Starlight (The Dragonian Series Book 5) (9 page)

I dished something of everything up for him, and some stew with rice for myself. I didn’t even notice Tabitha standing at the end of the line.

My entire body inflated as I saw her. “What do you want, Tabitha?”

“What do I want? You made me a promise, Elena.”

“And he made it perfectly clear…”

“Blake doesn’t know what he wants. He is under your spell.”

I sighed. “He said it wasn’t one, okay?”

“So you’re just going to believe him? You know how many times he lied to me?”

“It’s not just my choice anymore. I can’t force him to be with you if he doesn’t want to. And if you think that I would, then you have no idea who I am, which you don’t.” I took both trays and made my way to the door that led outside.

“You made a promise.” She yelled so that the entire cafeteria heard us.

I walked back to her, wielded my shield and just stared at her.

“He broke up with you, Tabitha. If you really love him, then give him space to make up his mind about what he wants. If it’s a spell… well spells wear off eventually. I will keep my promise if he changes his mind. But I’m not going to tell him what he needs to do because of something he clearly doesn’t want. It’s not just my decision anymore. I’m done fighting with him. And I’m done feeling guilty about something he clearly doesn’t want anymore, Tabitha. To be honest, I have other shit on my mind to worry about, and you didn’t even keep you’re your side of the deal. If he changes his mind and he wants to be with you, I will step aside.”

She just stared at me with flared nostrils. I was done with her shallowness.

I turned around, let my shield disappear and left.

I found him lying underneath a tree close to one of the tables and plopped both trays on the table.

Blake had a smirk on his mug.

“You heard that.”

“Told you shields can be penetrable.”

I grunt softly.

“She is not going to let this go easily.”

“I’ll speak to her.”

“Don’t. Her issue is with me, Blake, not you.”

“Elena, I don’t…”

“I know, okay? Still doesn’t make me feel less shitty, but I hope she gets the message soon, otherwise I promise you, you are going to be a dragon for a very long time.”

“I’m only in my dragon form to make you feel less shitty, Elena. I don’t care about her.”

Becky, George and Sammy reached us with their coffee and desert bowls. “What the hell did Ice Queen want?”

“The stupid promise I made her.”

“So, he is in his dragon form.” She nudged her head toward Blake’s dragon figure.

“Yeah, I don’t think she is getting that message.”

Becky smiled. “So what is the punishment?”

I grunt. “Two weeks detention, and that is just half of it. He will think about the other half.”

Becky laughed.

“It’s so unfair.”

“It’s only detention, Elena. Not a beating.”

“That is what I said.” Blake suddenly developed a two-cent comment ability.

“Oh yeah? I wonder what he would say if I told him about our sleeping arrangements, Becky.”

George spit out some of his coffee and Blake gurgled. Becky’s eyes were huge. “You know about that?”

“What sleeping arrangements?” Sammy wanted to know.

“I know about that.” I narrowed my eyes at Becky.

“Okay, two weeks detention sucks,” she changed her mind.

It changed my mood instantly.

“What sleeping arrangements?”

Becky stared at me with a slightly skew jaw. “You see.”

“Becky will explain that one to you later.”

“You’re screwed,” Blake teased George.

“Shut up.”

“What sleeping arrangements?” Sammy demanded after George’s comment.

“Becky will explain later.” George got up. “I have to go.”

“Be a darling and take that tray of food with you to our room, please,” Blake asked as he rolled out from underneath the tree and got up.

Everyone outside was looking at him.

He lowered his head toward me and sniffed in the nape of my neck. “Sleep tight, Princess,” he whispered and disappeared.

“That fast?” Becky said and I looked at her again.

“Oh don’t even start. You and George hold the ultimate record.”

She laughed softly. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you guys finally made peace, Elena.”

Me too
, but I didn’t say that out loud.

“Okay, so what sleeping arrangements?” Sammy still needed to know and I couldn’t help but laugh.

I HADN’T SEEN Constance and Anouk today and made a mental note that after dinner I would quickly go to the infirmary to say hi. Which was right next to Constance’s quarters.

I listened to Becky telling Sammy about George sneaking in every night. She wasn’t happy about it at all, but once Becky explained why George was sneaking in and everything, well, from a dragon’s perspective Sammy understood, sort of.

We walked back to the room and parted ways at the bottom of the stairs.

“I’m quickly going to say hi to Anouk.”

“We met her this afternoon. She is really something, Elena.”

“She is, isn’t she?”

“I’m glad my cousin had you,” Sammy said.

“Do you remember her?”

Sammy smiled. “Her dragon form. I was just a baby back then, but I do remember an eccentric Sun-Blast close to Blake.”

