Azure Dragons (Supernatural Shifter Academy #2) - G. Bailey Page 0,29

a bunch of bureaucrats are going to be deciding our futures, I’d like to hear what they have to say.”

“Same here,” Hunter puts in. “Most of the board members are going to be there, and I ought to go there to support my dad - at least, for a little while.”

“Screw that,” Landon replies. “I want to learn about blending into human society.”

“I wouldn’t mind just poking around for a bit,” Hazel adds. “You know, to see what looks interesting.”

“Maybe we should split up, then,” I suggest. “We can all meet up around lunchtime and go get something to eat together. Until then, we can go do our own thing.”

“That works for me,” Shade replies. The others murmur their agreement.

“I guess we’ll see you guys later, then?” asks Xander, turning to us.

“Sounds like a plan,” I reply.

The group disperses into the building, Hazel, Xander, and Ruby heading in one direction and Landon and Shade heading in another. I’m left standing between Hunter and Silas. “Well,” the dragon shifter says, turning to me, “do you want to come with us, Boots?”

“Yes,” I reply. It’s not even a question; Silas is right. This could end up being a landmark event, and like it or not, we’re smack in the middle of it. This could also be a chance to learn more about the experiments the humans conducted on us, and one look at Silas tells me he’s thinking the same thing. Now is the time to be strategic, especially if it means getting some insight into the humans’ plans for us.

Wordlessly, the three of us file into the building, taking in the soaring ceiling and massive banks of glass windows on all sides. Everywhere I look, I see booths with conflicting messages and themes - some are clearly geared towards shifters, while some seem to be more human-focused. Opportunists using this as a chance to sell their services to the magical community have staked out at a lot of the tables, and the walls are littered with signs declaring messages of coexistence and unity. It all feels a bit disingenuous.

I follow the two guys down the length of the hall, weaving my way between other attendees as I do my best to keep up with them. At one point, I almost run smack into a security guard who’s no doubt here to make sure unsuspecting humans don’t wander in, thinking it’s some kind of public access event. I’m struck by the fact that there’s no easy way to tell which of the attendees are humans and which are shifters; if you didn’t know any better, you’d think there was no way to distinguish them at all. I spent most of my life thinking that, and yet here I am. Talk about getting thrown into the deep end.

There are signs directing us up a steep set of stairs and towards the main auditorium where the peace talks are being held. There’s already a crowd forming outside, although the number of students waiting to get in is surprisingly small; the others are likely more interested in the glamorous aspects of the conference than the messy political stuff, which only makes me feel even more out of place. Silas comes to a halt on one side of me, with Hunter on the other, and as we stand there, pressed body to body while we wait to be let inside, I feel more aware of their presences than ever before. On one side, Silas: big, thoughtful, and determined to find out the truth, even if it means walking into danger himself. On the other, Hunter: lanky and brooding, with an inferiority complex that he’s been nursing all his life that belies a more fun-loving side underneath. Both incredibly handsome, both so different… and yet both more similar than one would realise. And I’m what links them together, in more ways than one. It’s… a heavy notion, and it makes me feel something I can’t quite put my finger on. Once again, my mind drifts back to the kiss I shared with Hunter, only for me to be struck with overwhelming guilt at having done it behind Silas’ back; part of me wants to blurt it out right then and there, just to be rid of the tension, but I’m paralysed with indecision.

Finally, they let us inside the auditorium where a banner reading, “Human-Shifter Peace Summit” hangs over the stage. A roundtable sits in the middle, with well-dressed men and women on all sides, and I can