MY EYES WERE closed and I could hear a deep, raspy breathing filling the silence around me.
My body ached and the intensity of the sounds assaulting my sensitive ears told me that I was still in my dragon form.
What the hell had happened and where I was, I didn’t know.
My memory was all a blur after Amy pushed me against the wall and I began speaking to her in that horrible voice, releasing that first bolt of purple lightning. I tried to recollect my thoughts and it slowly came back to me in flashes: I’d changed.
The picture that formed inside my mind wasn’t the Thunderlight that had been reflected back to me from the glass that lay on the floor; it was the face of another dragon, dark and dangerous.
I turned to see the colored scales on my paw and found a deep purple-red reflecting back. The Rubicon.
No, this can’t be. I tried to move but was trapped. I couldn’t turn or break free from whatever held me to the ground and that stirred more panic within me.
I froze as I heard a voice. The beast inside of me wanted to take over again, and whatever it wanted to do, it wasn’t good. I’d known that from the beginning and nobody had wanted to believe me.
I could hear three hearts beating, and even more voices spoke softly to one another.
“What the fuck?”
“Watch your language, Blake,” a man said sternly.
“Just be careful. Sir Edward says that she is a Rubicon,” a woman said, frantically.
“Oh, come on. Only one Rubicon can live at a time, Constance.”
“I’m just repeating what Sir Edward said.”
I growled as they came nearer.
“She’s here,” the one who’d sworn yelled close to my side and I growled all the more.
“Is she okay?” the woman asked. I knew I shouldn’t be afraid of them, but I was. It was such a strange feeling. This happened every time I became her. I wouldn’t remember anything and I didn’t know if they were friends or enemies. I knew that in another five minutes, give or take, everything would come back. But I didn’t have five minutes, they were here now.
My heart was pounding a thousand beats a minute and I couldn’t calm it down. My belly warmed up and I could feel the lightning burning inside my throat once again. I tried my best to contain it as my dragon eyes took in the tall trees surrounding me.
One blast of lightning would set this entire forest aflame and I would surely die, choking in the suffocating smoke of my own rage and fear.
“She’s still in her dragon form.” The voice was right behind me again. “Elena.” He spoke gently.
I couldn’t turn around. My body was in a lot of pain and the lightning coiled inside my stomach like a viper begging for a reason to strike.
Stop this, I yelled inside my mind but it just kept boiling.
Trying to control it made it worse and the pain was so intense that it felt as if I was going to explode.
The guy laughed near me but it wasn’t him anymore, it was Paul. For some reason I always remembered Paul. He came into sight. “Look at you, a dragon, and not just any dragon, another Rubicon. Goran is going to be pleased, Elena.”
Another Rubicon? How can this be?
The heat in my body rose a couple of degrees and I released my purple lightning. The only problem was, it wasn’t purple, it was a vibrant pink fire.
Paul blocked it with an invisible force and the flames backfired onto my scales. It felt warm, familiar. He came closer and grabbed me by the whiskers that had suddenly sprung out of my chin.
Whiskers I’d never had. Then he laughed again. I released another breath but he froze my fire. The features on his face slowly began to morph into the face I had seen before it had turned into Paul.
Blake? Everything came back in a split-second wave crashing down over me.
“I’m sorry,” I yelled and the green of the trees became brighter. I could feel my skin soaking up an invisible cloak.
“Are you calm?” Blake yelled.
I nodded my ugly head, but the whiskers he had a firm grip on hurt my chin. “I’m scared,” my deep voice whispered back.
Constance and Master Longwei came into view, and my fear evaporated as I recognized them.
“Why can’t I control her?” Oh no. I dug my head into my paws as Sammy’s figure jumped into my mind. I’d blown fire at her when she’d tried to follow me. I’d almost killed my best friend.
A whimpering sound left my body, reminding me of the calls made between whales; a sound that always brought me to tears.
“Are you sure you are calm?” Blake asked again.
“She’s calm, Blake. We need to get her out of this,” Constance said, and for the next couple of minutes they spoke all sorts of incantations and I began to feel the grip the roots and vines had on me starting to weaken.
When I was finally free, Blake’s spoke again. “Can you move?”
I didn’t answer. They should just leave me here. I couldn’t face Sammy or what I’d done to the cafeteria.
“Look at me,” he demanded.
I didn’t do what he asked.
“Elena, look at me,” he yelled this time.
“No!”