I smiled but it vanished the minute I thought that she wasn’t that eccentric anymore.

“See you later, go, say hi for us.” Becky and Sammy walked up the stairs.

“I will,” I said as I walked in the direction of the infirmary.

When I entered, Constance’s eyes grew.

“Where the heck have you been, young lady? Do you know how worried I was?”

“Calm down. I was with Blake, and no, nothing happened.”

“Still, Elena, you can’t just disappear like that in one of your classes.”

“I was with Blake, Constance. He is the Rubicon.”

“Not alleviating my fears here. I know my nephew extremely well.”

“Seriously? That is what everyone thinks.” I shook my head.

“No, okay yes. I know my nephew, and I know how charming he can be if it comes to the things he wants, Elena. I’m just worried, that’s all.”

A small smile curved at the corners of my lips.

“Give her a break, Mom.” Anouk wrapped her arms around me. “She said nothing happened, I believe her.”

“I have to admit,” Constance finally smiled, “It is good to see you finally speaking to him, Elena.”

Anouk squinted. “‘Finally speaking’? What is my mother talking about?”

“I told you before, I only recently started trusting him.”

“Seriously, it was that bad?”

“Oh believe me, your cousin hated my guts.”

“He didn’t,” Constance said. “He saved your life more than once.”

“Yeah, because the good in him couldn’t watch me die.”

Constance laughed the hardest.

“So how was your first day in Paegeia?” I rubbed Anouk’s arm.

“Free.” She smiled, and that turned into a sigh. “I’m still waiting for something bad to happen.”

“Nothing will ever hurt you again.” Constance kissed Anouk on her temple.

“We are going to leave tomorrow early to go back to David’s.”

I nodded and looked at Constance. “I take it you are going with?”

She nodded with a slight glint in her eyes. I can only imagine the guilt of what Anouk went through, haunting her.

“Well, enjoy it, both of you.”

Anouk’s eyes rose slightly. “Emanual said when he gets back from Etan he is going to help me try to find my dragon again. I’m so nervous.”

“You are going to be fine,” I said again—and would continue to tell her until it sunk in. “I’m glad he is helping you. He is a great guy, Annie.”

She just smiled.

“She is going to be fine,” Constance added too, and put a stray hair from Anouk’s face behind her ear.

“I guess this is me saying goodbye then. If I don’t see you tomorrow morning, have fun finding your dragon Annie.”

“I’m going to try my utmost,” she said and I gave her another hug. “I can’t remember if I’ve thanked you properly for bringing me back,” she whispered in my ear.

“Shhh, no need to say thanks every five seconds,” I smiled.

Her smile turned into worry lines. “I’m just worried about Charles and David.”

“Don’t, King Helmut is on it as we speak. He will let me know when the time is right and then I’ll take them to Etan.”

“You are going to be one busy gal.”

“It’s for a good cause Anouk.”

“I know.”

I gave Constance a hug and said goodbye.

I felt bad for both of them and couldn’t stop feeling sorry for Constance, given what she had to make peace with, as I walked back to the entrance of the castle.

I found the golden statue in the corner, right before you turned into the lobby. A pair of hands grabbed me as I took that first step into the lobby.

I yelped in fright, but the smell of the hand covering my mouth and the chuckle told me I was safe.

He pulled me behind the dragon.

“What, this afternoon didn’t get you in enough trouble?” I whispered.

“No, it didn’t,” he simply said.

“He is going to ground us forever if he finds us behind this dragon, Blake.”

“I should really teach you how to have fun, Elena.”

“You are such a bad influence.”

He smiled. “Whatever. So, where were you?”

“I went to check on Annie. Do I have to tell you my every move now?”

“No, a detailed plan every morning will be enough,” he joked.

“Ha-ha.”

“Meet me tonight?”

“Are you shitting me?”

“No, just meet me. See that as your first lesson in fun.”

“Fine, where?”

“The girl’s roof.” He winked and started to retreat into the lobby.

“What time?” I whispered after him as loud as I could.

“About an hour,” he said and disappeared.

I sighed. He was really going to get us in more trouble. But I had to admit, I was really looking forward to it.

SIXTY MINUTES SEEM like a long time when you can’t wait for something, or let’s say spending more time with a certain someone who has a thing for trouble.

I was excited yet nervous when he’d asked me to meet him. It reminded me of…no. I pushed it away to the back of my mind. Lucian wanted me to be happy and that was what I was going to try and do.

I couldn’t get the conversation from this afternoon out of my head either.

A part of me didn’t want to care about finding out what the Dent procedure was anymore. I wanted to trust it because I wanted this to be real.

So I made a mental note to forget all about the Dent things for now and just enjoy getting to know Blake better. Well, whoever he was now.

