Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,69

crawl in a hole and hide. The closest I could get was walling myself off emotionally, and I’d gotten pretty good at that in high school. So unfortunately, becoming a hermit had been a piece of cake.

By Thursday night, I’d successfully found a way to avoid everyone except Toni. I’d even kept my guardians at a distance, including Kai. Things between us had been a little weird since the kiss, which was totally my doing. It had awakened feelings in me I didn’t realize I felt so strongly, but it also clouded my judgement. Leaving was something I truly needed to consider, and I couldn’t allow my emotions to choose for me.

So, when I awoke Friday morning, I had all the clarity I needed, which was why I promptly put in a call to the Admin Office before heading out to take my last final. They agreed to speak with me in the evening regarding the matter.

Staying here would be a mistake. The island was unstable, and so was I, which was a terrible combination. Especially since the Darkness seemed to be disturbingly aware of me, possibly aware of what I’d become after transitioning. I couldn’t let myself be a danger to the natives of Sanluuk, the students at the academy.

My friends.

My guardians.

As much as I hated the idea, I decided it was for the best. All parties involved would be better off if I went home. Hopefully, with my birthday approaching, they’d be able to arrange my departure before it was too late.

Come nightfall, I supposed I’d have my answer.

As I crossed the courtyard—in shorts and a tank, since uniforms weren’t required during finals—several mini earthquakes behind me meant my guardians had just landed. It was completely involuntary, but I smiled super hard despite not being in the best of moods. My heart was so heavy knowing I’d have to leave it all behind.

“Morning, Princess.”

I’d gotten used to this being the only way Paulo greeted me and didn’t mind it so much anymore.

“Morning,” I echoed, glancing over my shoulder right after.

Sure enough, they were all beautiful as ever. Well, all except Ori, who’d been missing in action all week. He seemed to be making himself more scarce than usual after our talk, but after what the Queens shared, I had a better understanding of what made him tick. Seeing me and the other guys grow closer was hard for him at first, but not as hard as he, himself, deciding to let me in. Even if only a little.

“How’s it feel to be taking your last test today?” Rayen asked when he caught up.

I shrugged, having so much more than just this test riding on my shoulders.

“Good, I guess. It’s Sorcery, so it should be easy.” Provided there was no wolfsbane involved. I had to laugh to myself, remembering the nasty burn I received my first day in Ms. Audrina’s class.

“You and your friends hanging out after?” Kai’s question made my heart lurch.

“Um … no. We didn’t make any plans.” Honestly, I didn’t see the point. It was already going to kill me having to leave them behind. It’d been a while since I formed real, meaningful relationships. That was probably the most valuable thing this Island had given me.

It was still pretty early, so I stopped on a bench on the edge of the walkway, deciding to wait a bit before heading to class. The guys waited with me, of course.

When Kai stood close, I couldn’t help but to glance up at him, remembering the heat that moved over us both that night, remembering the feel of his lips against mine. The thought of it made me breathe in deeply, already feeling the loss of having to leave him and the others behind.

“Almost forgot,” Paulo spoke up, bringing my attention toward him as he dug into his pocket. He pulled out three pieces of brass. “Your pins,” he grinned.

My mouth curved up into a smile. “They really expect me to wear all three?”

He shrugged. “I think it’s kind of fitting, don’t you? Wear ‘em with pride.”

When I rolled my eyes, he laughed. “Thanks, I guess,” I told him as I accepted them.

The faint smile he’d managed to pull out of me faded quickly when I gazed across the courtyard, noticing that my friends—minus Toni, who I’d left behind while she showered—sat a good distance away, smiling and laughing together. They hadn’t noticed me yet, which I was grateful for. I hadn’t broken the news to them, and I