Starlight (The Dragonian Series Book 5) (22 page)

“It’s only going to be me and Elena, in and out.”

“Over my dead body,” Sir Robert said.

“I agree,” King Helmut said. “I will send a handful of troops in with you.”

“A group! The chances of us getting caught would be astronomical.”

“Just for the night. Blake, we need to know that the two of you are safe.”

I knew the conversation was over the minute King Helmut spoke. I still envied him for that. They really listened to him.

A new conversation started. They were fantasizing about what they would do if they could go back and change the past. All of them agreed they would kill Goran.

Soon King Helmut excused himself, the conversation died out and the men started talking about the Dragon League. Sir Robert answered all of their questions and the conversation wandered to the past again, and what an honor it had been for a dragon to become part of the Dragon League.

After a few minutes, Blake got up without saying a word and walked over, grabbing a book from the shelf.

I grabbed the one next to his and we just paged through them, looking for anything that could be the missing ingredient. I knew deep down he couldn’t die, and neither could I.

That night Blake sneaked into my room and we fell asleep without saying a word. I felt so safe with him, and couldn’t imagine what it would be like back at the Academy, not being able to be this close to him at night.

I understood now why George sneaked in at night to be with Becky.

The next morning we woke up to the ringing of Blake’s Cammy. It was a song I’d never heard before and feared that it was Tabitha, but he picked it up and I saw a guy more or less his age on the holograph.

“Isaak, do you know how early it is?”

He chuckled. “Good, you are up and running. I heard what happened, why didn’t you phone Blake? You know how worried we were.”

Blake grinned. “A weed doesn’t die that easily.”

“You are far from a weed dude.”

“You phoning just to find out how I’m doing?”

“Nope, I’m phoning because of a special request. An upcoming gig, I’m so sorry dude; the girl requested us and is willing to pay more than our normal fee. You up for it? If not I can…”

“No, a gig would be a good distraction, just as long as it’s not two weeks from now.”

“Nope, it’s Friday.”

“Where?” he asked.

“The Crevice.”

Blake looked at him. “What kind of function is this?”

“A huge one. One of the non’s eighteenth birthdays, they have rented out the entire stadium.”

“It must suck to have so much money.”

“Hear, hear! But remember your new girlfriend is loaded too.”

I laughed softly when he said that.

“Shit, she’s there?”

“Yes, asshole, she’s here. Now she knows why I dig her so much.”

Isaak laughed. “So, are we going to get to meet her this time?”

Blake looked at me. “I don’t know. You guys are a bit rough around the edges,” he teased.

“I promise we will be on our best behavior.”

“I’ll have to see it before I believe it. See you Thursday night, rehearsal, and tell Ty to be sober.”

“Got it.”

They said goodbye and the connection broke.

“So you only like me for my money?” I asked.

He smiled. “You know my affection can’t be bought, Elena.”

“Yet you kept the bike.”

“Yeah,” he raised his eyes. “You know how difficult it was to chuck those keys back at you. I was such an asshole back then.”

“Yeah you were, but you were my asshole.”

He laughed. “Even if I didn’t deserve it.”

“Especially because you didn’t deserve it.”

“So what is The Crevice?” I had to know.

“You might not even want to go because the last time you were there, plenty of dragons tried to kill you.”

“That Crevice?” I asked.

“Yip,” he answered with closed eyes.

“No, I would love to go there again, and face my fears of the place.”

He laughed. “See? Not so different after all.”

WE ARRIVED BACK at the Academy around ten that morning. It was Wednesday and I couldn’t believe that the next night I was going to hear Blake sing because I was so going to his rehearsal.

We immediately jumped back into classes. Blake still wore his shades and none of the professors asked him to take them off.

I guessed news spread fast.

Classes were blissful with him again.

We even trained that night. He really had no idea what the term ‘take it easy’ meant.

Training was just as hard as the previous time, but I kept my cool when Blake tried to make me angry again. I laughed in his face, each and every time, until he gave up being mean to me.

I got out of most of his grips, except the last one where I had to use his strength; it was hard, because he was really heavy and huge.

When we were done, we walked back to the dorms together.

I hated saying goodbye to him, especially tonight.

I’d gotten so used to his presence outside the Academy that it was seriously becoming difficult to just be alone, and away from him.

I was really falling in over my head.

I’d broken my own promise. Becky had been right: being with him was addictive and you wanted to believe with all your heart that the Dent wasn’t some sort of spell.

I struggled to fall asleep and even heard when our window opened and George came in.

I pretended to be asleep.

I missed Blake. Missed him being so close to me, but I knew why he didn’t sneak into my room like George did at night. It was thanks to those idiots who would soon meet their worst fears.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to sleep.

I froze again as a purring sound erupted. I’d never heard it coming from George before, in all his time sleeping next to Becky this was the first time he’d purred.

