Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,37

what being here represented for me—the first step toward independence, the beginning of my journey. Whatever the case, I hadn’t stopped grinning that morning or afternoon, and grinned some more as I got dressed that evening. Even as I stepped into the plaid skirt with classic pleating, as I buttoned the crisp white shirt, and then pushed my arms into the blazer.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Toni grumbled, “but your unending happiness has been disgusting.”

I burst out laughing and crossed the room to pat the top of her head in the most patronizing manner possible. Until she swatted me away, that is.

“Toni, it’s a beautiful evening! Don’t fight it,” I declared.

I’d kept my experience at the lagoon to myself, so she wouldn’t get why I was so relieved all of a sudden, wouldn’t get why six weeks with no incidents felt like such a win for me. The only other soul who knew was Kai.

With a heavy sigh, Toni silently mocked me, which only made me smile bigger. “Just … go,” she insisted. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. And don’t forget to hold my seat.”

Checking the time, I decided to take her up on that offer to get a head start. “See you in a few.”

She waved, and with that, I was on my way down the hall, the stairs, and finally bursting through the doors of our dormitory.

Several students were crossing the yard, headed toward the main building just like I was. In the background, in all its majestic splendor, the academy stood with golden lights aimed upward from the grass, illuminating its aged brick façade.

Everything about this place only fed into my already cheerful mood. Nothing, and I mean nothing could have ruined it.

My head was basically in the clouds, which accounted for why I was late to realize several of those walking in sync with me had stopped. It dawned on me that they were staring behind us, mouths agape, but I didn’t even think to panic.

That is, until what sounded like a huge missile piercing through the air seemed to be headed straight for us.

Or, should I say, headed straight toward me.

The ground beneath me quaked violently when a huge ball of fire landed beside me, tearing up a sizable chunk of grass and soil with it. Only, it wasn’t a weapon, or a meteor that caused the disturbance.

It was Rayen.

Even before I could clearly see his face, it was the long, dark curls tied at the nape of his neck that gave him away. The fire that cloaked his entire body subsided with the retreat of his dragon, and the tattooed lip print on his collarbone became visible. The trace outline of massive wings trimmed in flames pulled toward his body, and then disappeared altogether.

Unfortunately, after such a grand entrance, all eyes were on us, and whispers fluttered into the wind. Just what I needed, a reason for people to stare and point. Meanwhile, I stood with a hand clutched to my chest from the heart attack he’d nearly given me.

Moving at a casual pace that didn’t match the intensity of his landing, Rayen stood upright, rolling his broad shoulders in slow-motion to stretch them while he eyed me. Unable to fight it, I smiled a bit.

Dragons could be such show-offs sometimes.

“Evening, Princess.” The hint of a coy grin touched his lips when he greeted me, and I swear my heart went stupid, beating all fast like that smirk of his actually meant something.

It would have felt so good to deck him, but I settled for a major eye roll. Mostly because I was certain that doing so would hurt me much more than it hurt him.

“Please tell me the others aren’t planning to drop in from the sky, too?”

“Nah, just me this time,” he snickered.

Their presence—even when it was just one of them—had been so frustrating at first, but I was admittedly starting to get used to it. Although, I couldn’t tell them that.

I turned to continue on my path, aware of Rayen as he followed. “You all have gotten this stalking thing down to a science,” I teased. “None of the other mentors track their students’ every move.”

After pointing this out, I glanced around. Sure enough, there was nothing but a sea of uniforms herding toward the main building, but no Mentors.

And then there was Rayen, taking long strides beside me now. One step for him was two for me. In my peripheral vision, I took in the full