Dragon Fire Academy 1: First Term: an RH academy romance Page 3

  Spirit had chosen us.

  From the day we each awakened with the symbol emblazoned into our skin, glowing with eternal fire, our fates were sealed. That was the moment the Omega Hive was born, and the only way out was by death.

  “We’ve never taken a life out of convenience,” I was corrected, observing Paulo’s stern expression.

  “But isn’t that what you’d call it? If we can help someone, but choose not to?” I pointed out.

  “No,” Rayen spoke up. “Not considering the cost.”

  Frustrated, I lowered my head back down onto the porch. There was no cost. Not to them anyway. And even though the ‘cost’ was on me, it wasn’t more than I was willing to sacrifice.

  “The guy is dangerous, and taking him out would have sent a message,” Ori reasoned. His tone was hard, unrelenting. “If we can show others that there are consequences for trespassing, it might serve as a deterrent. You have to understand, Kai, it’s for the greater good.”

  My shoulders tensed as the rage inside me grew. It wouldn’t take much to set me off, and Rayen must have seen my fuse shortening.

  “All right. Take it easy,” he asserted. “We don’t have to agree on everything. What matters is that the old-timer is safe, and the situation is under control.”

  “As soon as I recharge, I’ll go back and fix this.” They had my word on that.

  When Ori sighed, I lifted my head again, figuring he had something to add.

  “And I take it that’s supposed to make us feel better? No one’s okay with your idea of ‘fixing’ things, Kai. For all we know your ‘fix’ is slowly killing you. Even if it isn’t that drastic, the last thing we need is one of our own going dark.”

  I didn’t need the drama, so I rested my head again, staring at the overhanging roof. “Relax. If it was harming me, I’d feel it. And not to mention, Spirit would certainly let me know I crossed a line.”

  Without looking, I knew they’d all just rolled their eyes, thinking I was being way too casual about this. But what did they expect? From the moment I realized I had the ability to absorb the darkness when it infected our people, I knew it was my calling. No one else had such an ability, thus making it my duty to take this on.

  And contrary to popular belief, I hadn’t been affected.

  Everyone was silent, and I knew it was only in part because we were all exhausted. The other cause was that each of us had our own way of doing things, and they were all so different. Sometimes making it difficult to believe Spirit brought us together as a unit.

  But here we were, and as much as we butted heads, the bond between us was unbreakable. At the end of the day, there was no one on this island any of us were tighter with than each other.

  The dock groaned, and I turned to see Ori coming toward the house. Beneath his weight, the wood slats sounded like they’d give way, dropping him down into the turquoise water that flowed beneath it. The idea of it made me smirk. It’d serve him right.

  Since being called by Spirit two years ago, we had all changed, and our size was probably the most notable difference. In a matter of weeks, we each grew a good six inches, making us tower over everyone we knew. Seeing as how we all believed ourselves to be fully grown adults before being called, this took some getting used to. The heightened tolerance for pain, and an extra layer of muscle, were the next surprises. Waking up ripped, knowing we hadn’t lifted a single weight was wild, but crushing things with our hands because we didn’t know our own strength was a little inconvenient. However, we’d come a long way since then.

  We’d learned to function as a unit, anticipating each other’s thoughts and actions. As the first new Firekeepers to be called in over a century, some said we were the most efficient. That belief also came with several questions.

  Starting with whether we’d been called because our island was trying to tell us something.

  The Omega Hive was the only of its kind, a unit composed solely of men from the Sigo bloodline—island royalty. Our relation was distant, but my brothers were, technically, members of my actual family.

  Ori approached and I kept my gaze trained on him. As he passed, he was kind enough to slam the toe of his heavy, wet boot into my shin. Likely his twisted way of making sure I knew there were no hard feelings between us.

  “What the—?” I could barely get words out, lunging forward to swing several wild punches, but only landed a few. Missing only made me want to hurt him more.

  “We both know I’m quicker than you, dickhead,” he smirked, picking up speed when he realized I was coming for him. He reached the knob to the front door and turned it. However, the second the door swung open, we both stopped dead in our tracks.

  “Chief Makana.”

  All it took was Ori speaking that one name, and the light, spirited vibe that had started to dispel the tension was suddenly quenched. Ori’s voice was strong and confident when he addressed our tribe’s leader, sounding more like a warrior now than when he taunted me a moment ago.

  We all put on airs a bit in the presence of our island’s authorities, wanting them to feel confident in our ability to defend our people. However, in instances like this, when our guards were down thanks to an unexpected visit, the illusion sometimes shattered.

  “Omegas,” Chief nodded, addressing our hive, “Ano-Luana.”

  When we weren’t immediately scolded, we relaxed. Straightening my posture, I clasped both hands behind my back. Ori did the same, as did our other brothers once they stood from the dock. We were all motionless and silent as our chief took slow steps around us, eyeing each one as he passed. We were filthy, covered in dirt and blood from head to toe, but it couldn’t be helped.

  Most would assume that standing before the chief would be easier when he’s your father but take it from me; that wasn’t true.

  “From the looks of things, I assume you all have had an … interesting day.” The corner of his mouth twisted upward with a smile.

