Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,41

above, the symbols were clearly glowing.

It was too cool not to point out, so I turned, planning to tap Toni to get her attention. Only, her attention was already elsewhere.

“Looks like your boys are back,” she grinned, biting her lip as she eyed them. The comment prompted Marcela to turn and stare, too.

Meanwhile, Tristan kept his gaze trained straight ahead, pretending not to notice.

And there they stood, the three I hadn’t been startled by this evening. From the looks of things, they’d managed to clean up since patrol, unlike Rayen. They were still casual compared to the other mentors who lined the perimeter wearing suits and dresses.

My guardians wore khaki shorts, the kind with all the pockets, their tanks varying in color. Ori was in white today, Paulo in blue, and Kai in military-green with a beaded necklace that barely fit his thick neck. It should have been a dress code violation to wear shirts that tight, but I had a feeling no one would even consider making a complaint.

They were too fun to look at.

Realizing my thoughts had gone too far, I snapped out of it.

“I think they’re looking for you.” When Marcela pointed it out, I realized she was right. The way the guys scanned the crowd meticulously, their stoic expressions never softening.

“Yeah, well let them keep looking,” I sighed. “They’re all a huge pain in my—”

“Quit being mean,” Marcela interjected with a laugh as she leaned around me to smile menacingly at Toni. “Think I should let them know she’s here?” she asked her.

Toni nodded wildly, excited by the idea. “Oh, absolutely!”

“Guys, no. Please don’t do anything stupid,” I pleaded. Only, my whining went unnoticed as the two seated at either side of me got even more worked up.

“I got this,” Marcela whispered, and before I could stop her, she was on her doggone feet. “Hey!” she called out, getting my guardians’ attention … and everyone else’s, too. “She’s right here.”

This girl had no shame.

As if they hadn’t already spotted me, Marcela went on to point, which made hiding my face inside my blazer one hundred percent necessary.

My shoulders were given a hard shake when the big mouth finally took her seat again. “Thank me later,” she whispered in my ear.

“Thank you? Actually, I’m gonna kill you,” I warned, unsure of why a laugh was on the verge of slipping out. Especially seeing as how I hadn’t been this embarrassed in a while.

Well, not since fifteen minutes ago, when Rayen had been the cause.

My friends—if you could even call the traitors that—continued to giggle about Marcela’s stunt. I heard them talking, saying how crazy they thought I was for not being more excited about having these dragons stalking my whole life, but their voices began to fade into the background. Mostly because I decided to be brave and glance toward them again, the three who stood guard.

They spotted me, of course, and I immediately regretted that I hadn’t been able to fight the urge to steal a second look. If I wasn’t careful, they could mistake my stare for something it wasn’t, could think it meant more than it did.

Which it definitely did not.

Once I reminded myself of this possibility, my gaze shifted to the stage, where it should have been all along. Clearing my throat, I listened intently as a woman stepped front and center.

The dark cloak she wore reminded me of the Elders back in Seaton Falls, but with her hood lowered, she seemed far less ominous. Long, dark hair hung to her neck, disappearing inside the garb. She shared the features most common to the natives of Sanluuk, so it was safe to assume she was a member of the tribe.

“Ano-luana,” she greeted us.

A unified “Ano-luana” echoed back to her from the crowd.

“My name is Alani, and it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this term’s Pinning Ritual on the island of Sanluuk.” She spoke loudly, not needing a microphone to address the hundreds of us gathered here for the event. “You haven’t been with us long, but it is my hope that you will begin to think of this place as your home, too. In the very least, it will feel that way while you dwell with us.”

The group gave a brief applause before falling silent again.

“As you’re all aware, the administrators, advisors, and instructors have been heavily focused on getting each of you acclimated to being on the island. While our objective is still to ensure your success, things