I could hear his steps coming closer.
He grabbed my whiskers again, and turned my head by force to look at him. It didn’t even hurt this time. He stared at me for a short while. Then something I’d never seen in his eyes before emerged. It was as if he’d finally found the answers to all his problems.
His mouth curved slightly upwards. He really was so beautiful. The slight curve of his lips transformed into his million-dollar smile. One I’d only seen that first day my eyes had fallen on him, the same one that resembled my father’s and the one that would make every girl turn to goop on the spot.
Blake helped me like the last time I’d had to transform back into my human form. It still wasn’t easy as the shift was just as painful as the changing into a dragon part. It became a bit easier, though, to clear my mind when he was near.
Constance covered my naked body with a robe the minute my human figure re-surfaced and all the scales and talons were gone. When I lifted my head slowly, I found Blake still sitting on his haunches in front of me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled and clutched the robe tighter around my body.
“You’re welcome,” he chuckled again, ending it with a huff. He looked down at the floor for a short second and the expression of what I’d seen earlier in his eyes became evident on his face. He stood up and walked toward Master Longwei.
Constance helped me up and the woods that had looked so small before gave me the opposite impression now. Most of the trees around us lay flat, bent at their trunks in sort of a sad bow. We had to climb over them to get out of the woods and I closed my eyes to the destruction around me. This could never happen again.
Constance stayed close to me and carried most of my weight as we walked. I felt drained and tired, as if I could sleep for a whole month. My eyes found hers and she gave me a soft smile and a squeeze. How had everything gotten so messed up?
I wasn’t just a dragon, I was a Rubicon. Nothing made sense. How can there be one special dragon for the light that can turn into a dragon meant for the dark?
“I thought only one Rubicon lived at a time?” I whispered to Constance.
“That’s true, but ever since you came to Paegeia Elena, plenty of things have happened that we just don’t have answers for,” Constance said quietly.
“Yay me,” I sulked.
She giggled softly. “See, you’re almost back to normal.”
It was silent for a while as we tried to find a way out of the woods. “It’s not so bad. You’ll get used to her,” Constance tried to reassure me.
“I don’t think it’s the “getting used to her” part I should be worrying about.” I sighed and found Constance’s worried gaze on me again. “It’s hard to explain. Um, when I’m her…” I sighed again. “When she takes over, I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Constance smiled. “Ever heard the term Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?”
I nodded. “It’s exactly like that.”
“It’s normal, Elena. You’ll remember more every time you turn and the procedure will come faster too. The rest, well there is only one dragon that can really help you with that,” she said and nodded toward Blake who walked right next to Master Longwei, speaking in Latin. He despised every hair on my body. Yet today he’d showed me some kindness, some sympathy.
“Will I become evil too?”
Constance’s eyes glistened but she looked away. “I don’t know, Elena. Only time will tell.”
I bit the inside of my lip and nodded again.
We finally reached the edge of the forest and I had to admit, my dragon form was really fierce and had taken a third of the forest down with her.
Blake took his robe off and I looked away. The change came so naturally to him, and when I heard the tear and pop sound, I knew he’d transformed into a dragon.
Constance looked at me.
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
“Okay.” She smiled, took off her robe and walked away from me to transform. She was such a beautiful dragon. Her silver scales shimmered in the last ray of sunlight, almost blinding me as they reflected at just the right angle. Her long neck made her look majestic and she had a small white beard right below her chin. Her Swallow wings were my favorite feature. She held out her paw and I grabbed it, using her talons to stand. She lifted off and as soon as the ground was a couple of paces below me I closed my eyes. My heart beat like crazy as she pulled me closer to her body.
Her leathery torso felt warm, soft and she smelled clean, like the forest.
I tried to listen for her heartbeat but could barely hear it. Funny how everything about them was so different from us. I took a deep breath.
You are a dragon, Elena.
We landed back on Dragonia Academy turf half an hour later. I gave Constance a hug after she’d shifted back into her human form, and thanked Blake awkwardly as he stood butt naked with his robes hanging over his arm, still speaking to Master Longwei.
He had absolutely no shame when it came to his naked body, none of them did, and I doubted that it was going to be that easy for me.
When I entered the room, Sammy grabbed me around my neck.
My arms started to shake and I didn’t know if it was the reality of me almost killing her that had finally kicked in. “I’m so sorry.”
“Shhhh, I’m perfectly fine, not even a hair was harmed.”