  “You could say that, sir,” Rayen answered.

  “Tell me about it.” There was something about Chief’s tone that seemed off, although I was certain I only noticed because I was his son.

  “We just had a little run-in.” Ori passed a discreet, curious glance my way after answering. There were no words for how he’d just downplayed the bomb we’d just diffused.

  “A run-in,” Chief repeated. “Well, whatever the case, I’m certain you all have taken care of the issue.”

  Ori nodded once, but something in the atmosphere left me discontented.

  Chief took a few steps and then stopped, gazing out toward the waterfall as he thought. “Anyone have a guess what’s brought me out to your little slice of Sanluuk this afternoon?”

  The question made my thoughts halt as I racked my brain for an answer. It didn’t seem as though he knew of our dealings with Isaac, so I drew a blank. Apparently, we all did, which accounted for the scowl on Chief’s face.

  “The new students have arrived.”

  At his words, my brothers and I expressed a myriad of reactions. Ori ran a hand down his face, cursing to himself, while Rayen and Paulo lowered their heads.

  “I believe I requested several weeks ago that you four, in particular, be available to serve as mentors. Did I not?”

  “You did, Father, but—”

  “Father?” he snapped.

  A chill cut through the balmy air. How had I made that mistake? It’d been years since I referred to him in that way.

  “You would be wise to bear in mind that your relation to me means little when it comes to the affairs of this tribe.” He was always stern, but today’s heightened severity told of his frustration.

  The rationale I’d been prepared to offer evaporated. With his mood bordering on icy, it wouldn’t have pacified him anyway.

  “Understood, Chief.”

  Ori sighed hearing my submissive response, but held his tongue.

  Chief scanned us with disappointment heavy in his gaze, and then began to pace. “There is more at
stake than any of you realize. You four may not be aware, but someone of great importance has chosen to attend our island’s fine, academic establishment this year. And it just so happens, she’s the individual you’ve been instructed to look after.”

  There was so much pride in his voice when he spoke of the academy, you’d never guess so many opposed its existence.

  Ori blinked at the Chief. “And … I’m guessing this was all orchestrated? Pulling us from our duties, placing whoever she is with us, was intentional?”

  Chief peered up, seemingly surprised by the short tone Ori had just taken with him. He passed a look toward my brother, a look I knew all too well.

  “As a man, I never take action without careful consideration,” Chief snapped, aiming the remark toward Ori. “And even if someone from her kingdom hadn’t requested that I assign her my brightest and best, I would never entrust the wellbeing of a princess to just anyone.”

  Ori’s head tilted, and I didn’t miss how the vein in the side of his neck stood out, pulsating as his gaze remained on my father.

  ‘Dude just said ‘princess’, right? I’m not the only one who heard that.’

  Paulo’s voice rang inside my thoughts, loud and clear—an ability we developed at the formation of our hive. It could be turned off and on at will, but came in handy at times like this, when the four of us needed to communicate without the outside world butting in.

  ‘Yup. Definitely said princess,’ Rayen confirmed.

  ‘Perfect. As if we aren’t already under enough pressure,” Ori added.

  “Chief, with all due respect,” Rayen interjected. “I understand that this girl is important to her people, but things are changing here. We’re getting hit every day with new incidents. We can’t expect the other hives to pull the load without us.”

  My father’s gaze locked with Rayen’s, and I knew nothing good would follow that look he gave.

  “She’s important to … her people?” Chief inquired, slowly linking his hands behind his back. “There is no distinction between their world and ours.”

  “You know what I mean, Sir,” Rayen clarified.

  Arguing this point was futile, so I had to bite my tongue. My father knew as well as I did; we had never considered ourselves one with the mainlanders. And only since the inception of the academy had they even acknowledged us. Our chief wasn’t fooling anyone. He was only catering to their royal family because having their princess here was good press. And good press meant more exposure, more funding.

  At some point, our island’s advisors had become greedy, forgetting the values on which our tribe once stood. To put it plainly, lately, it all seemed to come down to money.

  “There’s nothing more to discuss,” Chief practically barked. A dismissive wave was meant to shoo us toward the long road that led to the academy. “Don’t keep her waiting and remember to try and keep a low profile. The less attention you call to yourselves the better,” were his final orders.

  Our steps echoed across the dock as we made our way, realizing we weren’t even being given time to shower first. The closest we would get was a quick dip in the lagoon, so that’s what we did. Diving in, we swam to shore with hopes of getting clean-ish. I suppose this wasn’t the best first impression we could make on a spoiled princess, but a group of sopping wet, exhausted dragons was as good as it would get for her today.

  Chapter Four

  Noelle

  Things were already going well. The admins gave us the option to be randomly assigned roommates or choose them ourselves. Because Toni and I were already getting along, we decided to be paired.

  It didn’t take long to get settled. With how far we’d come, none of us traveled with a ton of our belongings. Only the basics. Anything else we needed, the Council would provide.

  Toni stashed her things in the dresser beside the bathroom, and I chose the chest of drawers beneath the window. For the most part, I just shoved my clothes inside, only being careful with one item—a small, brown leather satchel I tucked beneath a bundle of t-shirts.

