Chapter 11 #2
The others chatter excitedly as we make our way toward the dormitory building, their voices overlapping as they rehash everything that happened.
I try to listen, to engage, but part of my attention keeps drifting back to Drake’s retreating figure.
By the time we reach the dormitory, Carla and Dani have extracted a promise from me to meet them in the canteen in twenty minutes. They reluctantly peel away toward their own rooms, still talking about everything they witnessed.
Jordyn and I finally make it inside our shared room, and the moment the door closes behind us, she pulls me into another tight hug.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” she whispers. “I barely slept last night. I kept imagining all the horrible things that could have happened to you out there. We were told to expect the worst.”
“Well, I’m here now,” I tell her, patting her back gently. “Alive and in one piece, if a little worse for wear.”
She finally releases me, stepping back to look me over from head to toe.
“You do look pretty rough. But you’re alive, and that’s what matters.
” She shakes her head, her expression still slightly dazed.
“I can’t believe they’re all dragon shifters.
Our trainers, that is. Them and every single dragon on this island.
It explains so much, but it’s still hard to wrap my head around. ”
I nod, trying to look as shocked as she does. “It’s definitely not what I expected when I came here.”
“And Drake,” Jordyn continues, her voice taking on a dreamy quality that makes me a little on edge. “The way he saved you…it was so heroic. So romantic.” Her eyes get hazy.
“Romantic?” I try to keep my voice light, casual. “I wouldn’t call nearly getting eaten by a dragon romantic. There was nothing romantic about it.”
“But he risked everything to save you!” Jordyn gushes, flopping down on her bed with a dreamy sigh.
“It was something he did on instinct because he doesn’t like how we Tributes are treated.
He doesn’t like all the death. He does want to advocate for us…
sure. In fact, he’s going to petition that I don’t have to make another attempt at Sky’s Edge, even though I haven’t technically finished the course. ”
“That’s great!” Jordyn gushes. “He’s a great guy.
So caring and protective.” Her cheeks start to flush pink, and she gets that same dreamy look in her eyes.
“And if I thought he was sexy before seeing him naked… Holy crap, Harlow, I think I might have actually popped an ovary when I saw him walking up to the Academy just now. He looks better naked. His cock is huge. It—”
“We’re not going to talk about that particular part of his anatomy.” I laugh.
“Why not?” She fans herself dramatically. “I was genuinely disappointed when that trainer gave him the towel. I think I might be in lust with him.”
Something needles at me. It takes me a few long moments to realize that it’s jealousy. Why? What’s wrong with me? I have no right to feel this way. I don’t want Drake; I have Miles waiting for me.
“Did anything happen between you two?” Jordyn asks, looking at me strangely. “I mean, you were stuck alone together in the jungle all night.”
“Of course not. Nothing happened.” I laugh. “Jordyn, seriously? He might have saved me, and I might be grateful for that, but he’s actually not that nice. He’s quite rude, to be honest. I’m not even sure I like him.”
“Rude?” Jordyn looks surprised. “But he saved your life!”
“That doesn’t make him nice,” I tell her. “Trust me, spending time alone with him wasn’t that much fun at all. He’s brooding and grumpy and…he’s a bit of an arrogant prick.”
“Brooding is sexy, though,” Jordyn says with a sigh. “There’s something so appealing about a strong, silent type who needs the right woman to bring out his softer side. I think I’m going to make a move on him.”
The green-eyed monster doesn’t just needle this time; it pokes with something sharp.
“No!” I snap, and Jordyn looks at me in surprise.
“I mean, that’s probably not a good idea.
Look at what happened with Ash and Dani.
It was a complete mess. He got demoted; she got her heart broken…
Do you really want to risk something like that?
And for the record, brooding isn’t sexy.
This is real life, not some romance novel. ”
Jordyn’s expression falls slightly. “I suppose you have a point. Thing is, Ash and Dani got caught. Drake and I—”
“You’re talking like a crazy person,” I interrupt, desperate to talk her out of this. “He’s in charge of all of us. Getting involved with a Tribute could get him fired or worse. You need to attempt to mind-bond with dragons soon. Don’t you think your focus should be on that?”