The fact that he’d wanted me before he even dented, now that was surprising. Even if his hormones had made that choice for him.

I’d never thought that being with another guy ever again was going to be possible, not with what had happened.

Around fifteen minutes before the hour was up, I got up and pulled on a jacket over my shirt and stepped into my sneakers.

Sammy was still in the bathroom.

“Where are you going?” Becky asked from the top of her bed.

“Out?”

“Is the dragon going with?”

“You would like to know.”

“Elena, I do. At least I know you’ll be safe.”

“Yes, he’s coming with, and no, he just wants to talk.”

“Part of a Dent here, you don’t need to explain.”

I laughed. “Explain.”

“They can’t get enough of their riders. It’s something I learnt very fast in my relationship with George. You are going to beg for alone time, Elena.”

My entire body shook. All of this felt like a dream. A happy dream I didn’t want to wake up from. I looked back at her after I tied my shoelaces. “I promise I won’t be stupid.”

“Didn’t think you were, not even this afternoon.”

“Thanks Becky, I wish everyone else would have that faith in me. But all they see is two hormonal teenagers that can’t get enough of one another.”

“They are just being grown-ups, Elena.”

I said goodbye.

“Enjoy,” she sang softly as I slipped out the door.

I climbed the stairs to the top and opened the latch.

Blake wasn’t there yet, which was a bit disappointing. He was late. A smile broke on my face and I climbed through the hatch and closed it softly.

“What took you so long?” he said behind me and I jumped.

He started to laugh, and I joined in after a while. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I just didn’t see you.”

“My middle name should’ve been stealth.”

“Oh, I would love to know what you are going to spin when Master Longwei appears through the hatch.”

He laughed. “Still no faith in me? You’ve forgotten what I can do. I showed you in Etan, Elena. How I became one with the trees.”

I looked around. “Hate to break it to you, but there are no trees up here, Blake.”

“It doesn’t just work with trees. It’s a blending technique, so it works basically with everything.” He raised his eyebrows once, playfully.

“Okay that is just scary. Something I will always think about now whenever I take a bath.”

He laughed, pulled me closer by my hand and wrapped his arms around me.

I felt so safe with him, but for some reason my heart went up a notch.

He looked down at me. “I’m not like that…anymore.” He chuckled.

“Uh-huh,” I teased him.

“You can actually see the shimmer if you just pay attention, Elena.”

“You can?”

“Yip, I’ll show it to you again, if that would put your wildly beating heart at ease.”

I hated the fact that he could not just hear it, but feel it too. It was beautiful, but it was also extremely dangerous for me if this wasn’t…. I closed my eyes.
Just stop it, Elena.

“What is going on in that mind of yours?” Blake asked and I opened my eyes.

“Nothing,” I said.

He gave me that knowing raised eyebrow of his; he wasn’t buying the nothing part.

“Fine, it’s something I really don’t want to think about anymore, but it’s going to take some time. So bear with me.”

The corners of his lips curved and a soft smile appeared on his face. Damn, he was seriously so vereautiful or deautiful. I laughed at that last word: ‘damn’ and ‘beautiful’.

He led me to a small wooden shed that was on the girl’s roof and when we went around it, I saw the blankets with the pillows.

He seriously was the prepared kind of guy.

I sat down on the blanket and put the pillow on my lap as he lay on the blanket with his torso supported by his elbow.

“Didn’t take you for the romantic type.”

“Then you should stay away from me when I’m reciting my poems.”

I laughed.

“So, why did you come back? I thought you said three days.”

“Missed you too much.” He was so full of confidence, which made me blush again.

“Bet you tell all the girls that.”

“No, I really don’t. It’s not easy for dragons to be away from our riders. You really have it so easy, Elena.” His answer was extremely cheesy and I didn’t buy it for one minute.

“Fine, whatever. Don’t tell me.”

“I’m serious.” He chuckled. “It’s who we are, Elena. When dragons care, they don’t just care with their entire heart, they care with their entire being. Mind,” he tapped on his temple, “soul,” he tapped on his stomach, “and heart.” His chest.

“Oh man.” I flinched when I realized it was out loud and it made him laugh. He really didn’t make it easy at all to not fall for him.

He cupped my face. “I told you before, it’s not a spell, Elena, and I’ll say it over and over again until it sinks into that beautiful, yet over-active mind of yours.”

I melted. If I was made of Jell-O I would’ve been a puddle of goo right now. I cleared my throat and broke my gaze away from him. “I thought you can’t read my mind anymore.”

He lay back flat on his back with his head on the pillow, just looking up at the sky. “I don’t have to read your mind to know what you are thinking. It’s evident on your face.”

