Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Selene
My head lolled back against the chair, giving me a glimpse of the beautiful, domed ceiling in the library, torchlight flickering across the shadows.
“Why did we have to get a packet of homework for Algebra on the first day?” Vivian’s angry scrawling screeched against the papers as she wrote.
“You’re already on the last two questions. I’m still on the first page!” April waved at her papers.
That didn’t surprise me. Just like me, Vivian’s studies with Mom had been advanced for the grade level we were in at Fives Academy.
“I could help you.” Viv leaned closer to April. I couldn’t see Vivian’s face as she looked at April, but I could see the small tug on April’s lip—until it vanished. They both jolted upright.
“Yeah.” April cleared her throat. “Thanks, but I think I should try this on my own first.”
Huh. What was that about? It had been clear to everyone here that they had feelings for each other. I’d have to talk to Viv later.
“Yeah.” Sydney said. “I remember Professor Eaten. Good luck”
“Didn’t I hear she eats sophomores alive?” David laughed.
“Yes.” Sydney nodded, grinning. “Hence her name.”
“She’s not that bad so far.” Denise swatted at an invisible fly. “If you don’t mind watching others suffer.”
“Just wait,” Joseph said. “You haven’t even had her for an entire week yet.”
I tuned out the conversation, glancing at my last text to Ender.
After training with Viv, I realized I had a missed call and a message that said everything was okay and that he would meet up with me.
I sent him a message asking if he was meeting us at dinner, but he hadn’t replied and never showed.
After messing around in the halls and an hour in the library, I messaged him again.
It had only been fifteen minutes since I’d told him where we were, yet I kept finding myself checking for a response.
Sighing, I went to put my phone back in my pocket, but it buzzed before it got there.
SOS in the Kitchen. Just you … please. –Ender
My internal alarm went off. Ender said please? It sounded like a trick he would pull, but the mild panic I felt argued otherwise.
“Hey, I’m going to go.” I stood, putting my phone away as casually as possible. “I’ll catch you all later.”
“Mm-hmm,” Sydney hummed. “Off to see your boyfriend?”
I raised a sole eyebrow at Sydney, and the others laughed.
“Goodbye.” I waved, turning my back.
Once I reached the hallway and was out of sight, my walk picked up into a steady run.
The oak tables in the cafeteria were bare and there were no flames lit, the black stone ceiling making the vast space even darker.
It was two hours past dinner, and I hadn’t passed anyone on my way here.
The majority of students were back at the dorms, gym, or in the library because it was a school night.
A small sound came from the kitchen, light creeping underneath the white-swirled marble door.
Nothing in the academy building was conventional.
I called my magic, its warmth tingling along my fingertips as I pushed open the surprisingly light door.
The last time I had been on the other side of these doors was after the rock creature attack.
I stilled, standing straight as I disarmed my magic.
My hand instantly went to my mouth to smother a laugh at the scene before me.
Ender waved his hands while whisper-yelling at the black dragon, who was jumping from the racks hanging from the heightened ceiling.
Pans clattered to the floor and Ender rubbed his hands down his face.
The normally clean stone countertops and marble floor were littered with cutlery and dinnerware, and across the kitchen, the fridge doors hung wide open.
The dragon paused, looking back at me with what looked like a piece of chicken dangling from his mouth as the rack he dangled on swayed.
“What’s going on?” I suppressed my laugh and swore the little dragon smiled at me.
“Good question.” Ender sighed. “I found him trailing me on my run, but I left him in the forest. After I showered, I was on my way to find you, but the next thing I know, this little guy was following me again.”
The dragon growled, as if he didn't like being called little.
“I see why you sent an SOS.” I nodded at the mess. “This is why you missed dinner?”
“Yes. Then when he showed up outside the main building, I was trying to keep him hidden, but he kept trying to go find you—at least that was what I thought—until he found his way inside and found the kitchen.” Ender winced as a utensil clanked to the floor and the dragon turned himself around.
The dragon tilted his head back and swallowed his meal before leaping off the rack, landing on his feet and bounding over to me, sniffing at my feet with a low grumble before relaxing.
He jumped, using his wings to guide himself, landing on my shoulder—which almost caused me to lose my balance—and nuzzling his cool scales into my neck.
The weight on one shoulder was heavy, but his cool tail draped at the back of my neck and across my other shoulder mildly helped with dispersing his weight.
Regardless, he was not meant to be a shoulder dragon like the Labrador Retriever in Marley & Me thought he was a lap dog…
It took a good five minutes of frozen shock as the dragon adjusted itself before I could even think about speaking, and given Ender’s blatant stare and hanging jaw, he too was in shock.
“I didn't hear my phone earlier,” I whispered, not wanting to disturb what appeared to be a now sleeping dragon, his body now wrapped around my neck from shoulder to shoulder and his tail dangling to my feet. My shoulders throbbed, but I didn’t dare wake him.
“I figured as much.” Ender looked around, finally taking his eyes off my new dragon scarf. “It is utter chaos in here.”
“Chaos.” I grinned and stroked the dragon’s chin, its body warming as it snuggled closer. “It suits you.”