“I could’ve killed you, Sammy.”
“Hey, my brother is a Rubicon, he taught me well.” She had a huge grin on her face but for some reason I didn’t see the humor in it.
“So, you’re a Rubicon?” Becky said right behind me. I turned around.
“I didn’t try by any chance to zap your ass too, right?”
She shook her head and laughed. “George and I are way too fast.”
“Be careful, this room might be too small for that head of yours,” Sammy said.
“Whatever,” Becky sang. The vibe that had emerged from their constant fighting ever since I’d turned into a dragon grew thicker with each silent second. It felt as if it was going to drown me.
I shook my head slightly. “Can you guys just please stop?” I begged. “This has been going on for far too long. I’ll try to embrace this, if you guys just go back to normal, okay?” I looked at both of them.
Ever since I’d become a dragon I’d struggled with accepting it. Sammy had given me space but Becky, well, she was being Becky.
We fought a lot and she would tell me that I was a coward for not accepting it. To her, being a dragon was hot, and she would have given anything to be one.
Sammy didn’t like Becky’s way of helping me to deal with this, and where she was usually soft and laid back, she’d changed and become a cat whenever Becky didn’t back off. It led to a lot of fighting and a lot of awkward moments.
“Sorry,” Sammy said and gave Becky a hug, who in return grabbed me, pulling me into their embrace too.
“I’m sorry too. I know I’m a hard ass, but I hate seeing you guys like this.”
“It’s just difficult,” I said. “Sammy you know exactly who you are, I just found out. I don’t know how to be a dragon. I meant it when I said that I didn’t like the way she makes me feel…. how on earth did I became a Rubicon?”
They both started to laugh.
Becky let go of Sammy but kept her arm wrapped around my neck. “Ever since you came here, mystery was written all over your face. It’s time you just went with the flow girl.”
“Easier said than done.”
“No, somehow you always find a way to just be okay with everything. You’ll see, before you know it you’ll be just as badass as Sammy.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of, being a badass dragon.” A serious tone laced my voice again.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Becky said shaking her head.
“I’m a Rubicon, Becky. I’m going to turn evil too, it’s just a matter of time.”
“Over my dead body,” Sammy yelled.
“Mine too.”
“What if I need the beatings too?”
“You know what, let’s not speculate please. We’ll deal with it if we get there,” Becky said.
All three of us nodded.
It was quiet for a couple of seconds before Sammy chuckled. “Now I finally get why my brother was so into you whenever he was drunk. It was her that drew him closer.”
I DIDN’T FEEL HUNGRY that night, skipped dinner, and went to bed early. My dragon form really drained my energy.
When I walked into the cafeteria the next morning everyone stared at me. There were even a couple of Dragonians whispering about trying to claim me. I rolled my eyes at that piece of information. As if I was going to be an easier claim than Blake. If they knew her the way I was starting to, they wouldn’t be thinking that.
Around ten, Master Longwei’s voice came from the speaker system. “Elena Watkins come to the office, please.”
Professor Pheizer, who’d helped us with developing our abilities while we’re in human form, nodded her head and I packed my books and left.
She wasn’t so helpful anymore and even limited her advice, but I still saw the question in her eyes of what I was whenever I found her staring at me. She would look away of course, but my dragon eyes were a lot faster than hers. Sometimes that second that our eyes met felt like minutes before she’d drop her gaze. It was hard to explain, I just felt . . . different.
I found Master Longwei behind his desk and he gestured with his hand to the chair in front. I took a seat. He held both his hands with his fingers rested against one another in front of his mouth. “You need help, Elena.”
I huffed. “What’s new?”
His lips curved into a smile and he dropped his hands as he moved his chair underneath his desk. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Blake has agreed to help you find your dragon.”
I froze. What! Blake had actually agreed to help someone else besides himself? Latin jumped into my mind and I shook my head at the words from the last conversation that had taken place between Master Longwei and Blake, right here in his office, after my secret had been revealed. “No, it’s fine. I’ll make peace with her some other way.”
“Elena. The two of you are from the same species. It won’t be anything like your Latin lessons, I promise.”
I laughed. “How do you know, did he say so? For all I know it could be his way of getting closer to me and killing me off. Two Rubicons can’t live together in this world. You know that.”
“He gave me his word that he would not hurt you. He wants to figure this out as much as you do, Elena, and I promise you he doesn’t want to kill you.”
