To my relief, neither Anna nor Matt were present as we started off. So I moved up on Sebastian as he ran fluidly at the head of the students.
He didn’t even glance at me as I matched strides with him. “Is it true…that they’ve found Galeran?” I asked.
His pale gaze snapped to me, and then away. “What do you know of Galeran?” he huffed in a voice as cold as the air at forty thousand feet.
Shards.What in the blazes was I doing? Sebastian was Bellati, and by the edge to him, this wasn’t a topic he wished to discuss.
“Suppositions…mostly.” I kept my voice level, as though only mildly curious. “Heard he wiped out a few cities…Don’t know if it’s true.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “It’s true.”
I debated, but what did I have to lose? “How does anyone do that?…No one has that kind of power.”
His wide lips straightened. Four, five, six strides before he answered in a tone that sent a chill down my spine. “He borrowed it…from another.”
I was nothing if not stubborn. “I heard that…Hadn’t believed it.”
“Well it’s true.” The Bellati’s glare slid over me, and away.
Suspicion roiled within me. “How can you be so sure?”
His eyes snapped back to me, and they blazed a pure silver, before he snarled, “Because…I was there.” He put on a burst of speed and pulled away from me.
I couldn’t have matched it if I tried. Didn’t want to. So that was Sebastian’s secret. He’d been one of those recruited to serve a madman.
The Bellati was a totally no-nonsense, intelligent guy. Someone I might come to respect if I stayed. How had he managed to be sucked into such chaos?
I snorted. I, too, was a no-nonsense, intelligent guy. And look at the chaos my life had become. Sometimes it just found you if you didn’t duck in time.
It likely explained why Sebastian had been chosen to babysit the academy rather than accompany the rest on the mission. Revenge was a dangerous game to play. Made you careless.
As I cooled down after the run, I contemplated all the secrets the people in this place held. I’d thought that I was the greatest holder of them. I’d been wrong.
It seemed far too many here had something to hide.
* * *
I blinked myself awake.
I’d lain as a Dragon all afternoon on the academy’s roof, absorbing the sunlight as I continued to debate life choices.
I hadn’t intended to fall asleep. It shocked me that I had—another symptom of just how far I’d slid from my norm. Now the sun had sunk below the horizon. I’d been up here for hours. Had it been the cool evening breeze that awoke me?
No. I still felt the tingling beneath my skin. Someone had activated another gate.Shards,I’d hoped to have at least a day to enact my plans. Was the strike team back already?
I tilted my head. I sensed something... familiar.
I was airborne before I’d finished the thought, winging toward it, adrenaline kicking my heart into gear.
I headed for the gate in front of the academy. In the meadow below me, a gray form galloped full out. Sebastian had sensed the gate open, too. Behind him, a Sabre and red-haired Dire raced.
Seemed like all the guardians were coming to the party. But even a Unicorn couldn’t outrun a flying Dragon. My eyes scanned the trail leading to the gate and fell upon someone I’d not expected to see again, at least not anytime soon.
I slammed down in front of him and writhed my way to human.
“Haki!” I wrapped him in an embrace.
He was the only living thing I ever did that to. I thought he looked a little haggard, but he returned my embrace with enthusiasm. His voice was hoarse when he responded, “Shards, you look...”
