Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,46

hesitated, which made him laugh a bit. “Chill. Paulo’s giving up his bed for you. This isn’t some kind of setup.”

“No, I … I didn’t think that,” I lied. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to think.

The others climbed out, and without being asked, Ori reached and took the bag from my shoulder, trudging through the underbrush as the rest of us trailed him.

I still wasn’t allowed to walk on my own. With Kai at one side, and Paulo at the other, I felt like a toddler. It didn’t help my case the few times I stumbled, but still.

We reached the base of a long, torch-lit dock that stretched halfway across a dark-blue lagoon. At the other end, a moderately sized bungalow with a rounded thatch roof. Flowing from a cliff wall on the far side, a waterfall emptied below, and as if the setting wasn’t already perfect enough, the moon was brighter than I think I’d ever seen. Its shimmering reflection moved across the water in silver waves.

“It’s not exactly luxurious, like I’m sure you’re used to, but it’s home,” Paulo explained, glancing down at me with a smile. All of a sudden, I was more aware of his arm around my waist. He didn’t seem to notice how being so close to him made me breathe uneasily, but I definitely noticed.

“It’s nice,” I assured him. “Actually, it’s beautiful.”

There was no other word for what I saw before me.

Boards creaked beneath our feet, but I was certain that if the dock had held their weight all these years, it would hold mine. The water was so clear I spotted the colorful fish swimming beside us despite it being night. Tall torches lined the walkway and lit our path as we neared the bungalow.

I imagined sunsets from this location were a sight to behold. Apparently, with the guys full-on kidnapping me for the weekend, I would find out.

There wasn’t much need for locked doors so far out from civilization, so a simple turn of the knob, and we were inside. Rayen sat perched expectantly on the couch, as if he knew they were having company tonight. Although, I couldn’t remember any of the others calling ahead. Still, the scent of disinfectant and air freshener made me question again whether he somehow knew I was on my way.

“Feeling okay?” Rayen asked when he stood. He was clean now, and his freshly-washed, damp hair rested over his shoulders in tight ringlets. I was beyond confused by his question, though. He did know what happened.

“I’m … Wait, how’d you hear already? Has word spread that quickly?”

When I freaked out a bit, it made him smile. “Take it easy,” he laughed. “Ori popped in and told me.” When he tapped the side of his head, my brow twitched again and I glanced toward the others as they settled in, closing the door behind us.

“You all can communicate telepathically?”

A quick nod gave me the answer I suspected. “Yeah, it’s a little gift we were given when Spirit called us.”

“My parents are linked that way,” I shared. “It’s something only descendants of the original dragons are able to do on the mainland.”

It was beyond interesting that that wasn’t the case here.

“Have a seat,” Paulo offered, gesturing to the armchair beside me.

Dropping down into it, I smiled a bit. “Thanks.”

He gave a nod as he settled onto the couch. “So, you haven’t used your tether to link to anyone? No one back home? A … close friend maybe?”

The question felt loaded.

“Uh, no. A couple weeks before I found out I was selected for admission, my mom suggested that we tether if I was accepted, but I didn’t want that.”

Rayen’s head tilted when curiosity filled his eyes. “The two of you don’t get along?”

I was shaking my head before he even finished speaking. “It’s not like that. Actually, I’m pretty close to both my parents. It was just … I guess I wanted to know I could do this on my own.”

When I looked up from where I nervously fidgeted with my nails in my lap, I found Ori watching me with a look I hadn’t expected.

Respect.

“Is that why Daddy called for the best of the best to keep an eye on his little princess?” Paulo asked with a smile.

While his statement bordered on cocky, there wasn’t a question in my mind that what he stated was completely true. They were the best of the best.

Embarrassment caused heat to flash across my face, having the subject resurrected from several