“Just like the way Paul promised you.” It just slipped out but I didn’t regret it. Lucian died because of that choice.
Master Longwei’s eyes froze at my words, and he looked away. “I was fooled. It is a mistake I’ll never make again.”
I took a deep breath. “I probably don’t have a choice, do I?”
“Not this time.”
“Fine, where do I meet him?”
He raised his eyes and looked as if I hadn’t just offended him a couple of seconds ago. “That is up to you two. I’m only the messenger.”
You mean I have to hunt him down and ask him. “Fine, thanks.” I wasn’t thankful really. I didn’t want to spend time with Blake any more than he wanted to spend time with me. I hated how he made me feel. Sometimes I felt like a toy. He was always there, except the last time, when I was in danger, but afterward he would push me away as if he hadn’t just saved my ass. It was a frustrating little game and one I really didn’t have the time or energy for anymore.
“Have fun.” He smiled awkwardly. “Not too much though.”
For some reason I wanted to snicker at his sentence. I’d always wondered if Master Longwei could read minds. As if Blake and I would ever have fun. Nothing had changed and he was still the arrogant bastard he had been a couple of months ago.
AT LUNCH TIME Sarah gave me a note. She gave me a genuine smile when she handed it to me and I stared at Sammy who just shrugged her shoulders. Sarah was part of Tabitha’s group, and they despised me just as much as Blake did.
I put the note in my pocket without reading it. I wasn’t in the mood to find out what Tabitha or Sarah wanted from me now.
I finally took out the note during Enchantments. The class was different from human magic but just as hard as all the incantations involved connection spells. Dragons couldn’t do magic in their dragon form, although they were magical creatures, but there was always a loop hole to this whole magic thing and that was what we had to learn, how to harness it. The hard part was that they were still in Latin and my dragon was English. Nothing made sense at all.
I squinted as I looked at the horrible handwriting. I’d thought Lucian’s was bad; an ache just from thinking his name jolted through my body.
I put the note down and wished with all my heart that I could just let go of all this pain and cry, but the tears were still absent from my cheeks.
I opened the note again and struggled with the first word. I finally knew who’d written it when I made out the word “meet” and something like “mountain”.
I sighed and chucked the note back into my pocket as the bell rang. This isn’t going to work, I thought as I threw my backpack over my shoulder and left the classroom.
I found Blake with his arm around Tabitha’s neck below the staircase as I walked out. He looked different and cooed disgusting words of what he was going to do with her later on into her ear. It was times like these that I didn’t want to be a dragon.
The first thing I noticed was the broad smile on his face. Blake never smiled like that. Although it was breathtakingly beautiful, it was sort of creepy at the same time.
“You have terrible handwriting.” I interrupted their little moment. “Just tell me where you want me to meet.”
He smiled at me. “There is a mountain right behind the…” He stopped and just stared at me for a short while. I, of course, stared back and gave him slightly raised eyes and a “what?” shrug. “What is it Elena, why the long face?”
“How do you suppose I get to that mountain Blake?”
“You can fly.” His tone was sarcastic.
“You really think that Ms. Hyde is going to remember to meet you there? Because I can promise you, she won’t.”
“Then I’ll just have to hunt you down,” he said in a flirty way. My eyes found Tabitha’s and I knew she’d heard it too as her jaw muscles twitched. She glared at Blake.
My heart beat a bit faster. For once Tabitha and I had something in common and it wasn’t fighting for Blake’s heart.
“Forget it, I’ll make peace with her on my own terms.” I didn’t need another Arianna on my case.
“Elena!” he yelled after me but I just kept walking. I could hear Tabitha protesting and it would be just my luck if she hadn’t known about this little arrangement at all.
“Would you slow down?” His voice was right behind me.
“Why do you want to help me all of a sudden, Blake?” My tone was harsh.
“I have my reasons, and once you’re ready, I promise I’ll share them.” He raised his eyes and smiled again.
What was it with him and all this grinning? It didn’t suit him. “Fine, whatever. But I’m not flying to some stupid mountain,” I mumbled.
“Then meet me behind the Parthenon dome,” he said abruptly and walked off in a different direction.
“What time?” I yelled and when he turned around I flapped his note in my hand. “Couldn’t decipher that one either.”
He chuckled. “At two.”
Two? Master Longwei hadn’t been kidding when he’d said it wouldn’t be like Latin. I really wondered what Blake was going to get out of this.
