Chapter 2 #2
I huff out a breath, ignoring her, the insult sliding off me like water off scales.
She’s not worth the time it would take to reply to her, though my wings twitch with the urge to show her exactly what this “freak” can do.
Daddy Ziggy gives her a glare that could melt stone, but I slowly shake my head at him and arch a brow.
He knows I can handle myself, and starting a fight on my first day would not be the statement I want to make.
“If you’ll follow me this way,” Ziggy says, turning and walking, his voice carrying the authority of someone used to commanding respect.
Lily tells us about the buildings as we walk, pointing out various structures and their purposes.
The ones who were talking shit are quiet now, their whispers dying away under the weight of Ziggy’s disapproval.
“Guard drakes,” Lily whispers to me, her voice barely audible above the sound of our footsteps on stone.
Hmm, so that’s what’s tormenting me—the prickling sensation along my scales that speaks of hostile attention.
I wonder what color scales it has so I know what its immunities are, filing the information away for future reference.
As we approach the dragon dorms, I see Abraxis and Corvis up on the stone balcony above the entrance to the dorm, their silhouettes dark against the mountain sky. I watch them for several minutes, noting the way Corvis’s gaze seems to find me in the crowd, before following the others into the dorm.
The inside is dark, kind of like the lower levels of our home, with the stone walls absorbing sound and light in equal measure.
My eyes roam everywhere and nowhere all at once, automatically cataloging details.
I map every single exit and entrance, where the doors are and hallways lead, the layout burning itself into my memory.
It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially in unfamiliar territory.
The guard drakes are left on the first floor, close to the entrance, their presence like a weight in the air that makes my scales itch with wariness.
We head up the spiraling stone stairs, and I count them as we ascend to the second floor, my footsteps silent on the worn stone.
Half of our group is left on the second floor, their voices fading as we continue upward.
At the end of that hallway is the next set of stairs leading to the third floor.
Midway through the hallway, we lose the rest of the dragons, and it leaves just us—my sisters and me, alone in this tower of stone and secrets.
“Where’s Allister?” I look at Ziggy and tilt my head, watching him with curiosity and a hint of concern for our absent brother.
“Being the prince, he won’t be staying on campus. However, your sisters and you have a suite up here,” Ziggy says as he throws open a heavy wooden door, the hinges creaking softly in protest. “This is the room your mom and Aunt Cora shared their first year.”
I step into the room, and there’s a box on the far bed, dark wood polished to a high shine that catches the light from the tall windows.
My curiosity has gotten the better of me, and I move closer, my boots silent on the cold stone floor.
Reaching out, I lift the lid, and inside is a set of matched knives, the blades black as my scales and gleaming with deadly promise.
I take one out and balance it on the edge of my finger, feeling the perfect weight distribution.
“Perfectly balanced,” I say more to myself than anyone else, admiration coloring my voice despite my confusion.
Carefully, I spin the blade in my hand. The metal is cool against my palm, and it feels like it was made for me, as if the weapon recognizes something in my touch. The craftsmanship is exquisite, each detail speaking of hours of careful work and considerable expense.
“Is that what I think it is?” Lily walks over and stares at the box, her eyes widening with recognition. She squeals and looks at Ziggy with excitement that makes her practically bounce. “Raven has a mating present!”
“A what?” I stare at the box and the knives within it, my mind struggling to process the implications of what she’s saying.
“Mating present. Drakes leave them for their intended mate,” Ziggy says with a squeal that matches Lily’s excitement, and now Thorne joins in.
The three of them are bouncing around the interior of the suite like excited children.
I’m standing here staring at half a dozen perfectly balanced blades, feeling like the world has suddenly shifted beneath my feet.
“A mating present?” I parrot, staring at them, the words tasting strange on my tongue. It’s not something I would have picked for myself, beautiful though they are.
“You don’t like it?” Ziggy asks as he moves to look into the box, concern replacing his earlier excitement.
“I appreciate it. But it’s not something I would have picked for myself,” I say honestly, looking up at Ziggy with a mixture of gratitude and confusion.
“What would you have picked for yourself?” Ziggy sits on the bed, looking up at me with genuine curiosity, his expression gentle and understanding.
“Sea glass, beautiful shells, my favorite chocolates, a new book—those are the things I like most in the world.” My fingers trace the metal of the blades up to the bone hilt, feeling the smooth surface and intricate carving.
These are a gift and a trophy, a display of sorts, speaking more to the giver’s understanding of what I am rather than who I am.
“Tell him thank you for me. If I make it to Shadowcarve, I will use them in the gauntlet.”
I look up and lean over to kiss Ziggy on the cheek, tasting the salt of his skin and breathing in his familiar scent.
He leaves without a word, understanding my need to process this revelation alone.
For once in twenty years, my sisters don’t start their usual teasing, sensing the gravity of the moment.
Testing starts tomorrow, and I wonder where I’ll end up, but right now, all I can think about is the fact that somewhere out there, someone has already decided I’m theirs.