He nodded, and dust billowed as he took off.
I sat, thinking, while I watched the bodies burn. I had infinite respect for both Kala and Haki. They were seldom wrong.
But about me, they were.
What the bleedin’ hell are you doing, you scaly bludger?
I sighed. It had been so peaceful. But I should have known it couldn’t last.We’ve been cleaning up the mess Galeran left behind.
You are standing around watching bodies burn.
Sharding hell. The Dire could see through my eyes.I am now. But before, I was—
I don’t give a damn. You owe me flying lessons.
It took me a moment to process that comment.I—what?
Get back to the academy, and teach me how to fly.
I fought back the panic that flooded me.There are others that can provide that service.
Those others were not responsible for turning me into a flying lizard. You were.
I can’t come back there. The council will lock me up.
I asked Cara that, and she said, and I quote, “Let them try.”
My fingers sprouted talons that pricked where my arms crossed.Matt—
Talakai. You owe me. Get your scaly ass back here. Now.
I did owe Matt. If it weren’t for him, I’d still be with Xumi.I can’t stay.I strove to quell the panic beneath those words, but I wasn’t entirely successful.
Fine. I’m on the academy roof. Waiting.
Moments later, I was winging toward the gate.
* * *
The meadow would never be the same.
As I came through the gate and launched for the academy building, I passed over the neat rows of covered bodies lying amid the wildflowers. The living were in the process of being moved into the building itself. Small clusters of students stood off to the side, watching with white faces and wide eyes.
Welcome to reality, recruits.
I’d thought my sentiment was private, but hadn’t accounted for my semipermanent mental resident.
I’m predictin’ a drop in the roll call tomorrow.
I stifled the surge of irritation. Galeran was still out there, and the sharding Dire wanted flying lessons. The fact that I had no idea how to find the Bellati was beside the point.
I’m no bloody good to anyone like this,Matt stated.If I’m going to fight, I first have to learn to fly.
He wasn’t wrong. And I supposed no one else was any less busy than me. A good number of them were considerably more so.
Besides, as he’d pointed out, I owed him.
He was sitting on the parapet, dangling his long legs over the edge. No issues with heights, apparently. I folded my wings and dove, braking at the very last second to land light as a feather on the roof. In seconds, I’d adopted my human form.
