Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,45

him again.

His massive hand nearly consumed my entire back when he braced me to his chest. It was odd being comforted by him, someone I deemed to be a brute.

“What happened?” I asked groggily, mildly aware of the pendulum going airborne, but then not much else after that.

“You were nearly decapitated, so … Paulo tackled you before that could happen,” another voice said gently. Peering up, I realized it was Ori this time.

He lifted me from Paulo’s arms and into his own. Despite myself, I leaned into his chest as he held me tightly against it. Inside, his heart thundered like a million drums, and the sound was oddly soothing. I wouldn’t normally indulge in being carried like a child, but with pain shooting through my head, I was in no condition to argue about it.

Besides, maybe I was just feeling vulnerable in that moment, but … it felt nice.

Better than anything I’d felt in a long time.

The room was alive with conversation—questions and accusations coming from every corner as I was carried away from it all. Several sets of footsteps followed, and it wasn’t until my friends bombarded the guys with questions that I realized who they belonged to.

“Is she okay?” Marcella and Toni asked in unison.

“What happened?” Manny questioned.

“Where are you taking her?” was what Tristan wanted to know.

A large metal door squealed, and we were finally offstage, finally in the privacy of a dark room, away from those who’d just seen what an oddball I was.

It felt like high school all over again.

“She’s fine, I think,” Ori snapped, unable to hide the urgency in his tone. “And I have no idea what happened, but we’re taking her someplace safe.”

“You don’t think she’s safe?” Toni’s voice was shrill as she peered up at Ori, panic more than obvious in her expression.

I expected him to lash out again, feeling frustrated by the questions that came from the ones who cared about me. However, after breathing deeply, he stared at Toni with more compassion than I realized he had within him.

“We’re not sure, but we intend to do our part to keep her that way.”

He seemed different. Less … noxious than usual. If he wasn’t careful, I might start thinking he had a soul after all.

Ori’s reassurance seemed to settle Toni down a bit. “We’ll take care of her,” he told her, and I felt his promise make an impression on my heart.

Chapter Thirteen

Noelle

Apparently, packing my own bag was a bit too strenuous in the guys’ opinion. So, I got to lie across my bed, watching three mountains disguised as men meander around my room as they tried to anticipate the things I’d need. After watching them fail super hard for ten minutes—gathering every single hair product I owned, three bottles of perfume to last me one weekend, and a pair of high heels—I begged them to stop.

The effort that began with random items being tossed into my duffle bag, was now mildly organized. They listened, and I was able to direct them toward the things I’d actually need. The only items I managed to convince them to let me grab on my own were bras and panties.

Small favors, I suppose.

From the walk down the hallway from my dorm, until we climbed into Kai’s jeep, there were stares. Not that I wasn’t expecting it, but I guess a part of me held out hope I hadn’t made as big a spectacle of myself as I thought.

Wrong.

The other students looked at me like I was every bit the weirdo I already felt I was.

Details were still foggy. Being tackled by a guy bigger than any linebacker I’d ever seen could have that effect on a girl. Still, Paulo had only intervened to save my life, and from the shock I’d seen on the guys’ faces, that was no exaggeration.

Ori described the pendulum embedded into the auditorium wall. With no desire to see it for myself, I decided to take their word for it.

We drove several miles before coming to a stop in a dense section of forest, and I was surprised when Kai killed the engine there, instead of simply passing through.

“Where are we?” I asked, feeling my head spin a bit. I’d tried doing a spell on myself to get rid of it completely, but I was pretty sure I missed something.

Banged up head strikes again.

“Our place.” When Kai answered, I paused with one foot planted in the soil, and the other still in his jeep. He noticed when I