corners draped in shadows. I think
she did that on purpose trying to intimidate me. Well, if that was her goal, it
was working.
We’d been
there maybe five minutes and she hadn’t moved or even spoken a word. I shifted
my feet. “So, what are we--” I dove to the side as a fireball came roaring at
me. Yeah, that’s right, a fireball. Aimed at my head . Not a
little one either, this thing was the size of a basketball.
Rolling
across a concrete floor is not fun, let me tell you. I glared at Megara. “What
did you do that for?”
“To test
your reflexes,” she said, like it was no big deal she’d lobbed a fireball at my
head. “Not bad.”
“Are you
insane?” I pushed myself to my feet. “You could have --” Air snapped around my
legs and jerked them out from under me. I hit the floor hard enough to make my
head bounce. My teeth clamped down on my tongue. You know how a penny smells?
That’s how it tastes when your mouth is full of blood.
“First
thing you can learn from me,” Megara said, “is to always pay attention.
Especially when you’re around other dragons.”
My head
was buzzing as I rolled over onto my hands and knees. The floor turned to sludge.
I jerked my hands back but the sludge surged up and captured my wrists. It went
solid. Not enough to really hurt me, but enough to hold me where I was.
Fear
burned low in my gut even though I was almost sure I wasn’t in any real danger.
My heart pounded in my ears. I tasted something more than blood in the back of
my throat. Nothing like being trapped to get your fight or flight instincts
kicked up.
“Concrete
is made with water and sand.” Megara strolled toward me. “Most earth or water
dragons couldn’t do much of anything with that, but a hybrid can. That’s your
second lesson. For us, anything can become a weapon.”
Megara
crouched in front of me. An icicle formed in her hand. She touched the sharp
tip to the spot between my eyes. “Now you’re dead.”
“Great,”
I said through clenched teeth. “Does that mean training is over?”
The
icicle melted slowly and each drop hovered there in the air before my face.
“Look at you.” Megara’s lip curled at the corner. “You didn’t try to defend
yourself or strike back at me. You’re not trying now. Lack of training isn’t
your problem. It’s lack of spine.”
Ice cold
water hit my face. I gasped, blinking against the wetness. When the sludge slid
away from my wrists, I sat back on my heels and looked for Megara. But she was
already gone. The door to the room stood open.
“That was
intense.” Jonah stepped out of the shadows.
Heat
flooded my face. “You saw all that, huh?”
He
nodded. “Sorry to be spying. I wanted to see you in action.”
“Real
impressive, right?” I rose slowly to my feet. “I don’t suppose you have any
aspirin? My head feels like it was whacked against a concrete floor.”
His smile
at my weak attempt at humor held more pity than amusement. “I could check our
little pharmacy, but there’s not much in it.”
“Never
mind. It’ll pass.” I rubbed my wrist. “Megara was right. I’m too weak for all
this. I don’t want to be here. I don’t even want to be a dragon. All I want is
to wake up safe at home in my own bed like all this never happened. Guess that
makes me a coward.”
“It makes
you a person,” Jonah said. “I know exactly what you're feeling. The fear. The
helplessness. The wishing it was all a dream. We’re a lot alike, you and I. I
had a normal life once myself. A family. A home. Nobody knew I was any
different from any other spirit dragon until I turned sixteen and came into my
powers.
“Then my
whole world was turned inside out. I had to leave not only my home and family,
but my whole country. I was terrified of coming to the States.
she did that on purpose trying to intimidate me. Well, if that was her goal, it
was working.
We’d been
there maybe five minutes and she hadn’t moved or even spoken a word. I shifted
my feet. “So, what are we--” I dove to the side as a fireball came roaring at
me. Yeah, that’s right, a fireball. Aimed at my head . Not a
little one either, this thing was the size of a basketball.
Rolling
across a concrete floor is not fun, let me tell you. I glared at Megara. “What
did you do that for?”
“To test
your reflexes,” she said, like it was no big deal she’d lobbed a fireball at my
head. “Not bad.”
“Are you
insane?” I pushed myself to my feet. “You could have --” Air snapped around my
legs and jerked them out from under me. I hit the floor hard enough to make my
head bounce. My teeth clamped down on my tongue. You know how a penny smells?
That’s how it tastes when your mouth is full of blood.
“First
thing you can learn from me,” Megara said, “is to always pay attention.
Especially when you’re around other dragons.”
My head
was buzzing as I rolled over onto my hands and knees. The floor turned to sludge.
I jerked my hands back but the sludge surged up and captured my wrists. It went
solid. Not enough to really hurt me, but enough to hold me where I was.
Fear
burned low in my gut even though I was almost sure I wasn’t in any real danger.
My heart pounded in my ears. I tasted something more than blood in the back of
my throat. Nothing like being trapped to get your fight or flight instincts
kicked up.
“Concrete
is made with water and sand.” Megara strolled toward me. “Most earth or water
dragons couldn’t do much of anything with that, but a hybrid can. That’s your
second lesson. For us, anything can become a weapon.”
Megara
crouched in front of me. An icicle formed in her hand. She touched the sharp
tip to the spot between my eyes. “Now you’re dead.”
“Great,”
I said through clenched teeth. “Does that mean training is over?”
The
icicle melted slowly and each drop hovered there in the air before my face.
“Look at you.” Megara’s lip curled at the corner. “You didn’t try to defend
yourself or strike back at me. You’re not trying now. Lack of training isn’t
your problem. It’s lack of spine.”
Ice cold
water hit my face. I gasped, blinking against the wetness. When the sludge slid
away from my wrists, I sat back on my heels and looked for Megara. But she was
already gone. The door to the room stood open.
“That was
intense.” Jonah stepped out of the shadows.
Heat
flooded my face. “You saw all that, huh?”
He
nodded. “Sorry to be spying. I wanted to see you in action.”
“Real
impressive, right?” I rose slowly to my feet. “I don’t suppose you have any
aspirin? My head feels like it was whacked against a concrete floor.”
His smile
at my weak attempt at humor held more pity than amusement. “I could check our
little pharmacy, but there’s not much in it.”
“Never
mind. It’ll pass.” I rubbed my wrist. “Megara was right. I’m too weak for all
this. I don’t want to be here. I don’t even want to be a dragon. All I want is
to wake up safe at home in my own bed like all this never happened. Guess that
makes me a coward.”
“It makes
you a person,” Jonah said. “I know exactly what you're feeling. The fear. The
helplessness. The wishing it was all a dream. We’re a lot alike, you and I. I
had a normal life once myself. A family. A home. Nobody knew I was any
different from any other spirit dragon until I turned sixteen and came into my
powers.
“Then my
whole world was turned inside out. I had to leave not only my home and family,
but my whole country. I was terrified of coming to the States.
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