I didn’t think telling Entho good-bye would bother me so much. We have both woken before dawn, and he carries my bags downstairs, sets them by the door without fanfare. He hands me some money, which I place in one of the bags. Then he hugs me, holds me tightly to him. I wrap my arms around him, wondering when I will see him again. He pulls away, kisses my cheek.
“I have to get to the clinic…you know…”
“I know.”
“I love you, Teak.” His eyes are serious. Deep and dark.
I nod my head.
“And Teak,”
“Yes?”
“Stay away from purple dragons.”
“Okay…” I gaze at him, puzzled, but he doesn’t explain. I seriously doubt that I will see any purple dragons at Harcourt…those are only for Siv Gareth’s elite army…his soldiers and Destroyers.
Entho kisses my forehead, turns around and leaves, his body diminishing as he scurries down the huge corridor that leads to the clinic. My throat tightens and my chest pulls into a tight ball of emotion. Why didn’t I tell him I loved him? A yearning runs deeply through my body… “Entho,” I yell. “Entho!”
He turns around, far away down the corridor and waves at me. “I…I…” Words trap in my throat as he pivots around, bustling away back to the clinic. Without me.
I plop down on the floor, landing with a thump. I can’t stop thinking of Entho, and as memories of his brown eyes, his long fingers, his healer’s knot swim in my head, tears begin to trickle out of my eyes. I blink, trying to hold them back, but they leak down my cheeks silently and drip down onto the stone floor like baby raindrops. I don’t bother to wipe them away. I sniff time and again as a small puddle forms. A miniature lake of regret that seems to be talking to me – telling me that nothing will ever be the same again.
After a while my entire body feels dehydrated, and the tears stop all at once, as if ordered to do so. I wipe my eyes on the sleeve of my red cloak, settling in to wait for the driver. I sniff loudly and wonder how long the ride to Harcourt will be. I glance at my watch every now and then.
This continues for quite some time. I double check the invitation. Sure enough – it says 9:00 a.m. By now the driver is more than two hours late, and irritation creeps through me like a spreading disease.
I lay on my back by the front door, tapping my foot impatiently against the thick, carved wood, leaning against my packed bags. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Rap. Rap.
I continue tapping, impatient and frustrated – angry and edgy.
Rap. Rap.
I hear it now. It is not my foot but a knock on the door. I bolt upright and swing the door open wide, ready to get going. My jaw drops in surprise.
It is a boy, a tall, broad-chested boy standing in the doorway – a Light Skinned boy who I never thought I would see again.
“Hello, I’m Tha…,” he starts. Then, “It’s you. From the clinic.” He grins widely. “Sorry about being late.”
The words muffle in my ears as I stare at him. “Um, it is okay.” A few minutes ago all I could think of was the multitude of saucy remarks I would be giving the driver for being so late and now I am staring once again at this boy who has invaded my thoughts more than I ever thought possible. I study him, moving my eyes across his tall body. This boy…he is perfect. Angelic. Golden. I am in a trance.
I shake off my thoughts, reaching for my bags. I have been packed for days, and at this point I am not sure if I should have included my bow and arrows, but they have been such a part of my life I can’t leave them at home. Thann grabs the bags out of my hands.
“Allow me,” he smiles, hefting the bags over his shoulder. The muscles in his back flex as he picks them up. I try not to gawk at them as I follow him.
I step outside, shock crashing through me at the sight of seven dragons waiting perfectly still – like statues in a garden park. Three are giant Crimsons, two are smaller black Ebonies, and the other two are glistening Metallics, shining brightly in the specks of sunlight that peak through the gloomy sky. I was expecting a driver and cart and I am instantly confused. Are we riding dragons to Harcourt?
Then I notice three boys and two girls perched on the dragons, their eyes focused on me. I instantly recognize two of the boys and stop dead in my tracks, slamming the door behind me with a heavy bang.
The first boy is Koree, perched nonchalantly on one of the Metallics, as if he were an extension of the giant beast. But it isn’t Koree who disturbs me.
It is the second boy… Reese, and he is sitting on one of the Crimsons, leaning slightly forward with the reins clutched in his hands as if he were the leader of an army. A sick, sinking feeling settles in my stomach. I thought my days with Reese were over. As my eyes travel over his red cloak, his dark face and glaring expression, I realize he must be going to Dragon Academy. With me.
Thann hoists my bags on the back of one of the Crimsons behind a well worn leather saddle. He groans, smiling. “How many pairs of shoes did you pack?” I am speechless, not sure what to say. I have only packed one pair of boots.
He waits a few minutes for a response. When he doesn’t get one, he grins at me. “Well, mount your dragon, and let’s go.” He strides over to his dragon and lithely puts his leg in a stirrup and throws his other leg over, settling on the Ebony with ease. The others watch, waiting in complete silence.
That is when it occurs to me. I have never ridden a dragon by myself, and I have no idea how to actually mount one. Being tossed onto a dragon as a kid and taking a test and reading about it is one thing but this… I tap my fingers on my leg, thinking of what to do next. I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to form a plan.
Thann waits, perched on the Ebony. “Don’t tell me….”
I interrupt. “You got it – I have never ridden a dragon before.”
Thann throws back his head and laughs. The others watch silently, except I hear a loud snort, and I am sure it belongs to Reese. It is enough to propel me into action. I storm over to the bright red dragon, put my foot in the stirrup, and throw my leg over the saddle.