“Lucky me.” I said and his body shook with laughter.

Hours and hours of conversation followed, things about each other that would make you think we were going to participate in a “Know your dragon rider” contest.

I discovered that his birthday was two days after New Year, something I thought was the first of April. Guess he fooled everyone. I should’ve known as Sammy never gave him a present on the first of April. And he was also searching for me with Emanual on his last birthday, which must have sucked big time.

His favorite color, green, emerald green, like my eyes—but I doubt that it was his favorite color before the Dent.

His favorite book,
Wuthering Heights
, as he always felt a connection with one of the characters, and he loved Romeo and Juliet, even if it was cliché. He had a thing for tragicomedies. He was seriously not the type of guy I thought he was.

He was also addicted to the extreme. Now that was the Blake I did know. Jet ski, slopes, surf, sky diving, you name it, he did it—called it his “Rubicon perks.” The only thing he had never been able to do was Warbel games, something I think he would excel in.

We were so much the opposite of one another.

The only extreme in my life was moving every three months and having a knack for escaping death, but he was more interested in the stuff he already knew about me, the things that happened after I came to Paegeia. Weird.

We spoke plenty about how Brian’s death made me feel. I told him about the dreams I used to have, of me becoming the other Sun-Blast, tearing his wings apart, how deranged and angry I was when they killed the Dragonian that Goran took hostage.

I woke up before George killed me.

I didn’t know if it was because of Cara stirring inside of me, or if it was really just me being messed up from Brian’s death.

I even told him about dreaming of my mother the minute I came to Paegeia. How at first I had no clue who she was and then realized that it was the queen after Cheng took me to the museum.

He seemed really interested in my dreams, and gave me the impression that he didn’t think they were just dreams after all. That somehow I’d experienced some elements of a vision. It sounded a bit nuts, but we were in a world where the impossible and nuts were a reality.

He changed the subject when it got too awkward, and we spoke about Emanual, what a good friend he had become to Blake, and about their trips searching for me. He would’ve been dead on so many occasions if it hadn’t been for Emanual. I’ve seen a couple of them myself, especially the one where they crashed into the park of Tith, taking the entire playground down with them. It fell silent for a few seconds.

“My father is starting the Dragon League again.”

“So you were right that night when you told me that was what you think he wanted to do.” I was excited for him, still not knowing what the Dragon League was all about but I knew Sammy had told me once that it was something that Sir Robert used to run. He was their leader as he was seen as the lead dragon for a time because of who his rider had been—or still was.

Blake nodded, looking really excited about that too.

“If I may ask, what is it the Dragon League does?”

He started to laugh. “Serve and protect. They were your father’s personal league. Nothing like the Council.”

He told me how they used to go on all sorts of missions, especially ones on the other side. My father would have special meetings via these dragons representing him with all the leaders of the world, very top secret of course, and if Sir Robert or one of the other highly seen dragons needed to find someone on the other side, they would do it. There were still plenty of dragons living on the other side, mostly Metallic, as they could go the longest without their true form, like my father, Herbert, used to.. Sir Robert had sent word that Paegeia needed their help, with the war that would come in a few months, and he was waiting in patience for them to reply.

I was hanging on every word that exited his mouth.

He told me about a vacation they once took when he had just received his human form. Samantha had to stay with Constance.

His parents had taken him to China where they sort of blessed him, because they knew who he was. It was why the Chinese showed their love for dragons through time through their art. They were still so connected with this world.

I could only imagine how they made him feel.

The conversation turned serious again when Blake wanted to speak about a matter that was extremely hard to talk about: Etan.

Still, I answered his questions as best I could. Some of them were actually easy to be honest, and I wondered if he had used some persuasion to get it out of me. Things I never thought that I would tell him, just like I had with Leo.

“And that was when I ran again. I don’t even remember the Creepers, it’s all a big blur in my mind.”

He was lying on his back and looked at the stars. They shone brightly with the full moon in the background. There were no clouds tonight.

Silence lingered in the air for a few minutes, awkward silence, and I lay down next to him just staring at the sky, wondering if I had said too much.

“I knew something was wrong,” Blake finally said. “We were all having dinner and then your heart beat so fast that I didn’t even need to tune in. When I did, my own was beating, because hearing yours like that scared the living shit out of me.”

“Sorry,” I said. It couldn’t have been easy.

“It wasn’t your fault, Elena.”

“I should’ve stayed.”

“How?” He gave me a broken smile. “All you’ve ever been taught is that in times of real trouble, you run. It’s the only thing Herbert showed you, Elena.”

I nodded.
How the fuck did he know that?
Matt. He’d put two and two together. Blake was smart.