The Dragon's Gem

The Dragon’s Gem

By

Donna Flynn

Copyright 2013
© by Donna Flynn

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law
All characters in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to any person living or deceased is a coincidence.

Thanks to my family who listens to me babble on about my ideas and allows me the time to write when inspiration hits. I also need to give a big thanks to my editor, Gabriella West, who makes my work polished and ready for my readers so my stories can truly shine.

I have
lived all of my seventeen years unable to see the world around me, but I was in no means blind. In many ways I was able to see people better than anyone else could and that ability would serve me greatly on the adventure I was about to undertake.

Aurora

***
Aurora
***

“Three more steps, then the landing,” my father said patiently as we walked up the steps that led to Grayhurst Private Academy, the school I would now be attending thanks to his new job that had brought us to the small town of Grayhurst, deep in the Mountains of North Carolina.

“Dad
, I can do this alone,” I chastised, holding up my walking stick to remind him I was capable of finding my own way.

“I know darling
, I just wanted to be with you on your first day. I know how hard it is to be the new kid at school.”

“Especially when you
’re blind,” I muttered, stating what he would never admit he had been thinking.

“That is not going to be a concern here
, I promise. Max assured me you would be treated with the utmost care and respect here,” he assured me. “Okay, we are here.”

T
he door squeaked as he opened it. The rush of warm air fanning my face let me know we were entering the building and I felt my heart rate increase rapidly. The moment I had been dreading for weeks was upon me. It took all I had not to beg my father to take me back home and school me there, as he had done most of my life, but I knew that was not an option. His new job would mean he had to be at the lab all day and work some late nights. He would not have time to see to my schooling and have the career I knew he longed for. He had given up so much for me since my mother disappeared from our lives and I couldn’t ask him to give up anymore. It was his time to shine; he deserved this opportunity, so I lifted my head and straightened my shoulders determined to face what was to come bravely.

Somewhere a
door creaked and the sound of footsteps rang through the hall, growing louder as they came closer to where we stood, alerting me that someone was coming to greet us. An earthy, comforting odor reached my nose. I marked it in my mind so I could place that scent to the person I was meeting so I would know them the next time they approached me. It was a trick I learned at a young age and it helped me feel more like those around me that could see. People were often mystified by my ability to detect who they were given the fact I was blind, but it wasn’t any big mystery. Everyone had their own scent and I simply used those scents to identify those who were around me.

“
Welcome, welcome,” a booming voice called out, bouncing off the lockers and echoing in the empty hall. “You must be Aurora, I have heard so much about you.”

I was sure he had,
Max, my father’s new boss, had made sure everything was in place for us from the moment my father had accepted his job offer, including my schooling, which he said was extremely important. Although I agreed, and was eager to complete my education so I could go on to college, I found it odd Max had taken such an interest in me. In fact he had bent over backwards to ensure my safety and happiness during the entire move, even going so far as to send his private jet to fly us from California to the local airport, then providing a limousine to the guest house we were living in on his vast estate.

My father exchanged pleasantries with the man who had spoken
, then addressed me. “Darling, this is Principal McGregor. He will be helping you settle in here at Grayhurst.” He tightened his hand over mine, his nervousness easy to read.

He was uneasy
about leaving me with a stranger and to be honest I was nervous, too, but Max had been confident that the staff here were the best educators to be found and had assured us I would be in excellent hands. “Mr. McGregor, it is nice to meet you,” I said, removing my hand from my father’s arm and holding it out, hoping it wasn’t shaking as badly as I thought it was.

H
is hand enveloped mine, pumping it vigorously a few times before letting go. “It is good to meet you too, young lady, everyone here has been anxiously awaiting your arrival.”

I rather doubted it
. Although I suspected the arrival of a blind student was indeed gossip in such a small school, I didn’t think anyone was eagerly awaiting my presence. In fact I worried the novelty would wear thin pretty quickly because I would be making everyone’s life hell while they were forced to help me around until I learned where everything was, but I plastered a smile on my face and nodded.

“I need to be going
, but I am sure you will be well taken care of, my dear,” my father said, hugging me close. “Any problems, just call me,” he whispered in my ear before reluctantly letting go. I knew how hard this was for him. He had never allowed me out of his sight before this move, but I had convinced him I needed to grow up and experience lif e. Although he hated the idea, he had finally given in and agreed, albeit with a ton of terms and conditions for my safety.

“We will get along famously
, sir. Do not bother yourself with Aurora’s well-being. Our students are adept at dealing with special…err…ah…problems and we have the best educators in the world. I can assure you she is in excellent hands,” Mr. McGregor assured him.

I couldn’t help but like the outgoing man who had greeted us. He was warm and fatherly and I felt at ease in his company. “Dad,” I urged
, embarrassed that he was stalling.

He cleared his throat.
“I am sure you will take good care of her,” my father said. “Good bye, Aurora, remember the car will be here at three and I will see you at home after work.”

I felt his hesitation and knew he was torn about leaving me
and I rushed to reassure him it was okay to go even though I too, was nervous. “I will be fine, Dad. Have a good day.”

“Yes, well
, you too, honey.”

He kissed my cheek and t
he loud clip-clop of his feet as he walked away assured me he had indeed left. I turned my head in the direction of the last place the principal had been speaking to address him. “He worries too much,” I told him.

The man chuckled almost nervously.
“So he should. You are his daughter, and as such you are his most precious gift, a gem if you will, amongst the many rocks that litter this world.”

Another
scent overcame my senses, alerting me to another’s presence moving closer to where we stood long before I heard the masculine, good-natured voice that went along with it.

“Father
, you do have a way with words,” a jovial male voice teased.

