Azure Dragons (Supernatural Shifter Academy #2) - G. Bailey Page 0,16
me this way…” He leads the throng of students down the main hall and out a separate door on the other side, where a lawn full of modern sculptures and flowering plants gives way to a set of equally gorgeous buildings.
“This is nice,” Silas observes, falling into step alongside me.
“Damn right,” agrees Landon. “I think I could get used to this.”
“Don’t get too comfortable,” I warn them, laughing a little. “We’re not here for long.”
“Exactly,” Landon replies. “Which is why I plan to make the most of it.” He winks at me, and I stifle an eye roll, even though I can feel my heart do a little flip-flop.
The dorm building reminds me a lot of the one back at our campus, except with modern architecture and furniture that reminds me a little bit of a hotel lobby. The biggest difference is that the rooms start on the ground floor and there doesn’t seem to be a division between male and female dorms. Lyle turns to us, examining the piece of paper. “Well, let’s not drag this out,” he says. “This is a new building, and there are only a handful of American students currently rooming here. We have suite-style dorms here, which means a shared common area with four connecting rooms each. We were originally planning to give assignments ourselves, but this was a bit of a rush job. So…” He shrugs his shoulders. “They’ve decided to leave it up to you guys to pick your rooms. Any issues you have, I would be happy to assist. So… I guess that’s all she wrote. Go crazy, or whatever.”
He puts his hands behind his back, and the rest of us look around in confusion, waiting for some kind of further instructions. When none come, and it becomes clear that we really are being left to our own devices, the students begin to disperse in a practical frenzy. I glance back at the others with a questioning look on my face. “Well, you heard the man,” Shade says, crossing his arms and smirking. “Let’s figure out where we’re gonna be shacking up for this little adventure.”
Chapter 7
I can’t help but feel a rush of excitement as I follow Hazel and the guys out of the common area and up to the dorm level. While the dorms back home have a bit of an austere feel to them, like a convent or a monastery, the upper floor here looks practically like a hotel room, with modern glass fixtures and numbered doors stretching along either wall. On the front of each suite door is a white board marked with the names of the residents inside, although as Lyle said, it seems like this building is mostly empty. Other students are already peering into rooms with an almost childlike glee, and I can’t blame them—we’ve more or less been given free reign here, and Landon was right: we ought to make the most of it.
“What about this one?” asks Silas, pausing in front of one of the doors on the right.
“Sorry, taken!” comes a voice from inside, followed by a chorus of muffled agreements.
“This is why you’ve got to be on the ball, Aconite,” Shade tells him, continuing down the hall. “First come, first serve.”
“All right, all right,” Silas says, rolling his eyes. We share a brief look, and I quirk an eyebrow at him, making the big dragon shifter break out in a grin.
“You know, I wasn’t expecting them to have coed suites,” Hazel remarks thoughtfully, crossing her arms as I push open another door and peer cautiously inside. “These Americans are… progressive.”
“What do you mean by that?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder.
She winks at me. “I think you know what I mean, Brix.”
“Ladies, ladies,” Landon says, pushing between us, “there’s no need for such risque talk. You’re looking at a group of bona fide gentlemen. Isn’t that right, Hunter?”
The vampire shifter rolls his eyes. “Try telling that to Shade.”
Shade just grins at the rest of us as he comes to stand beside me in the common area. It’s surprisingly roomy, with floor to ceiling windows on one side, along with a balcony that overlooks the vast lawn, with a view of downtown in the distance. There’s a small kitchenette, along with a table and chairs and a sofa. “Is this what the high life feels like?” he asks with a mocking wonder in his voice, his gray eyes wide.
“I have to admit, it’s impressive,” observes Silas, hugging his elbows as he