I didn’t care how Blake felt about it; it was one of the most amazing sounds in the entire world. A sound of contentment. A sound of peace.

And with that, I closed my eyes and drifted away.

George was gone when my alarm clock went off.

Becky just had a guilty smile on her face when her eyes caught mine.

We found George and Blake at breakfast. From what I could tell, they were speaking about Blake’s blood eyes.

I hated this topic and the way their conversation turned once we joined them, Blake was really scared that his eyes weren’t going to heal a hundred percent.

When the first bell rang, we went to Enchantments, and from there the day flew by fast. At six, Blake came to fetch me for his rehearsal.

He took me to the elevator and he flew back to Tith.

I had to take a cab to The Crevice and when it stopped in the parking lot, Blake landed.

He shifted back and I still turned around to give him privacy. His laughter came first. “Seriously, you need to get used to that.” He pulled me by the arm and I was glad that he had a pair of jeans and a shirt pulled over his body.

“I don’t know.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem with it when you were a dragon.”

“I was angry that night and forgot that I was actually naked.”

He chuckled again. “I’m not going to say it out loud but whatever you are imagining, it doesn’t even come close to reality.”

I blush scarlet red guessing what was going through his mind, and followed him into the mountain.

It was still dark with only a few lights lit overhead.

We took the elevator up to the top and walked out onto the bleachers. My body shivered as images from the last time I was here flashed through my mind. It was the night Blake saved my life the second time.

“You okay?” he asked and I smiled, giving him a slight nod.

They were busy transforming the entire stadium. The floor was closed and most of the bleachers on the opposite side were covered.

The floor was going to be tomorrow night’s dance floor and the stage, well it reminded me of a huge concert stage back home.

“How many people are invited to this party?”

“I don’t know, but my guess is a shit lot.”

“Thank you, Freud, for that lovely analysis.”

He smiled at me. “I have to apologize in advance, Elena. I don’t know what they are going to do tonight. So if they make you feel uncomfortable, just tell me.”

“Don’t, I’m sure they are not that bad.”

“Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I followed him down toward the stage where I could see a couple of his band members already.

“Testing, testing,” a guy with long, dark blond hair said over the speaker. He was tall and real skinny but his voice sounded like honey.

“It’s good!” Blake yelled and the guy turned to us.

“Finally, what took you so long?” he spoke over the mike and I smiled again.

Blake flipped him off.

They started to tune their instruments as we walked toward the stage, and the workers that were setting everything up laughed at a remark that was said about what Blake could do with that finger.

“Ty,” Blake yelled. His tone was laced with disgust.

The one with the dark blond hair laughed and then sucked in a breath as I walked out from behind Blake and stood next to him. “Shit, sorry, Elena, didn’t see you there,” he said to me apologetically.

“Please forgive them, I told you they are a bit rough around the edges.” Blake just shook his head.

“No, I like them, really. He called me Elena.”

“You need me to take him out?”

I laughed. “That jealous?”

“Oh, haven’t you heard? Rubicon’s are all about territory and dominance. What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours, well, it’s mine too.”

I laughed again.

“Then I should probably call Xavier and ask him to stop texting me,” I joked.

His entire face fell. “That ass from the bar that night? He’s texting you?”

“Now I know how to make you angry.”

“Not funny, Elena. I almost killed him that night just for looking at you, not to mention having his fucking grabby hands all over you.”

“Relax, I only have eyes for you now.”

“You’d better,” he said and gave me a quick kiss as we reached the stage.

He shook hands with the guy who was testing the microphones and I only just realized it was Isaak.

He looked at Blake’s eyes. “Suits you,” he said, which made me smile again.

“Elena, ass number one, two, three, four and five.” He pointed at all his band members.

“I’m Isaak.”

“Elena,” I said.

“Ty,” the extremely buff guy with short, army cut hair, sitting behind the drums answered as Blake went over to greet him too.

“Jamie,” another one yelled. He had blonde scruffy hair that covered his ears, was of a slender build as well, and was busy tuning in a keyboard.

“Maximus,” another one with red hair and a red goatee that suited him said from behind a guitar as he started playing something.

Blake pulled his face. I couldn’t tell why until he took the guitar and start turning some of the knobs, while strumming it, and I realized it was out of tune.

“Matheo,” the last one walked up to me. He had brown hair and dimples that could give George a run for his money with the most beautiful brown eyes. They were all cute, just like a boy band should be.

“Elena.” I smiled back.

“Good to know you gave the poor soul another chance. I don’t know how he could be such an ass to you,” he spoke softly but his tone was serious.

“Still hear you,” Blake said.

“I should really learn how to wield a shield.”

Blake smiled as he continued to tune the guitar.

“So you guys are really from the normal crowd? I miss that.”

All of them looked at me and then at Blake.

“What? I haven’t had time to tell her yet.”

“Tell me what?” I looked at him.

“Oh this is going to be fun.”

