animal. That wasn’t part of the deal I made.”
Stanley’s lips pressed together and he stared at her for a moment before he called Dominic over. “You practice with Roy. I’ll teach the Dragon Mage.”
Amber didn’t like the sound of that. It had sounded far too much like a threat. And after she landed on the mats several times she began to believe it had been one. He was a lot harder on her than Jennifer had been and she’d thought that had been bad.
By the time the class stopped for lunch, Amber had needed to draw power from one of her bracelets that she always wore for storing extra power. She started to cross the room to ask Dominic to show her to her grandfather’s quarters then changed her mind, aiming for Roy who was hurrying out the door. Catching up with him in the corridor, she tugged on his arm. “Roy.”
He shook her off. “I didn’t need your help back there.”
She kept her voice quiet. “You don’t have any dragon bone in your blood. None.”
Roy stopped walking and faced her. “You can’t know that.”
Grabbing his arm, she lifted it and inhaled deeply. “Yeah, I can know that.” She let him draw his arm away, trying to figure out what he did smell like.
“Then why didn’t you say something? I won’t let you blackmail me.”
“I need someone to show me to my grandfather’s quarters.”
Roy frowned. “Why?”
“He told me to see him after I’ve eaten. So I need someone to take me to the dinning room and then to his quarters when I’m finished. Oh, and probably take me to wherever we’re meant to go next.”
“You could have gotten anyone to do that. Why me?”
Her reason almost made her cringe. She was becoming too much like a dragon. “Because you owe me.”
“I don’t owe you anything.”
“Why don’t you take dragon bone?”
“What else are you going to expect? Look, I didn’t mean to hurt you. That was an accident.”
Amber shook her head. “I’m not looking for payback for a nosebleed. You weren’t as rough as Jennifer. Or Stanley.”
“Then what do you want?”
“All I need is someone to show me where I have to go. Someone who’s not going to sulk if I don’t answer their questions.”
Roy grinned momentarily, almost reluctantly. “That sounds like Dominic.”
“Yeah. So, will you?”
“I suppose.” He turned back the way they’d come.
“What’s this way?” Amber pointed to the corridor ahead of them.
“Dinning room.” He walked a little faster.
She gestured behind them. “What’s that way?”
“My room. Is this the way it’s going to be? You can ask questions, but I can’t.”
“Do you need to go to your room first? I can wait.”
Roy shook his head. “I don’t need to any more.”
“Do you have dragon bone in there?”
He shook his head again. “No.”
“Then-” she broke off, coming to a complete stop, staring at him.
Roy stopped, slowly turning to face her. “What?”
She had to be wrong. It was impossible. Crossing the several steps between them, she reached for his arm again. He tried to draw away from her, but she stepped even closer, breathing in the scent of his skin. “Dragon.” She spoke the word so quietly there was almost no sound.
Roy clamped a hand over her mouth. “No. Don’t you dare accuse me of that.”
Amber pulled away from him, seeing fear in his eyes. “Why are you here?”
“My parents have been Knights their entire lives. My grandparents and great-grandparents were Knights.”
“Roy-”
“No. You’re mistaken. Maybe it’s the dragon bone you can smell.”
She heard fear in his voice, could smell his fear. There was no way he’d admit to it, even if it was true. It shouldn’t be true, but he smelled faintly like dragon. Like the kind of dragon that Shylah was. Part human, part dragon, but the smell wasn’t as strong on him. “You’re probably right. Dragon bone. Very faint.”
Roy froze for a second then drew back from her. “Yes, dragon bone. I’ll… I’ll
Stanley’s lips pressed together and he stared at her for a moment before he called Dominic over. “You practice with Roy. I’ll teach the Dragon Mage.”
Amber didn’t like the sound of that. It had sounded far too much like a threat. And after she landed on the mats several times she began to believe it had been one. He was a lot harder on her than Jennifer had been and she’d thought that had been bad.
By the time the class stopped for lunch, Amber had needed to draw power from one of her bracelets that she always wore for storing extra power. She started to cross the room to ask Dominic to show her to her grandfather’s quarters then changed her mind, aiming for Roy who was hurrying out the door. Catching up with him in the corridor, she tugged on his arm. “Roy.”
He shook her off. “I didn’t need your help back there.”
She kept her voice quiet. “You don’t have any dragon bone in your blood. None.”
Roy stopped walking and faced her. “You can’t know that.”
Grabbing his arm, she lifted it and inhaled deeply. “Yeah, I can know that.” She let him draw his arm away, trying to figure out what he did smell like.
“Then why didn’t you say something? I won’t let you blackmail me.”
“I need someone to show me to my grandfather’s quarters.”
Roy frowned. “Why?”
“He told me to see him after I’ve eaten. So I need someone to take me to the dinning room and then to his quarters when I’m finished. Oh, and probably take me to wherever we’re meant to go next.”
“You could have gotten anyone to do that. Why me?”
Her reason almost made her cringe. She was becoming too much like a dragon. “Because you owe me.”
“I don’t owe you anything.”
“Why don’t you take dragon bone?”
“What else are you going to expect? Look, I didn’t mean to hurt you. That was an accident.”
Amber shook her head. “I’m not looking for payback for a nosebleed. You weren’t as rough as Jennifer. Or Stanley.”
“Then what do you want?”
“All I need is someone to show me where I have to go. Someone who’s not going to sulk if I don’t answer their questions.”
Roy grinned momentarily, almost reluctantly. “That sounds like Dominic.”
“Yeah. So, will you?”
“I suppose.” He turned back the way they’d come.
“What’s this way?” Amber pointed to the corridor ahead of them.
“Dinning room.” He walked a little faster.
She gestured behind them. “What’s that way?”
“My room. Is this the way it’s going to be? You can ask questions, but I can’t.”
“Do you need to go to your room first? I can wait.”
Roy shook his head. “I don’t need to any more.”
“Do you have dragon bone in there?”
He shook his head again. “No.”
“Then-” she broke off, coming to a complete stop, staring at him.
Roy stopped, slowly turning to face her. “What?”
She had to be wrong. It was impossible. Crossing the several steps between them, she reached for his arm again. He tried to draw away from her, but she stepped even closer, breathing in the scent of his skin. “Dragon.” She spoke the word so quietly there was almost no sound.
Roy clamped a hand over her mouth. “No. Don’t you dare accuse me of that.”
Amber pulled away from him, seeing fear in his eyes. “Why are you here?”
“My parents have been Knights their entire lives. My grandparents and great-grandparents were Knights.”
“Roy-”
“No. You’re mistaken. Maybe it’s the dragon bone you can smell.”
She heard fear in his voice, could smell his fear. There was no way he’d admit to it, even if it was true. It shouldn’t be true, but he smelled faintly like dragon. Like the kind of dragon that Shylah was. Part human, part dragon, but the smell wasn’t as strong on him. “You’re probably right. Dragon bone. Very faint.”
Roy froze for a second then drew back from her. “Yes, dragon bone. I’ll… I’ll
Similar Books
