Silver - By Kailin Gow Page 0,48

was no way it could have happened. This was something else. Gradual y, as her heart rate returned to normal, the fangs receded.

That was good. At least Briony wouldn’t be stuck with them al the time. Of course, that stil left the question of what was going on.

This was whatever Aunt Sophie had been al uding to al those times without ever actual y saying it. Briony was certain of it. More than that, she was sure that it was related to whatever Aunt Sophie was.

Which meant, of course, that there was one obvious place to go for more information. As much as he had scared her before, as dangerous as he was, Briony was going to have to have another talk with Pietre. Only this time, she doubted that he would make things simple for her by showing up at the inn uninvited.

Chapter 18

“You said that you had found the dragon?” Briony asked.

Fal on nodded. “He’s in the school. He shouldn’t be hard to track down.”

“Good, because I bet that if anyone knows why I suddenly have fangs, it wil be him.”

They set off looking for him, scouring the school corridors, checking the library, and working their way through the music rooms one by one. The strange young man with the amber-gold eyes wasn’t in any of them. Briony was just about to give up and go to class when they passed the cafeteria. There, sitting close to the doors that led outside and eating a sandwich, was a familiar, golden skinned figure.

“There he is! Hel o. No, wait!”

Almost from the first words, the dragon shifter was on his feet, walking briskly for the doors. Briony knew that she couldn’t afford to lose him. Not only was he her best chance of finding out what was going on, he was also the only way that she was going to be able to open the gate Aunt Sophie had gone through. She ran after him.

The moment Briony ran, the dragon shifter ran too, barreling out through the cafeteria doors and into the yard.

He ran on, heading for the playing fields. He was quick, but Briony was determined, and Fal on was running alongside her. Briony was sure that he could catch up to the dragon any time he chose.

“Fal on,” Briony yel ed, “don’t wait for me. Just catch him.”

Fal on nodded and streaked ahead with that unnatural speed he had. It was too late though. Briony had waited too long before tel ing him to do it, and the dragon shifter was already out on the fields. Stil running, he started to shift, gaining bulk, great wings sprouting from his back, claws springing from his hands and feet. Between one stride and the next, he went from a man young enough looking to hang around the school without comment to the great golden beast Briony had been so in awe of. Two beats of its massive wings later, and the creature was airborne.

Fal on was back to her in a flash, but Briony knew even he couldn’t do anything from there.

“We’ve lost him,” she said.

“Not necessarily. Put your arms around my neck, Briony.”

“What? Why?” She did it anyway.

“I’ve been practicing something that might help. You know Jake can levitate a little?” Suddenly, Fal on was aloft, above the level of the school buildings and travel ing at tremendous speed. “Wel , I seem to be able to take it a bit further.”

“You… you can fly?” Briony asked.

Fal on smiled. “Since we’re currently about thirty feet up, you’d better hope so. Actual y, it’s more like jumping, except that I get a lot of hang time.”

Even as he said it, they started to angle down towards the ground. They barely touched it before Fal on was airborne once again, and Briony with him. Briony squirmed at the sensation of bounding along like that, but Fal on pul ed her closer.

“Try not to move about too much. I’ve never done this with a passenger before.”

“I didn’t know that you had ever done it before,”

Briony pointed out.

She felt Fal on shrug, more than seeing it.

“Vampires only acquire their talents with time, as their body stabilizes after the change. Different vampires have…” he paused to make another leap “…different abilities. This is a new one for me.”

Briony tried not to think about what that meant for the amount of practice Fal on had probably had. If it let them keep up with the dragon, then she wasn’t going to complain. Not that Briony