The Dragon’s Treasure (Hillslane Academy #1)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Today was the day. On this exact date every two years, the most powerful shifters were chosen to attend Hillslane Academy.

It was my greatest wish to attend, mostly because I longed to truly find myself.

I was in a good place with my dragon form, not that I believed attending the school would’ve fixed it even if I wasn't, but I’d heard so many different things about the school.

Most information was secretive and I often wondered if I could trust everything I’d heard.

But what I knew for certain, was that it was a school for shifters only and that I would be forced to stay there for two years.

No outside contact. No escape. It should’ve frightened me, but it did the opposite.

I was the son of King Luka of Dule. A prince.

And the firstborn too. My whole life I’d been seen as a prince.

The academy could grant me an escape from my title, perhaps even present me with friends who chose me because of who I was and not purely out of selfishness to get closer to the royal family.

My four fathers stood around me with my siblings as the magical summoning slowly took over, transporting me to my new school and home for the next two years.

Taking in my new surroundings, I blinked away the fog of the summoning.

I was in what appeared to be a castle courtyard, the area big enough to house all of us students at once.

The school was massive and old looking, the stone walls a brown color and I could spot numerous towers from my spot in the middle.

Hillslane Academy.

I’d done it! I’d been chosen. For the next two years I would be a student at the best school for shifters.

I blinked again as I watched the other students around me, all of us had been transported at the same time, the others just as amazed and curious as I was, some were even looking scared and worried.

I knew that it wasn’t exactly common knowledge that they could potentially get chosen on this particular day and summoned without their consent.

“Welcome!” A booming voice called out from an unknown location, making us jump in surprise.

Everyone turned their heads around in search of the voice, myself included, but I couldn’t see the person who’d spoken, not even as the tallest person in the crowd.

A man appeared on a balcony that overlooked the courtyard.

He was wearing a black shirt with fitted black trousers and an emerald green robe.

His hair was white and his eyes seemed to glow from where I stood.

If I wasn’t a dragon shifter, I likely wouldn’t have been able to see his eyes, but I could, they were a glowing lilac color, the mere sight of this man oozed power and confidence.

“I am headmaster Wren, and you are all here because The Magic has deemed your soul and powers worthy. Welcome to Hillslane Academy!”

Some people cheered, others looked confused and out of place. I found myself staring in awe at the headmaster, his powers so immense it was like his aura was visible. The color turquoise was almost there, just out of reach for me to fully see, but I knew it was there.

“Some of you may have heard of the school, others not. But fear not, this is where you belong!” Wren’s voice was still loud and booming, demanding.

“If you have heard of us, erase everything you’ve ever heard from your mind and listen to the truth of what we do here.

Firstly, every shifter is born with their shifted animal, and you truly can’t see who’s powerful based on what their shifted form is.

Shifters get a random form when they’re born, we all know that, but!

Here you’ll learn to master your shifted form.

You’ll learn how to do other things as well, things that you can never tell others outside the school about.

That is our one purpose here, training you to be strong and powerful, because darkness exists and because of that we need to do our best to conquer it.

You are our soldiers, our hope for a brighter future.

Now, we aren’t at war with any worlds at the moment, but wars have happened in the past and they will again. ”

Silence descended, all of us staring in horror at the headmaster’s words.

“You will live here for two years. You’ll train.

You’ll learn. And once the two years are up, you will have found your fated mate as well.

For here everyone meets their fated, no matter what.

With your fated, you’ll be granted your second form and I’m not talking about the form of your fated, that’s a given. No, I’m talking about your soul form.”

With those mind-altering words, Wren stepped away from the railing, leaving us gaping in his absence.

Confusion and awe were the two emotions I could pinpoint as I watched the now deserted balcony.

A soul form? Soldiers? War? It made sense that I hadn’t heard about the rest if it was a secret, but still.

War could happen? Shouldn’t I have been aware of that fact, being royalty and all?

Besides, my fathers and uncles all defeated the evil queen before I was even born.

Where had Wren and his “soldiers” been back then?

Was the queen who’d captured The Magic not a big enough threat for them to step in and help?

And if so, just how many dangers could we face?

I’d been too excited to just be chosen that I hadn’t even considered why this school existed in the first place. Of course, a school wouldn’t just summon shifters for the fun of it, but wars with other worlds wouldn’t even have been something I would’ve guessed at.

“Follow me!” a man ordered from the far-left side. I could see him from where I was placed in the middle, only because of my height. I turned in his direction, hoping I would soon be shown to my room. A break from all these people and my whirling mind was needed.

“Nym!” Jamie called from somewhere behind me, and soon my brother stood next to me, beaming with pride. “I was chosen, too!”

I laughed before hugging him to my side. “Like I would leave you behind with the triplets.”

He rolled his eyes at me but was still smiling wide as we followed the other students inside.

I already felt a pang of longing for my youngest siblings.

The triplets were often my responsibility and even though they could rain terror down on any location or person, I loved and missed them.

Sadness rushed through me as realization hit.

I wouldn’t be there for two whole years. They would be five when I returned.

I’d been too busy worrying about the summoning to truly think about what would happen once I was chosen. When The Magic had gathered around me, I hadn’t even focused on Jamie at all, knowing with full confidence that he would be chosen too.

Jamie was a racoon shifter and even though we were brothers, we looked nothing alike.

I had red hair after our father, Luka, and he had brown.

I inherited my green eyes from father Ray, where Jamie got his hazel eyes from father Luka.

And the biggest difference was my height.

I was bigger than the average dragon shifter, not that that said much considering dragon shifters were still known to be rare.

“Do you think Nazuss, Myve, and Ryn are here too?” Jamie asked, looking around at the passing students.

“Definitely.”

Our cousins were hiding somewhere in the crowd of people, but I knew they were here.

Every powerful shifter between eighteen to nineteen would be chosen today.

Then two years from now, a new gathering of students would be chosen, also between eighteen and nineteen.

Because as we’d been taught, the school ran for two years with the same students.

“I like that we have some family around for the next two years,” he admitted, holding on to my arm as I guided us forward.

We were soon out of the courtyard and my dragon needed space; I was basically itching for it. “I am too,” I replied, my gaze locked on the man who ushered students inside. Once we were through the big double doors, a huge staircase stood before us, leading in two directions.

“Welcome.” A woman stood before the staircase with a serene smile on her face. “I’m Annabelle, the Seer.”

I’d never met a seer before, but she seemed kind and welcoming so I had no trouble if she saw my future or not.

“Hi,” I said, noticing two other women stood further away, guiding students in the correct direction to go. Maybe they were seers, too.

“Give me your hands,” she guided, her own hand ready to grasp mine.

Following her order, I gave her my hand while Jamie watched beside me. A green light emitted from her hand as soon as she touched me, a small smile formed on her lips before her eyes shut. Was she having a vision? The smile had to mean I wasn’t about to die anytime soon. I hoped.

“Your room is in the green wing,” she announced, her eyes now open and bright, her smile welcoming. “Take the stairs to the right and follow the green light, it’ll guide you.”

It seemed words failed me after that, so I just bowed my head and began walking up the steps, hoping Jamie would be in the same wing as me.

Other students walked around me, all of them likely being guided by a light that only they could see.

The green light that guided me kept going and going and I followed, eager to soon have some privacy.

I had no idea how students that weren’t prepared were faring, at least I’d known today would come.

I’d even worn my favorite pair of brown leather pants and black shirt, the one that sat tight to my skin, showing off my build.

I might’ve been a tad eager to find my mate, the one thing I knew would likely happen here. I loved my family, but it was hard seeing my fathers together and happy now that I longed for my own mate.