“When you put it like that…” Jordyn sighs heavily. “You’re probably right. It’s just… Since you brought it up, I might die soon, you know? When we face those dragons, and especially after seeing one up close…” She shivers. “Maybe I should live a little while I still can.”
“You’re not going to die,” I tell her firmly. “And getting involved with Drake isn’t living – it’s asking for trouble.”
Jordyn is quiet for a moment, then nods. “You’re right. It’s just hard to be practical when you’re faced with a man like that.” She gives me a curious look. “You really didn’t find him attractive at all? Even a little bit?”
I force myself to shrug casually. “Sure, he’s good-looking, I suppose. But looks aren’t everything. Besides, I have Miles.”
“Right, Miles.” Jordyn’s expression turns serious. “Are you worried about the dragon bonding? After seeing what they’re actually like?”
I think about Drake’s dragon form, about those intelligent reptilian eyes, and the way his voice echoed in my mind. About how I felt more fascination than fear, even when I should have been terrified.
“I’m scared.” I bite on my lip for a few seconds. “What about you? Do you want to bond with a dragon, or do you still want to go home?”
Jordyn is quiet for a long moment, staring at the ceiling.
“At first, I definitely wanted to go home. But now… I guess I’m not so sure. I don’t really have anyone waiting for me back on the Mainland. No amazing job, either.” She shrugs, then sits up, tucking her legs under her. “My parents divorced when I was sixteen.”
“You mentioned that.”
“Did I tell you that Mom’s on husband number four now?”
“You’re kidding.” I make a noise of disbelief.
“Yep, and Dad remarried some years back; he has a whole new family to keep him busy.” Jordyn gets this look. “I’m being a complete bitch here. You don’t even have parents.”
I smile. “It’s fine, Jordyn. Just because my folks have passed away, doesn’t mean you can’t talk about your parents.”
“I know that, but I could be more grateful to have them in my life. At least I have a mom and a dad.”
It stings thinking about my parents. “I was lucky. Not everyone gets to be as lucky as I was. It doesn’t sound like your parents are there for you much.”
She looks down at her feet. “It is what it is.” She shrugs again.
“I have friends. I guess when I really think about it, I wonder if staying wouldn’t be better for me.
Being a dragon rider actually sounds kind of exciting.
I might even want to settle down here. And who knows, maybe I could marry a shifter. ” She smiles.
I can tell she’s thinking of Drake again, and the poking starts up.
“Really?” I try to keep the shock out of my voice. “You’d want to stay and marry one of them? Is that even allowed?”
“I asked Smoke, and he said that shifters and humans are allowed to be together. He also told me that I needed to focus on the next aspect of our training.” She rolls her eyes.
“He’s right.” I giggle. “Talking about mind-bonding, aren’t you afraid of falling off the back of a dragon or getting killed in one of these skirmishes with the Reds?”
“Of course I’m afraid,” Jordyn admits. “But it’s also exciting, you know?
It’s completely out of my hands anyway, so there’s no point in worrying about it too much.
If I bond with a dragon, then so be it. If I don’t, then it is what it is, and I’ll go home.
” She gives me a bright smile. “I’m going to let Fate decide…
as long as Fate doesn’t include me being turned into a pile of ash. What about you?”
I think about Drake’s warning about how I’m going to have to stand in front of a line of dangerous creatures and pretend that I’m trying to bond with them while hiding the fact that I already have bonded with one. I need to survive the mind-bond on my own, and then I’m home free.
“Yeah,” I say quietly. “I’m worried.” I sigh. Then I stand. “I’m jumping in the shower,”
As I head toward the bathroom, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and wince. My hair is a tangled mess, my clothes are stained with mud and sweat, and those bug bites make me look like I have some kind of tropical disease.
But I’m alive. Against all odds, despite falling from Sky’s Edge and being carried away by a dragon and spending a night in the jungle, I’m alive.
Now I just have to survive whatever comes next.