  “There,” Toni announced with a grin. “I think we’re all good. And thanks for letting me have the bed on the right. Back home, I shared a room with my sister, and that was always my side. I’m a creature of habit, I guess.”

  “It’s fine. I can crash wherever,” I assured her.

  She plopped down on her mattress, testing its bounciness a few times. “So, they giving you any perks while you’re here?”

  At first, I didn’t understand the question. It seemed I’d somehow forgotten the title that went before my name. Silly me actually thought I was normal for a moment.

  “Oh, um … not that I know of. Pretty sure I’ll be treated like everyone else.”

  Please, God, let that be true.

  Toni shrugged. “Too bad. Something like a fifteen-minute grace period to get to lectures, alternate meal options, or even a pass to skip the Pinning Ritual at the end of the first term would’ve been sweet.” She laughed, tossing half her braids behind her shoulder.

  Ugh … I’d forgotten about that. Apparently, when the academy took in a new batch of students, the staff and islanders took the time to formally acknowledge us. The idea of attending went against my vow to stay out of the spotlight.

  I took a seat on my bed. “Actually, I’d rather they don’t make a fuss over me with special privileges and whatnot,” I shared. “It’s kind of exhausting being the center of attention all the time.”

  “Ha!” Toni yelled. “Are you kidding me? I’d give my left butt cheek to be royalty.”

  She stood, snatching the small blanket folded at the foot of her bed, draping it around her shoulders like a kingly robe. Caught off guard, I burst out laughing.

  I hopped down and did a shallow curtsey before her when I decided to play along. “Well, you’re welcome to borrow my title anytime, Your Highness,” I said before straightening my posture again.

  If she only knew what it was really like being me.

  “Attention first-year students,” a woman said over a loudspeaker near our door.

  Startled, Toni dropped the blanket from around her shoulders.

  “Please make your way to the atrium of the main building. There, you and your group members will be paired with your mentors and given a brief overview of what the next few days will entail. Inside the welcome packets you were given upon registering, you should have received a sheet which states your group number, as well as the names of your mentors. Thank you, and again, please move expeditiously toward the atrium of the main building.”

  The speaker went silent, and Toni and I both raced toward the folders we casually dropped onto the desk when we walked in. I flipped through mine as we stood side-by-side.

  “Found it,” she announced, scanning the sheet. “I’m in group seventeen, and my mentors’ names are Ruth and Josh. How about you?”

  She seemed just as hopeful as I did that we would miraculously be put together.

  “Looks like I’m in group seven. Assigned to Ori, Rayen, Kai, and Paulo.”

  “Dang, girl! Four? Must be a big group.”

  I read their names again, wondering what they’d be like. “Yeah, must be.”

  Toni slipped into her shoes. “Well, let’s go get this over with, shall we?”

  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

  ***

  Crowds weren’t my thing. In fact, I avoided them whenever possible. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those avoidable situations.

  Toni breathed deep, glancing up to read the mounted signs that had been scattered all over the atrium, each with a number printed to rally us into proper groups. I hoped that since I’d been assigned to group seven, it would’ve been right near the door, but for some dumb reason they weren’t in order. Instead, Toni and I found ourselves trekking all the way to the back of the building.

  “Oh! There’s you,” she called out, pointing.

  My eyes went in that direction, but, from the looks of things, only four other
s had managed to find their way.

  Four who made me forget my own name for a moment as I stared. Beside me, Toni’s eyes climbed their towering frames too, accidentally letting her mouth hang open.

  She leaned in. “Forget my group. I’m joining yours.”

  I nearly laughed, but was too self-conscious as the four finally turned, noticing us. Their dark gazes were so deep and intense they brought with them a sense of danger. No lie, my fight-or-flight mechanism practically screamed for me to run.

  I locked eyes with one. The length of his thick, shiny hair hung down his shoulders, tempting me to touch it. He smoothed his hand down a dark goatee, drawing my attention to his lips next. The rims of his nostrils flared, just slightly, like he’d caught my scent in the air.

  I glanced right, realizing the others also stared. They were … beautiful. Filthy and wet for some reason, but still beautiful.

  Each had skin some varying shade of sun-kissed bronze, just like those who greeted us upon arrival. Their bodies were covered in tribal tattoos that darkened various sections of skin—their necks and arms. Three had hair that appeared to be made of the same black silk. One kept the impressive length of his wild curls restrained in a low ponytail.

  Each member of this brood was ginormous. I’m talking height for days, but they weren’t bulky by any means. Actually, two words came to mind as I scanned them again—just right.

  Their lean frames were swathed in a network of rock-hard muscle. A strange tug in the center of my chest left me breathless for a moment, but I managed to break free from the feeling. Just long enough to finally recall where I was.

  “… Hi,” I croaked. All of a sudden, my mouth had become incredibly dry.

  “Ano-Luana,” one said, followed by the others echoing the same drab greeting. Their expressions were a bit stoic, which seemed kind of odd. Everyone else I met so far had been friendly.

  There was an awkward stretch of silence as I stepped forward to join them, praying our mentors would show up soon. If they didn’t, the chance that I’d say something dumb was incredibly high.