Chapter 12 #2
“I shift into a wolf, but apparently, I smell like a fox, which isn’t really a good thing around true predators. I smell like prey to Taggart’s wolf.”
“Huh. My dragon’s never noticed.” Elliot looked at Tabitha closer. “How intriguing. To be one type of shifter, but smell like another.”
“Wait. Was that you I saw playing with foxes in the woods last year?” Jahrdran demanded.
Tabitha grinned. “Probably. The wild foxes love me.”
I wanted to know so much more, but we were interrupted by the ferry’s arrival and the chaos of saying our goodbyes to Jahrdran and Kasi.
They both waited until we were all on board before waving and disappearing into the shadows, heading off on a quest I could only hope would bring Kasi some peace.
“So, did you hear what happened to Nika?” Sunny asked as the ferry got underway.
“Our dragon, Nika?” Mikaela asked.
“Yeah, apparently she disappeared from the stables,” Sunny said. “No one knows how it happened or where she went, but when we went to say goodbye to the dragons, her stall was empty.”
“Professor Vesely told us they have no idea how she was taken off Blackthorn Academy property,” Daya said.
“Couldn’t she just have flown away?” I asked.
“We asked the same thing, but he acted all offended at the question,” Daya said. “He insisted there was no reason whatsoever for a dragon who had all the food and water she could possibly want, plus plenty of opportunities to fly, to give up her cushy life at the Academy.”
“He said it just like that too,” Sunny said. “Cushy life.”
“That’s stupid,” I said.
“Especially since she’s a wild dragon they were keeping in captivity,” Mikaela said. “Of course she wanted freedom.”
“You’d think,” Sunny said, “but apparently, the other dragons don’t. According to Vesely, not one single dragon has ever flown away in the history of dragons at Blackthorn Academy.”
“Until Nika, that is,” Daya said.
“Yeah, well, Nika wasn’t exactly like the other dragons,” I said. “I bet she had better things to do than sit around waiting for a bunch of supernaturals to decide to take her for a ride.”
Mikaela giggled.
“Honestly, good for her. I hope she’s okay, though,” I said.
“Me too,” Sunny said earnestly.
Daya nodded in agreement.
I couldn’t help but worry about Nika being out there alone, possibly in danger of being exposed to the humans or hunted by unscrupulous supernaturals.
I really did hope she was okay and knew I’d probably spend the rest of my life occasionally scanning the skies, hoping for a glimpse of the dragon I once rode in The Gauntlet.
We reached the moors of England, the ferry docked and we joined the lines waiting to disembark.
The minute we reached land, Sunny and Daya called out their goodbyes and ran toward two groups of people waving excitedly.
They were both surrounded instantly, greeted with exuberant hugs, then they were gone.
Taggart came and grabbed Tabitha and attempted to drag her off.
She just planted her feet and refused to move, which was hilarious to watch because he was really putting some effort into it. Finally, with a huff, he stormed off.
She grinned at us, then sauntered after him, calling over her shoulder, “See you guys in a couple months!”
Mikaela gave me a hug, then she and Elliot ran off hand-in-hand to climb in a car that waited for them, heading off to spend half their summer with Mikaela’s parents and the other half in Scotland with Elliot’s family.
“No more stalling,” Vorzak said with a grin. “It’s time for you to meet my sister.”
I didn’t say what I was thinking.
That I was nervous as hell.
Instead, I let him take my hand and lead me down the dock toward the two women waiting.
I recognized his sister from when I’d seen her before on this very same dock. She was as beautiful now as she’d been back then, with her gorgeous, silver-white hair and regal bearing. The only difference was this time I knew she was Vorzak’s sister and not a love interest.
Even if I hadn’t seen her before, though, I still would have known she was Vorzak’s sister if only because The Hissies started weaving and dancing the minute they caught sight of her.
She beamed at me when we arrived in front of them. “I’m Yukiko,” she said the minute we reached her. “I’m so happy to meet you, Jasmine. You are Jasmine, right?”
“Of course, she is,” Vorzak said. “Like The Hissies haven’t already told you that.”
Yukiko tilted her head to the side and started dropping kisses on The Hissies’ heads like I always did.
When she straightened, she no longer looked as excited as before. In fact, she looked like she might cry.
“Yukiko?” Vorzak reached for her, but she shook her head.
“I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.” She held her hands out to me.
I grasped them in mine and she squeezed gently. “I’m so happy to welcome you to our family. The Darlings are clearly delighted with you.” She giggled as The Hissies began twining their way around me.
Hissies.
Happy.
Jazzy.
Kiko.
Zak.
I smiled. “They’re happy to be back here, with all of us together.”
“Of course, they are!” She beamed at me. “This is my best friend, Ember, by the way.”
Ember was the most intriguing-looking supernatural I’d ever seen. She looked entirely human, except for the black mask she wore that covered the top part of her face.
It stretched from ear to ear and from forehead to nose. It wasn’t solid, but instead was mesh with patterned holes in the shape of feathers.
The nosepiece was in the shape of a beak and the lower edge of the mask had two small claws on each side, curling down across her cheeks.
The entire effect gave her the appearance of a raptor, which was somehow enhanced by the feathers in her hair and the adorable, gray owl sitting on her shoulder.
I wanted to know so much about her, but more importantly, I wanted to meet her owl “Who’s your friend?”
She smiled. “This is Ash. She’s my spirit companion.”
“She’s adorable.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Vorzak and The Hissies were entirely too close for me to rave about how much I loved her owl and how I was now thinking maybe an owl would make a good familiar for me.
Obviously, my restraint wasn’t fooling The Hissies, who hissed their displeasure.
Owls.
Eat.
Hissies.
No.
Like.
“Good point,” I said to them.
“Let’s get home, shall we?” Yukiko hooked her arms in mine and Ember’s and started down the boardwalk, leaving Vorzak and The Hissies to follow.
I felt a gentle touch on my head and glanced back.
The Hissies were hovering behind Yukiko and me, dividing their pets between the two of us.
Yukiko giggled. “I’ve missed you guys so much.” She turned her head and kissed one of The Hissies who was hovering.
Of course, that instigated an entire round of Hissies demanding kisses, with the lot of them darting between the two of us, basking in the attention (and kisses) we lavished upon them while Ember snickered and Vorzak sighed in exasperation at our backs.