Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,83
if she didn’t confess.
“Ori, stop!”
The desperation in her tone moved through the atmosphere, halting my steps despite my full intent to get rid of the thing. Turning to face her, she crawled through the mud, winded, racked with pain. When her eyes lifted to meet mine, I hated that I felt something. There was no name for the sensation, just … something.
“It’s a kill switch,” she panted, “the only security I have.”
My brow tensed and I opened my palm, letting my gaze settle on what felt like little more than a stone hidden in the fabric.
“Please,” she begged. “If I go too far, if I lose control and need to be stopped, that’s what’ll do it.”
We were drenched, soaked with water from head to toe, and yet I hardly noticed the rain or thunder anymore.
“You were … planning to sacrifice yourself?”
Her head lowered, and despite my better judgment, I stepped closer.
“I know you barely tolerate me,” she stated as sure as if it were a fact. “But no one would hate me more than me if I turn into something that will only bring destruction and pain. Something wicked,” she added, still not meeting my gaze. “I only want to make sure I don’t do anything I can’t take back.”
Her words trailed off, and while I could stop myself from going to her, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling for her.
“The stone is cursed,” she finally revealed. “I made it myself with a spell I found in one of my aunt’s books. All I have to do is touch it and, just like that, everyone will be safe.”
The day we met, I was one hundred percent certain I had Noelle pegged. In my imagination, she was the mainlander’s spoiled little princess who had likely had her spot here handed to her on a silver platter. I assumed she didn’t have a shred of humility in her body.
But now, I was forced to completely reevaluate.
She didn’t know this island, its people, the love and history that resided here, and yet she respected it. So much so, she had every intention to put the island before her own life.
“Ori, no! What are you doing?” She cried out behind me, watching as I continued with my original plan, rearing back before casting the stone far out into the water.
I turned when the sound of her feet sloshing through the mud alerted me that she was headed for the river. She moved fast—faster than I realized she still could in this condition—but she charged full-steam ahead with clear resolve. Her sights were locked on it, and I was positive she intended to dive in after the stone.
It wasn’t until I caught her waist that she finally halted, but not for lack of trying. Both fists slammed my chest as she pushed and shoved, determined to dislodge herself from my grasp, but there was no way she could overpower me. Not even on her best day.
“Weren’t you listening?” she screamed, sobbing against my shoulder when she became tired and winded. “Why would you do that?”
A million excuses flashed through my thoughts, but they were only that. Excuses. My eyes slammed shut, and I tried to shake off that small voice in the back of my head. The one that told me day one Noelle wasn’t at all what I made her out to be. The one that told me there something to Kai’s claim whether I wanted to believe it or not.
“Answer me,” she practically whispered.
Without meaning to, my arms tightened around her, and I scooped her up to my chest again, cradling her as her strength began to wane.
“Because … it won’t come to that,” I promised, knowing I shouldn’t. Truth was, I had no more of a clue how this would end than she did, but I also knew I didn’t want it to end with her not existing anymore.
“You don’t know that,” she countered, locking her arms around my neck as we pressed toward the caves again.
“I know enough.”
She was getting warmer by the minute, which prompted me to run faster.
“Your chief should’ve let me leave,” she continued, filling me with confusion.
“You’ve spoken with Chief Makana?”
Her damp hair moved against my neck when she nodded weakly. “Not on purpose,” she uttered. “I requested to speak with an advisor about withdrawing from the academy, but he met me there instead, said he couldn’t let me go.”
Every red flag rose, and several alarms blared inside my head. Not only had Chief not mentioned this