I promptly go sailing into the air and land on the ground with a hard thump. The wind is knocked out of me as I lay flat on my back, struggling to cast air into my burning lungs. It feels like a thousand pound weight is pressing down on my chest, and to top it off, I think I twisted my knee. It is throbbing violently, and as I lay there immobilized, warbled sounds in the background muffle in my ears. It feels like I am wading through water in my mind.
“Stupid Ghost, can’t even stay on a dragon.” I instantly recognize the voice. It belongs to Reese, and I want to get up and knock him off his dragon, jump on top of him and pummel him. But, as usual, I ignore him as I tentatively force myself to sit up, rubbing my knee.
Still gasping for breath, I attempt to stand up, but before I can, Reese is knocked off of his dragon, flies through the air like a bird, and is slammed onto the ground beside me. It is as if an invisible force took hold of him, lifted him from the dragon, and hammered him into the bare earth. I look around, confused. Everyone is sitting on their dragons. Who could have slammed him to the ground like that?
The other boy who came to the clinic, Koree, jumps down off of his dragon and ambles over to Reese. He holds his hand over Reese’s still body on the ground, his fingers spread wide. For the first time in years, I see fear in Reese’s cold dark eyes. Reese is pinned to the ground, paralyzed by a strong Power, and it must be coming from Koree. I stifle a giggle.
“Let me up, you baggers…I will get you for this,” Reese threatens, sweat pouring off his forehead as he struggles against the Power holding him down. His eyes shoot off flames of anger, and I cringe, worrying what he will do to Koree.
“Don’t ever say that word again…Reese.” Koree seethes, accenting Reese’s name as if it were an infectious disease. “There are no “Ghosts” at Harcourt…we’re all equal.”
Koree stares with ambivalence at Reese… as if he were a bug he wants to squash. “You have just earned twenty demerits. I
know we haven’t explained anything to you yet,” he mildly intones, as if he were talking to a lesser being, “But Thann and I are your squad leaders, Rookie, and from this moment on your placing at Dragons will depend on a lot of things, but it’s mostly merit based.” He pauses for a few minutes, his eyes flashing green daggers at Reese. “And so far, Rookie, you aren’t doing so well.”
He continues to stand over Reese, their eyes locked in a battle I hope that Koree can win. I have been on the hurting side of Reese’s fury and hate too many times. After a while Koree pulls his hand away from Reese’s prone body. I watch in awe as Reese’s body relaxes, and he hesitantly stands up. Watching from the ground, I pick up on the death glare he rivets back to Koree, which Koree seemingly ignores.
Then Koree turns to me, his green eyes glistening. “What’s your name?” I feel foolish as I stand up and brush the dirt off of my red cloak. Then a wave of anger drives through my body. He wants to know my name? As if he is too important to remember it from the night he and Thann came to the clinic.
“Teak…Teak Frain,” I sputter, biting down on my jaw with annoyance.
His emerald eyes match mine. “Teak…right.” He seems to be thinking for a second and then speaks. “I remember now. The girl from the clinic. You looked different then.”
“I was covered in blood.”
“Maybe that was it,” he says nonchalantly, but his eyes turn dark, and for the briefest moment he furrows his brow. “Are you okay?” he asks me.
I hesitate for a moment. “Yes, I am fine.”
“Good.” He visibly sighs and his lips curl up. “Well, Teak, you’ve just earned ten merits for not responding to antagonism and for trying something new.”
“Um, thanks,” I murmur, lifting my eyes up to meet his.
He continues. “Lesson one – you mount a dragon on the left side – the dragon’s left – or you might get thrown off.” He is grinning now, a dimple forming on the right side of his cheek. For a moment all I can do is stare mutely at it…at him.
I knew to mount a dragon on its left side. I just got so carried away with Reese’s taunting that I forgot to think.
“Okay,” I murmur, feeling foolish.
“And lesson two,” he continues, “When you are on or near a dragon, you must always be thinking – not reacting.” Was this guy reading my mind, or what?
“After all, they are animals. And large animals at that.” I can tell he knows a lot about dragons and I am suddenly embarrassed – the only information I have learned is from books.
I simply nod my head.
“It’s okay,” he tells me. “We all have to learn. I’ve been thrown off of a lot of dragons.” His lips curve up, ever so slightly. I wait for the dimple to form, but it remains hidden, as if he is selfishly keeping it for himself.
Koree helps me mount the dragon – the proper way this time. I watch intently as he demonstrates how to hold the reins and steer the dragon. I pull back on the right rein to make her go right and pull back on the left rein to make her go left. Easy enough. Or so I think.
I give it a try. The huge scarlet dragon walks in a complete circle, and all I can hear are the muffled sounds of Thann and the others laughing in the background. My face is hot now, and I am sure it must be turning all different shades of red.
“Pull back on the reins and she’ll stop,” I hear Thann call out. I pull back hard on the reins and the Crimson digs her hind end into the ground and stops so quickly I almost go sailing over her head. By now there is a small crowd of people watching us, and I want to crawl away and hide.
Koree gets off his dragon – yet again – and walks over to me. He patiently takes the reins and evens them out, stuffing them in my hands.
“Just keep them like this. And don’t hold on so tight.”
Koree hops on his dragon with ease and turns in the opposite direction. The others follow him. Somehow I manage to turn the dragon in the proper direction, and we slowly plod out of my neighborhood, Bay City, and the only life I have ever known.
Chapter 17