“It is a nice day for eating outside,” the Dorinthian suggested.
So we took our trays to the back steps and sat in the shade. The field was full of Dires—someone had started up a game that looked to be a cross between rugby and soccer, with a distinct shifter component. Or maybe just rugby with beastie shifter rules. Hard to tell.Note to self—four legs dribbled a ball much better than two. But although I caught several glancing my way, they left us alone.
We watched them cavorting around on the field and ate while I thought about our team. And I judged the likelihood of us working together with Darius as leader to be pretty close to zero.
For our team to stand any chance at all, I was going to have to call him on it—while avoiding an altercation involving teeth and claws.
If I managed that, any mission the council sent us on would be a piece of cake.
17
Anna
Our orientation was held after lunch in the coliseum.
The huge room was within the castle, and from the moment Mari, Trix, and I stepped out of the elevator, the place gave me the chills. I wasn’t certain why.
The indoor amphitheater stretched three stories tall. It featured tiers of steps that served as seating encircling the ground level, which consisted of a flat section of polished stone floor to one side and a sand arena on the other.
Mari and I spotted Matt. He glanced toward me, and then away again. Seated beside him was another, even bigger man, dressed in a dark bodysuit. There was a wealth of space between the two and where Darius and Aaron sat. The familiar Phoenix sign had been painted onto the steps.
As we approached, I examined the guy sitting beside Matt. I knew who he had to be, and my heart fluttered.
Even from a distance, he was sexier than the most decadent chocolate. The two of them together—
Oh, my.
As a human, the Dragon was taller than Matt, and more heavily muscled. His black hair had been shaved on the sides, and the center had a few spikes over his forehead and scalp, while the back trailed to waist-long braids. His clothes glittered as though they were chainmail, and he wore armbands of the same material.
He looked as human as Matt, but it had to be the Dragonshifter. I examined the space between Matt and Darius...
“That must be our last team member,” Mari surmised, glancing at me. “The Dragonshifter.”
“Yes,” I agreed. My voice actually squeaked, and I cleared my throat.
Mari must have sensed at least a bit of my quandary, because she continued, “Every Dragonshifter I’ve seen is quite well structured. Not as handsome as a Dorinthian, of course. Face is far too refined for my taste, and no sensory bumps. Too short as well. But nicely proportioned, as shifters go.”
I was just debating whether I should enter my opinion—that “well structured” and “nicely proportioned” were not my go-to descriptors for either of the two gorgeous shifters sitting on the steps—when someone shouted to us.
“Hey, Anna! Mari! Come sit here!”
An entire section had been roped off for the academy staff, and now Kitani gestured to us as we descended the stairs. She had one of the twins on her lap. Constance sat beside her, but she stood as we approached.
“I’m a little behind and have to prepare your admittance packages. You can have my spot,” she stated as she passed us to climb the stairs toward the elevators.
Kitani grinned broadly at me as she shuffled over. It was an easy decision, although I felt bad about abandoning Matt to his fate.
The Sabreshifter had picked prime seats—one tier up from the floor and along the arena perimeter. And because they were beside the stairs, Mari would have somewhere to put her tree-trunk legs.
Trix wiggled her way up to the toddler. She was the one with the dark hair and copper eyes. So beautiful, and only two. What would she be like as a teenager? I figured Cody was going to need every fighting skill he possessed to keep the tom cats away from those girl kitties once they matured.
Kitani leaned close as I planted my butt. “You’re supposed to sit with your team, but for orientation, I figure we can bend the rules.”
I wasn’t so sure of her assessment, but I also wasn’t in a hurry to sit with Darius. I also figured that if the twins inherited their mother’s determination, their fathers weren’t going to stand a chance.
Matt shot me a look as we moved away, but he didn’t gesture to us.
Kitani smiled as Trix licked the little girl. “Alyssa wanted to stay with Ryan, but Caty here wanted to watch daddy Cody.”
