Chapter 1 #2
That was a good point. After all, students had been discovering off-limits tunnels and passages pretty much the entire life of the Academy. “Well, where else would they have a wine cellar?”
“Maybe somewhere students wouldn’t go?” Mikaela suggested.
“It’s an Academy,” I exclaimed. “Where aren’t there students?”
“The professors’ wings,” Kasi said.
“Oh, hell, no,” Jahrdran said.
“The professors’ wings are all upstairs on the residential floors,” I said impatiently, “and Headmistress Blackthorn was very clear when she called it a cellar.”
“Maybe it’s under the moat?” Elliot suggested. “Or in the forest.”
“That seems awfully dangerous,” Mikaela said doubtfully.
“Then you really won’t like my next suggestion.”
“Which is?” I asked.
“Beneath the stables.”
“Where the dragons are?” I demanded.
“Well, can you think of a better security system than fire-breathing dragons?” Elliot asked.
I really couldn’t. “Good point.”
“You’re right,” Mikaela said. “I don’t like that suggestion.”
“I still think the professors’ wings makes the most sense,” Kasi insisted. “Who wants to walk all the way outside to the forest or the stables or wherever to get a bottle of wine for dinner?”
“But their wings aren’t in a cellar,” I said.
“Maybe there’s a secret passageway between the two,” Mikaela suggested.
“Well, that would suck,” I said, “because we can’t go sneaking around in the faculty wings searching for a secret entrance. That’s a sure way to get expelled.”
“I vote we search the stables,” Elliot said. “If there’s an access point that’s not in the faculty wings, it’ll probably be there.”
I sighed. “Dangit. That would be a good spot.”
“Sweet,” Kasi said. “I’ve been wanting to see where the dragons sleep.”
“I’m out,” Mikaela said. “No way am I going into those stables, not for all the wine in the world.”
“Oh, come on, Mikaela,” I said. “It’ll be fun. An adventure!”
“You’re insane.”
A few moments later, with Mikaela protesting the entire way, we entered one of the secret tunnels Elliot had found his first year at the Academy.
We were out of breath by the time we reached the end of the tunnel, having been walking at a steady incline for a solid five minutes at that point.
The tunnel seemed to dead end, but then Elliot pressed something on the wall in front of us and a part of it just sprang open.
We stepped out of the tunnel and my mouth dropped open when I saw that we’d just exited from inside the trunk of a huge tree.
“How is that even possible?” Mikaela exclaimed, clearly thinking the same thing I was, that the incline we’d walked hadn’t been steep enough for us to walk out of a tree trunk. “We should have at least had to climb a couple steps to get above ground.”
“Better not think about it too much,” Elliot said. “It’ll just make you crazy. Come on. We’re not that far from the stables.”
Shadow, who’d gotten bored with our search and had wrapped herself around Kasi’s arm, settling onto her skin as an adorable tattoo, lifted her head and glanced around.
As we walked around a couple more trees, she detached herself from Kasi’s arm and leapt down to stalk at her side.
When we reached the stable, she stretched out into a long, cat-shaped shadow and streamed beneath the stable doors.
“Shadow!” Kasi hissed, but she was already gone. “Damnit. I guess Shadow and I will scope the place out. Wait here.”
I scowled. “Fine, but if you find the entrance to the wine cellar, I expect you to come back for us.”
“You’re not going without me,” Jahrdran said sternly.
Kasi grinned. “Well, then, let’s go.” She burst into shadows and streamed beneath the stable door, following Shadow’s path.
Jahrdran let out a rumbling grunt, burst into his own shadow-form, one he’d gained when he’d mated Kasi, then followed.
“I don’t like this,” Mikaela said.
“Ah, don’t worry, love. I’ll protect you from the big, bad dragons,” Elliot said, slinging an arm around her shoulders.
“I don’t like it either,” I said. “They’re having all the fun without us.”
“I worry about you sometimes, Jasmine,” Mikaela said.
“I don’t know why.”
“Skulking around a stable filled with fire-breathing dragons is not my idea of fun.”
A dragon roared and Mikaela and I both jumped back from the door.
Elliot lifted a hand to his mouth, no doubt trying to hide his amusement as shadows came streaming back out, coalescing into Kasi, Jahrdran and Shadow.
Another roar rang out and something that sounded like thunder made the walls of the stable shake.
“Well, there aren’t any professors inside, but there are a bunch of very cranky dragons,” Kasi announced.
“They saw your shadows?” I asked, raising my voice to be heard over the roaring.
“Nope,” Jahrdran said. “They were too busy arguing with the gorgon, well, his snakes really.”
“Wait. Vorzak’s inside with the dragons?” I demanded.
“Yep,” Kasi said.
“And you just left him in there?”
She shrugged. “He didn’t seem too concerned.”
“Well, the dragons clearly are!” I exclaimed.
“Eh, can’t really blame them for that,” Jahrdran said. “Vorzak’s serpents were definitely taunting them.”
“What? There’s no way. They’re the sweetest snakes ever. They were probably just trying to play with the dragons.”
“Delusional,” Mikaela said.
“I’m not delusional!” I glared at her.
“I thought you were over Vorzak. Remember?”
“I can be over the gorgon and still recognize that his snakes are adorable. I can also be over him and still be concerned that he’s about to be ripped apart by dragons!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” Elliot said. “The dragons are actually enjoying themselves right now.”
“How can you tell?” I exclaimed.
He shrugged. “It’s the tone of the roars. They’re just posturing.”
At that moment, the stable doors slammed open and Vorzak stormed out. He froze when he saw us standing there.
His serpents, however, immediately began to dance and wave.
They were so excited to see me, they moved right in front of Vorzak’s face, blocking his view of us as they danced and waved and beckoned me to come closer.
This was as close as we’d ever been to each other. In the past, they were always waving and dancing at me from across the cafeteria, or down the hall or even from an entirely different floor.
Now, with only ten feet between us, the temptation to approach and pet those snakes was so great, I couldn’t do anything but turn and walk away.
I’d finally gotten my head on straight and now this!
I broke into a run and darted into the trees.
I heard Vorzak exclaim, “Where’d she go?” but by then, I’d reached the tree entrance and was racing down the ramp, deeper into the tunnel, hurtling down its dark passageways. A few moments later, I was racing through the Academy basement, then up the stairs, around and around to the fourth floor.
I burst into the room I shared with Kasi and collapsed on my bed, gasping for breath.
I was congratulating myself on not giving in to temptation, and instead, walking (okay, running) away from the man I’d once called my destiny, when I realized I’d also walked away from my quest to find the professors’ hidden wine cellar.
Damnit!