ball closer to him.
“I was dark then, and that bike is still mine. No givebacks.”
I smiled and closed my eyes again.
“You feeling any better?”
“Much, but that is never going to happen again. I really need all the Art of War sessions they give, because I’m not as good as I think I am.”
I could feel his eyes staring at me and I looked at him. I was still so tired.
“Then I guess it’s time I give you some private lessons.”
“I’m not joking, Blake.”
“Me neither. I take combat slightly serious.”
“Urgh, you are going to be a demon slaver too.”
He laughed softly. “If it’s going to turn you into a fighting machine, then yes.” His lips brushed against my head.
“You need to wake up, I want to go and have dinner.” He slapped me on my bum and got up.
“Then go.” I rubbed the place his hand had connected hard with my ass. “You don’t need me to eat supper, Blake.”
“No, but I want you to join me. It’s extremely boring if you are not there.”
What? I gave a tired laugh. He was driving me insane.
I got up and put on my shoes. Sammy and Becky were gone, which was also extremely weird because George and Becky were like each other’s shadows.
Blake and I left as George carried on playing the game.
We ran into Becky and Sammy on the stairs.
“Finally. Welcome to the living, Elena,” Becky joked as she passed me.
“Shut up,” I growled and felt Blake’s arm pulling me in for a side hug as we skipped down the steps.
He opened the big oak door with ease and let me step through first.
He was such a gentleman and walked with me into the cafeteria.
“What, no dragon anymore?”
“I told you before, I only did that to make you feel less guilty. Besides, I think this form will send the message to her faster.”
I found everyone’s eyes on the two of us as we walked to the buffet line. This was never going to stop.
“Good evening, Elena,” Chef said. “Blake.”
“Evening Chef,” Blake said and grunted with delight when he saw the food. I grabbed a tray as the two of them started to make jokes and we walked to the nearest table and just dug in.
Everyone was still staring at us.
“Is this ever going to stop?”
“Let them stare, I really don’t care.”
“Rhyming again,” I joked and he chuckled.
“There is something I have to speak to you about.”
“What could that be?”
“The Dragon League.”
I smiled as I picked at my food. “What about it?”
“I really want to go and train for a bit with them, if that is okay with you.”
I looked at him and my lips started to curve into a smile. “You can do whatever you want, Blake. Told you that a million times before.”
He grin. “It’s that easy for you.”
“What? You want me to tell you no, because I’ll miss you too much?”
“Ouch,” he joked, which made me laugh.
“You haven’t told your dad about you know what, right?”
“Elena, I promised you I wouldn’t,” he said quietly.
“Sorry, I’m just worried about that.”
“Believe it or not, but I do care about my dad too.”
I swallowed my food. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Still, I agreed that I wouldn’t say anything, and I haven’t,” he said seriously.
“Sorry, I really didn’t mean it like that. So, the Dragon League. What does this training entail?”
“Plenty of camping and plenty of learning.”
“When do you want to go?”
“Well, by your previous reply, not anytime soon.”
I laughed again.
“But I have to get back to Etan, Elena. And my father wants to put a couple of dragons on the other side.”
“When?” I didn’t like this at all. But I understood why they wanted to set up in Etan: For intel.
“This weekend.”
My face fell at once and I sighed. “That soon?”
“Elena, I have to help Tom and August, remember?”
“Blake?” I hated that and wiped my mouth with the napkin.
“I have to help them find Max and Nicky, and hopefully Leana too.”
“And let me guess, I am just going to take you back in and have to come back without you.”
“No, you will be busy taking in some of King Helmut’s men too, and bringing back more farmers. The scientists are ready with the first one hundred buyos,” He smiled.
“They are?” That was fast.
“They’ve worked non-stop, Elena. When a shift went home to sleep, another took their place. They’re ready.”
I nodded.
“You take me in first, and then when you’re done, I’ll be back. It will take you more or less the entire weekend, so let’s say three days.”
I sighed. I still didn’t like it, even if I was going to be busy myself.
“C’mon, it’s not that long.”
I blew out a big gush of air. “You know what they do to dragons, Blake. If Goran finds you...”