“Easy Ty, I don’t want to give her a heart attack.”

“I’ll be as gentle as a kitten.”

I remembered when Sammy said those words more or less the first time I’d met her, and déjà vu washed over me. “What is going…?”

Ty dove out from behind his set of drums and transformed into a huge black panther, walking slowly toward me.

A deep purring noise came from him as I stared.

“Ty!” Blake yelled.

“See?” Ty said. “Kitten.” He let out an animated meow as he reached me and they laughed.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. He was as black as night with the shiniest fur I had ever seen.

“You are all shifters?”

“Why did you think our band’s name is The Shifters?”

“Because of Blake.”

They laughed again.

“Assumption, Princess!” Isaak yelled.

“Just as I was beginning to like you. You had to go and say the ‘P’ word.”

Blake laughed.

“She knows that is what she is, right?”

“Oh, she knows alright. She just doesn’t like it very much.” They both mocked me.

“Still here,” I said.

Ty walked back to his drums and shifted back into his human form, buck-naked. He didn’t even pretend to be modest.

“Seriously dude,” Blake looked at him.

“What, she’s not used to that either?”

“See, this is why I didn’t want to bring her to meet you guys. I can’t take you anywhere.”

“Fine, give me a pair of pants,” Ty spoke and Matheo threw him a pair of jeans. I had to turn around again as he stood up and climbed into them. Blake laughed at my expense.

“You really need to get used to naked, Elena,” Isaak said. “It’s the most natural thing in the world.”

“So I’ve heard. But so not what I’m used to. You actually get locked up for it where I come from.”

“They lock you up for being naked?”

I raised my eyes. “So be careful, I might still change that here.”

“Ooooh, someone that actually has authority. That is a first for you, Blake,” Isaac teased.

“Not the first,” Jamie said. “Remember Arianna? When he wanted to get on the Warbel team?”

Blake glared at him and they all laughed.

“Shut up and play.”

Isaak took his guitar and played an intro to a heavy metal song.

Then Ty started hitting the drums, the keyboard came in and then the second guitar that Blake had just tuned in.

Blake gave me a thumbs up as I walked over to the side of the stage where all their bags were.

I sat down as Blake took the mic.

I knew his voice was going to ripple through my body again, stirring up my soul. I loved his voice.

He spoke a name and the entire tune changed. It was one of the songs that was on my iPod, an upbeat tune, and I couldn’t take my eyes off Blake as he got ready to start singing.

I closed my eyes a couple of times as the music just took me away, and every time I opened them, I found Blake staring at me as he sang. So creepy, and yes, I blushed scarlet every single time.

The night flew by fast with the band cracking jokes in between songs.

Each of them had their own personality. Matheo was the sweet one, but he could play a guitar and the violin like they were the same instrument; there weren’t any words for it.

Ty was easy to sum up: bad boy. He was carefree with no shame, a real troublemaker, and for some reason I envisioned him in the VIP room making out with more than one girl at a time.

Jamie was quiet, he didn’t say much, but laughed a lot.

Isaak was like second in command and was insane with a guitar in his hands. I knew a he had broken a couple after a show, trying to rile up the crowd for more.

I really wanted to know what they all could shift into. I thought shifters were hiding in the Ackerwoods, but here they were, all of them and I knew there were many more.
Were they all panthers?

The night flew by way too fast and when they had played through at least fifteen to twenty songs, Blake called it a night.

He came over to me and took one of the water bottles that was next to me in a crate and downed one in a few gulps.

Sweat was dripping off his temple as he took a towel out of his bag.

“That was stunning,” I said. “Then again, you always sing beautifully.”

“I do?” He asked. “I didn’t even think you noticed.”

“Excuse me. I own like all of your songs. Your voice has always done something to me. I was just really good at hiding it.”

He smiled softly but looked down as if he was hiding something. “What do you mean by speaking to you?”

“I don’t know. It sometimes felt like the songs were just for me.” His voice sounded so familiar but I didn’t tell him that, as if I’d always known it, but it sounded so far-fetched and he would just think that I was pathetically in love with him or something.

“They are,” he mocked me again.

“They weren’t always.”

He chuckled and kissed me softly.

“See you tomorrow,” Blake said to his band, pulling me up by the hand.

“Nice meeting you, Elena,” Isaak said with a song in his voice.

“Nice meeting all of you too.” I smiled back as we walked back to the entrance.

“You should really think about writing a song for her dude,” Isaak teased.

“Who says I haven’t?”

“‘Never Breathe’ doesn’t count.”

Blake shook his head.

“‘Never Breathe’ is about me?” I asked, remembering the song that Lucian had played for me on our first date to the Gallery. It was about a girl he hadn’t met, but he envisioned what life could have been like if he had.

“In a way.”

“With her golden hair, she’s a fresh breath of air. A place to call home from this cold night, a place to hide from all the monsters inside.”