Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,36

he asserted. “It’d be remiss of me not to say that … I think you should consider leaving. Pack your things, and never look back or even think of this place again.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of that, so I didn’t speak.

“The Darkness touched you, so it knows who you are now. Which means it knows more about you than you could ever imagine,” he explained. “Mark my words; it will use that against you one day.”

A chill ran down my back. What had the Darkness discovered about me? Had it sensed what so many others predicted—that once I transitioned, I would no longer be able to control myself? Did it know there was something terribly wrong with me?

I worked so hard to get here, but … maybe Kai was right. Maybe this was a sign that I ought to cut my losses before I did something I’d regret.

Something I couldn’t take back.

Chapter Ten

Noelle

Kai’s warning hadn’t fallen on deaf ears, so I wasn’t taking any chances.

After the lagoon, the countdown began. I’d been on high alert for any strange phenomena—dreams, waking visions, or even odd sensations that might be a sign something was wrong with me. Or worse, a sign that the entity was trying to communicate with me again.

I gave it six weeks, and that self-imposed probationary period concluded just one night before the Pinning Ritual. As I readied myself for that very event, it meant I made it. I’d officially crossed the threshold into safety and could once again focus only on school.

The first term was over, but not a moment too soon. Fourteen weeks of class—with one week of finals still ahead of us—made the impending two-week break seem like a dream come true. I’d use that time to catch up on sleep, and then it would be back to the grind for the second term.

Breathing a deep sigh of relief, I dug around inside my closet. After being terrified that I might have to forfeit my hopes of joining the Guard, it seemed I’d been afraid for nothing. Things had settled again.

In fact, being in the clear had put me in an unusually good mood, able to appreciate the beauty of yet another lovely sunset. Here on the island, they were unlike anything I’d ever seen. So many colors gracing the sky all at once, the lush greenery now dark silhouettes outside our dorm window. This was a daily reminder of how fortunate we were to be living in paradise.

Toni and I fumbled around our room, searching for items we needed to finish getting ready. We were let out of class half a day early, and even having the entire afternoon and a good portion of the evening to prepare, we still managed to fall behind schedule. Most of our things had yet to be put in their rightful places, so that didn’t help matters any. And now, with the ceremony starting soon, we had to rush.

“Ugh!” Toni grumbled with frustration. At that very moment, I poked my head out of the closet, wearing a triumphant grin that contrasted her scowl.

“Yes!” In my hand, I held the bottle of perfume I’d been searching for over the past ten minutes. Turned out it slipped my mind that I tucked it inside a gym shoe for safe keeping, and it had been there since we first arrived on the island.

Smiling at Toni, I rubbed in that I’d found what I’d been looking for, while she continued to scour through a box where she hoped to come across her hair pins. Because today was a bit of a special occasion—honoring first-year students like ourselves—we were putting a bit more effort into getting ready than normal. Toni planned to pin some of her braids at the top into a bun, but couldn’t find what she needed.

“You look pretty with it down,” I assured her,

She sighed deeply. “I mean, I know I’m cute and all, but I had my heart set on a certain look for this evening.” When she rested in the chair at our desk, it was obvious she’d be a while. “Just … go without me,” she urged. “And if they don’t have us seated by last name, save me a spot, would you?”

“Of course,” I added, nodding.

Returning to the closet, I removed the thick garment bag where my freshly laundered uniforms hung on hangers. I was still just as proud to wear them today as I was at the start of this term. Maybe because of