“Ah
, I see my errant son has decided to come and help out. Ryan, I thought I told you to be here at seven-thirty- sharp,” the principal said.

“That might h
ave happened, if you didn’t command me to bring Belynda with me this morning,” his son replied easily.

Another smell, soft and flowery,
laced with a smoky tint let me know a female was joining our growing number. I could only assume this had to be the sister and I felt my hands begin to shake. I had very few female friends in my life and since I didn’t date and had no interest in hair and makeup, they had all but vanished once we started to mature. I so badly wanted one here in this new school, though. I wanted someone to gossip with, to hang out with, and most of all someone to help me find my way with the male population. I sighed. I wanted a normal teenage life, which for me was never going to happen, but a girl could dream!

“Ryan you
just don’t get woman, we can’t just roll out of bed and go in the morning, like you guys do,” the female approaching us said.

I knew by her tone she was teasing and I got the feeling the family before me were very close. It
was sweet and made me long for what I never had, a family of my own, with sisters, brothers, and a loving partner for my father, who deserved happiness.

Ryan chortled.
“I suppose it would be unseemly of you to just show up here for an education. I mean what would happen if the social queen of our little school actually wanted to learn about something other than who is dating who and what the last big thing to gossip about was?”

“
You know the big news around lately has been about …”

“
Children, we are presenting a bad image to our newest student. Please behave,” Mr. McGregor called out, cutting her off midstream. “I am so sorry, my dear,” he said, patting my hand. “My children love to taunt one another, but it’s all done in good fun I can assure you.”

“It’s fine
,” I said, immediately liking the brother and sister, and their antics.

“So sorry
, my sister loves to aggravate me, but usually we try to keep it to a minimum when in front of strangers,” Ryan apologized. “Now that I am here though, maybe I can show you around.”

“She’s blind
, stupid, you can’t show her anything,” Belynda pointed out with an unladylike snort.

Someone
, Mr. McGregor, I assumed, took a sharp intake of breath and the hall grew silent. I could feel them all staring at me and knew they were embarrassed about Belynda’s careless words.

“A
pologize now,” Mr. McGregor commanded his daughter.

Her
statement hadn’t really bothered me, and I couldn’t see any merit in her getting in trouble at my expense, so I rushed to assure him she hadn’t offended me. “It’s alright, she’s telling the truth. I can’t see, but I can create images of everything if it is explained in detail and my other senses are strong enough to compensate for the loss of vision.” I turned to where Ryan last spoke and held out my arm. “If you will help me around the school and explain where I am, I can learn where everything is and how to get around by myself. That way I won’t burden you for too long.”

“As long as you need me
, I will be by your side,” he said, tucking my arm in his own.

“Thank you,
” I answered with a smile.

“Son, I expect you to stay at
Aurora’s side until she is comfortable around here,” Mr. McGregor warned as we began to walk away.

“Of course
, Father, I would never abandon a damsel in distress.” His hand tightened over mine and he whispered in my ear. “The old man is kind of protective of our Gems, and you are definitely one of them now.”

I wasn’t sure how to reply
to his odd statement, so I didn’t bother.

“Stop flirting
, your girlfriend will kill you if she sees you fawning over the new girl,” his sister teased behind us.

I had known she was there
, her scent gave her away and I laughed good-naturedly at her attempts to goad her brother. “So does he make a habit to flirt with all the new girls or is it just my overwhelming beauty that is making him frisky?” I asked with a smirk.

“I am wounded,”
Ryan said, squeezing my hand with a chuckle.

“I bet,” I responded
with a smile.

“
Oh, I am so going to like you,” Belynda said, looping her arm through my free one.

“
Great, just what I need, another diva around,” Ryan said good-naturedly. “I don’t have a girlfriend, by the way,” he whispered in my ear. “She dumped me a few days ago.”

Belynda
gasped, her surprise easy to read. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He laughed loudly and openly
, clearly unaffected by his ex-girlfriend’s actions. “I’m surprised you didn’t already know. There isn’t much that escapes you.”

“I was busy for the last few days
, remember?”

I could tell by her
soft, warning tone that it was not something she wanted to discuss in front of me, a stranger.

“Oh yeah, I forgot,” he murmured
. “Well, no matter, she wasn’t my true mate anyway. I was just having a good time with her; it wasn’t serious for either of us.”

“Mate?” I asked
, thinking it an odd term for a girlfriend. They both grew quiet, too quiet, and I felt my cheeks flame with embarrassment for calling him out on his odd use of language.

“Uh…I m
eant, like …you know, a soul mate,” he answered, sounding flustered.

I couldn’t help the chuckle that came from my throat at the idea. I mean the idea of one person who was made to complete you was just t
oo extraordinary. Of course, I realized I might not be the best judge of relationships. The only example I had was my parents and they had been a train wreck. My father had told me often that my mother was his soul mate, but she had left him at the first sign of difficulty and he had shouldered the burden of raising me all alone ever since. So I didn’t believe in soul mates or happily ever after. I just wasn’t that naive.

“You don’t believe in soul mates?” Ryan asked
, sounding incredulous.

“Let’s just say it would be very hard to convince m
e they exist,” I answered, not wanting to cause controversy on my first day at school.

Belynda laughed and let go of my
arm. “Girl, you are really in for a big surprise.”

“Sis
, this is not the time,” Ryan cautioned as we came to a stop. “Okay, we are at the door of the building where you will enter everyday when your car drops you off.”

I could tell he was trying to change the subject and since I too was not willing to di
scuss my feelings with people I just met, I was all right letting it go. “If you can walk me to my locker I can count the steps and memorize how to get there.”