“Teach me some of those moves,” the underlord said to me.
I couldn’t teach it all to him. He was a good fighter with a sword, but using knives required something extra.
As he was in charge of my existence, however, I said, “I’ll teach you what I can.”
His gaze rose beyond me, and I turned, slightly, to see what he looked at. Birds. About thirty of them, perched on every tiny outcrop of stone.
Victor’s gaze grew more intent as it dropped to mine. “More friends of yours?”
I shrugged, but my pulse raced as I stated, as calmly as possible, “Birds seem to like me.” As if to prove my point, Nemi chirped and flew back to me, and I put her on my shoulder before picking up the cloak.
The birds above us took flight. As I turned, I scanned the ground, relaxing a little when there was no metallic gleam of feathers.
“I’d like another match tomorrow.” There was no mistaking it was an order.
“I’m game,” I said.
His eyes narrowed slightly, but this time they only flickered orange before returning to bronze. Something within me relaxed, just a little. Whatever caused them to glow orange, wasn’t good.
Not that the expression in the bronze ones was much more reassuring. And it seemed to demand something of me. Something I was loath to offer.
But as Slade pushed himself off the wall, and the Dragon guards near the door stiffened, I knew I needed to, if I wanted to survive.
So, as if I served instead of merely working for him, I bowed, ever so slightly, and said, “Your wish is my command, my lord.”
Slade’s eyes narrowed as he detected the veiled sarcasm, but the underlord merely nodded in satisfaction.
Appeared I’d live, for at least the immediate future…
13
Bree
I sat at the cafeteria table, looked into Riggs’s eyes, and saw nothing but chaos.
His Dragon purple flared straight through the artificial dark. I had no idea what had set him off, but he needed to control it now, or his eyes could give him away.
His gaze kept flicking from me to the rather garish pastry I’d scored to satisfy my sugar craving.
“Didn’t think sugar was a Dragon thing,” I finally said.
“Whoa—I’m not a pastry kinda guy.” His dark brows dropped. “At least, I don’t think so.”
I raised the offending bit of sweet goo. “They did go overboard on the icing, I think.” My eyes skipped to the hilt hovering over his shoulder. “Planning on slaying students while dining?”
He shrugged. “Would you leave it unattended in the room?”
No. No, I guessed not. And he wasn’t the only armed student in the place. The big blue Dragon on Team Phoenix, Talakai, wore one strapped to his back as well. Unusual, as Dragons tended to prefer their own tailspikes.
Riggs looked up as Adilyn pulled out the chair beside me. I stifled a tingle of disappointment—kind of wanted some time alone with him, but it was not to be.
“Haven’t officially been introduced,” the Faerie stated. “I’m Adilyn. Yes, I’m a Faerie who masquerades as a human. Nice effing sword.” She stabbed a fork into a fungus. “I’m not a morning person, so don’t talk to me until I’ve had at least ten mouthfuls.”
Riggs’s brows rose. “Hello, Adilyn. I’m Riggs.”
She pointedly ignored him. I made a mental note not to mess with her right after she woke up, be it morning or evening.
Apparently, a grumpy Faerie wasn’t to be our only interruption.
