Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,82
to rival our power, but this one was giving us a run for our money, reinforcing the idea that it was supernatural. Leaves and small twigs pelted us as I trudged through the forest.
Noelle’s body shivered in my arms as I pressed toward the Weeping Stone, but she wasn’t cold. Actually, she was burning up. It was pain that made her move like this, and I felt completely helpless.
“There’s a cave nearby,” I said against her ear. “I’ll take you there so we can get out of the rain.”
“No!” she protested, gathering strength from some unknown place. “The stone.” The insistence in her tone made me pause mid-step, gazing down into her hazel eyes.
What was so important that she had to go there, to that specific location?
I’d just decided to ignore her wishes, and take her to safety, when a pleading look made me hesitate.
“I’d go on my own if I could,” she admitted, “but I need to get to the stone.”
Everything within me wanted to ignore her wishes, to do what I knew was best, and not what she requested. Only, that wasn’t so easy. In this moment, she was completely reliant on me, and I was painfully aware of being all she had.
Frustrated, I peered around, hating that I actually felt torn. Hated that I cared for some stupid reason.
“Why there? What’s so important about the stone?” I asked. The words sounded harsh leaving my mouth, which I didn’t regret until I stared down on her again. The rain fell in sheets now, covering us both, and I ignored the urge to push strands of hair from her face.
She breathed deeply, and forced her eyes open fully. “Because I left something there,” she revealed. “Something I buried beside the stone.”
My brow tensed, and my chest moved against her when I drew in a breath.
“What could be so important?” I shouted above the sound of the wind. “I need to get you out of the rain, and to the caves where the others are headed. We can’t afford to take a detour.”
“We can’t afford not to,” she snapped, nearly panting now. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the pain, or because she was frustrated with me.
When I didn’t immediately give in, she wriggled a bit, trying to break free from my arms to get down onto the ground.
“Stop it!” I protested.
“You are not my father!” she practically growled, feisty as ever.
Her small hands shoved hard against my chest, and I decided to let her have her way, loosening my grip to place her feet on the soil. She stumbled like I expected her to, but she was so determined, I got tired of fighting. Once she inevitably passed out, I’d grab her again and be back on course.
Confused, I watched as she glanced around, paying special attention to certain trees. Eventually, she seemed to get her bearings, and moved with surprising speed toward the Weeping Stone.
I didn’t miss the look of relief that overcame her when she laid eyes on it, and immediately dropped down to her knees, moving a small rock out of her way before digging through the dirt. Every movement was hard on her, and I could see the agony on her face.
“Just … stop,” I sighed, already regretting what I was about to offer. “I’ll do it.”
My knees sank into the mud first, and then my fingers as I shoved handfuls aside, twice as fast as Noelle had been able to.
But then, I stopped when I touched something, a small pouch that nearly blended in with the dirt. It hung in the air between Noelle and I when I lifted it, and then passed her a questioning stare.
“This what you were looking for?”
Her throat moved when she swallowed hard, and then lunged for the satchel. Being much faster than her—especially now—she missed and fell into my arms instead. If she hadn’t been so weak, I was certain she would’ve backed away, but she didn’t have the strength at the moment. Instead, she rested there, letting her body stay propped against mine as she breathed into my hair.
“I asked you a question?” I said sternly, demanding an answer.
The stubborn thing—as bad off as she was—still wouldn’t answer, but unfortunately for her, I was at least ten times as pigheaded.
“Fine. You want to keep your secret? Then it’ll be one only you and the river will ever know.”
She pulled at my shoulders as I stood, fully intent on launching it into the water