mate."
"What's a mate?"
"It's like a husband. It means I will be his partner in
life."
"So you'd stay with us?"
Raven nodded.
The smile she gave him shamed the sun.
"We're here," the driver announced, pulling up in
front of a stone building.
64
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
Both Raven and Trisha took a deep breath together
and then laughed at their actions.
"Are you nervous, too?" Trisha asked.
Raven shrugged. "I've never been responsible for
someone before. What if I mess it up?"
Trisha patted his hand. "All you have to do is sign
some papers and then you get to leave."
"That's true." Raven perked up, though he doubted
signing papers was necessary. He was certain the king had
already taken care of that before they arrived.
After following the signs to the headmaster's office,
they were ushered into an elegant room by a harried
looking woman who gave them a shaky smile before
rushing back out.
"Good morning." A tall man with gray hair and a
genial smile stepped forward to shake Raven's hand. "I'm
Headmaster Franklin. His Highness told me to expect you
both. You must be Trisha."
He gave Trisha a bright smile, but something about
the way he looked at her gave Raven the creeps. His eyes
had a sheen of lust in them that made Raven's stomach
twist. Warning bells rang so loudly in his head he almost
got a headache.
Raven rarely doubted his instincts. He didn't trust
the man, but surely the king wouldn't send his
65
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
granddaughter to a complete sleaze.
Still, he didn't want to leave Trisha at the school in
this man's clutches.
"Please have a seat." The headmaster indicated two
intricately carved wooden chairs placed precisely on the
other side of the desk.
Pulling out a stack of papers, he slid them across the
desk. "Now if you could look these over, they explain
everything about our school." He gave a pompous laugh.
"Not that you need to review them. After all, the king has
already chosen us, but he's requested I answer any
questions you might have."
Raven shot a look at Trisha and saw a worried
expression in her eyes.
He pretended to examine the papers, trying to buy
time. "What kind of arts program do you have here?"
Franklin gave another laugh. Raven was really
starting to hate his laughs. They sent chills down his back.
There was no real reason to dislike the man so intensely,
but Raven's instincts screamed at him not to leave Trisha
behind when he left the building.
"We don't have any arts programs. Our students
have more important things to do than waste time drawing
and dancing about. They are going to be prominent citizens
and need to focus on learning the laws and customs of
66
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
foreign countries."
Raven stared at the man, so appalled he didn't know
what to say.
"You don't have an arts program?" Trisha asked.
Raven could hear she was close to tears.
"Not a one," the headmaster answered cheerfully.
Raven stood up. "Come, Trisha, we're leaving."
"What? You can't do that." For the first time, the
headmaster lost his smile.
"Trust me, I can. If you think the leaders of
tomorrow don't need to be creative and know about the arts,
then this isn't the school for Trisha."
"The king will hear about this," the headmaster
threatened.
"Oh, trust me, he will," Raven promised. "I'll be
sure to share with him my opinion of this school."
Turning on his heel, Raven hooked a hand on
Trisha's arm and rushed her from the room.
"Where are we going?" Trisha asked.
"I don't know, but you aren't staying here."
"Yeah, that guy gave me the creeps."
Raven turned to her as they left the building. "You
too, huh?"
She nodded.
"Raven!"
67
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
"Raven!"
An influx of reporters swarmed the stairs. He had to
admire their ability to get past the school gates. It only
proved that this wasn't the school for Trisha.
He put a protective arm around the girl, even though
the reporters were keeping a respectful
"What's a mate?"
"It's like a husband. It means I will be his partner in
life."
"So you'd stay with us?"
Raven nodded.
The smile she gave him shamed the sun.
"We're here," the driver announced, pulling up in
front of a stone building.
64
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
Both Raven and Trisha took a deep breath together
and then laughed at their actions.
"Are you nervous, too?" Trisha asked.
Raven shrugged. "I've never been responsible for
someone before. What if I mess it up?"
Trisha patted his hand. "All you have to do is sign
some papers and then you get to leave."
"That's true." Raven perked up, though he doubted
signing papers was necessary. He was certain the king had
already taken care of that before they arrived.
After following the signs to the headmaster's office,
they were ushered into an elegant room by a harried
looking woman who gave them a shaky smile before
rushing back out.
"Good morning." A tall man with gray hair and a
genial smile stepped forward to shake Raven's hand. "I'm
Headmaster Franklin. His Highness told me to expect you
both. You must be Trisha."
He gave Trisha a bright smile, but something about
the way he looked at her gave Raven the creeps. His eyes
had a sheen of lust in them that made Raven's stomach
twist. Warning bells rang so loudly in his head he almost
got a headache.
Raven rarely doubted his instincts. He didn't trust
the man, but surely the king wouldn't send his
65
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
granddaughter to a complete sleaze.
Still, he didn't want to leave Trisha at the school in
this man's clutches.
"Please have a seat." The headmaster indicated two
intricately carved wooden chairs placed precisely on the
other side of the desk.
Pulling out a stack of papers, he slid them across the
desk. "Now if you could look these over, they explain
everything about our school." He gave a pompous laugh.
"Not that you need to review them. After all, the king has
already chosen us, but he's requested I answer any
questions you might have."
Raven shot a look at Trisha and saw a worried
expression in her eyes.
He pretended to examine the papers, trying to buy
time. "What kind of arts program do you have here?"
Franklin gave another laugh. Raven was really
starting to hate his laughs. They sent chills down his back.
There was no real reason to dislike the man so intensely,
but Raven's instincts screamed at him not to leave Trisha
behind when he left the building.
"We don't have any arts programs. Our students
have more important things to do than waste time drawing
and dancing about. They are going to be prominent citizens
and need to focus on learning the laws and customs of
66
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
foreign countries."
Raven stared at the man, so appalled he didn't know
what to say.
"You don't have an arts program?" Trisha asked.
Raven could hear she was close to tears.
"Not a one," the headmaster answered cheerfully.
Raven stood up. "Come, Trisha, we're leaving."
"What? You can't do that." For the first time, the
headmaster lost his smile.
"Trust me, I can. If you think the leaders of
tomorrow don't need to be creative and know about the arts,
then this isn't the school for Trisha."
"The king will hear about this," the headmaster
threatened.
"Oh, trust me, he will," Raven promised. "I'll be
sure to share with him my opinion of this school."
Turning on his heel, Raven hooked a hand on
Trisha's arm and rushed her from the room.
"Where are we going?" Trisha asked.
"I don't know, but you aren't staying here."
"Yeah, that guy gave me the creeps."
Raven turned to her as they left the building. "You
too, huh?"
She nodded.
"Raven!"
67
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
"Raven!"
An influx of reporters swarmed the stairs. He had to
admire their ability to get past the school gates. It only
proved that this wasn't the school for Trisha.
He put a protective arm around the girl, even though
the reporters were keeping a respectful
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