“He won’t. I’m not stupid. King Helmut needs Emanual back anyway. At least you will be too busy to worry about stupid things.” He gave me a lopsided grin.
I squinted at him. “Losing you is not stupid. It’s quite serious and I won’t go through that again.”
“So she does care?”
I narrowed my eyes quickly at him, which made him smile.
He touched my hand gently. His was warm and a current, not the electric kind, ran through my entire body from his touch. It was addictive. “I’ll be fine. Nothing will happen.”
I sighed. “Okay, so this weekend it is, and three days only, Blake. Not negotiable.”
He smiled again. “I thought I could do whatever the hell I wanted.”
“Anything except playing on Etan’s front porch.”
He laughed. “Everything is going to work out just fine. I promise.”
My smile reflected how I felt about all of this. Unsure of the entire finding Max and Nicky thing, but he had promised, and I didn’t want him to break a promise. It sucked big time. It just better work out.
THE NEXT DAY I felt refreshed, and excited again to start the day.
Aviant was fun, again, but this time, Professor Vladimir and Alex kept a hawk eye on us.
It was exciting to finally fly with my friends. To dive into the air and the fear of slipping off, happened so many times, but I found a way to stay on his back. It was a bit uncomfortable too as he was just so big, and I wondered many times how on earth we were going to get a saddle on his back.
Still, Aviant became one of my favorite subjects.
Art of War was so much different from yesterday, and I didn’t see my ass as much this time.
Blake had to really duck and dive, but he was really fast and would always find the upper hand. I found myself in so many death grips, that the only thing needed was a twitch of his arm or a flick of his wrist and I would have a broken neck or back.
Still, he was gentle.
The class actually stopped to watch us spar against each other. I’d really started to get fed up with falling into his grip every single time, and grunted slightly as he hit me on the butt, real hard.
Professor Mia just scowled at him, which he laughed off.
It was a really good workout. One day I would get the upper hand on him, and that day was the day that I knew I would be ready.
When the bell rang, it was lunchtime and we went our separate ways on the stairs because I needed a shower.
We met for lunch and then it was the last two classes of the day. Magic Variances.
Professor Gregory and Sir Edward were waiting for us as we entered the coliseum.
Class was held in the coliseum whenever we had to learn what Dr
agonians could use when their dragons were in true form and away from us, or not around.
It used to be such a boring class as I had no partner, or dragon, to help me with, but not this time.
“Elena,” Professor Gregory said as we walked in.
I smiled.
“Blake, don’t transform,” Sir Edward spoke fast as Blake went to take off his shirt. “You too, George.”
Blake and George stared at one another for a few short seconds.
“The rest of you can take a seat.”
The class left and a few minutes later they started to fill the stone steps closest to us.
“What is this about?” Becky wanted to know.
“This lecture is only for Dents today. The other bonds, well, they don’t have a problem with this, as their dragons are not the true keepers of their abilities. So it’s easier for them to wield their frost, fire, or acid. Dents, you need to learn how to activate consent,” Professor Gregory spoke.
“So you are going to lecture a class on something you two can’t even do?” Blake squinted.
“Not us, Blake. Our guest.”
A figure walked into the coliseum and I smiled when I saw my Pappi walking with Pedro and one of the Ancient guards.
Everyone took a bow, and my Pappi waved it away as he wanted none of it.
“Thank you for having me today, Sir Edward,” my Pappi said as he took Sir Edwards hands in his own.
“Believe me, the pleasure is ours.”
He greeted Professor Gregory and they too went to sit with the class.
“Elena, Blake.” Pappi smiled. “Hope you two are not still fighting.”
The class laughed.
“We came to a truce,” I spoke softly and Pappi smiled.
“George, Becky. Now the reason I am here is simple. You need to learn how to use your dragon’s abilities.””
Blake shook his head and looked at Pappi. “You know that isn’t possible.”
“It is, with lots and lots of practice,” Pappi said.
“Pappi, what does this entail?” I remembered Blake telling me that it was extremely painful.
“Elena, you need to learn how to wield your abilities without Blake having to transform.”
“That has never been my strongest skill. I could hardly do it when I was a dragon.”
“She was never supposed to wake up, so technically you weren’t a dragon.”