Goody Magic Academy, Year Three

Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

J axon’s muscles tensed up as he positioned himself in front of the door. His eyes darted between the entrance and our group, his jaw clenched tight.

“You really need to hurry, Rose,” Finn urged, his voice strained as he took up a position beside Jaxon. Kamaron and Valentin quickly joined them, forming a shield of taut muscles and determined faces to protect us.

Rose’s sing-song voice cut through the tension. “You’re not helping,” she chided, and I noticed her fingers trembling as they gripped the spell book.

The footsteps in the hallway grew louder, each one sending a jolt through my body.

Kamaron’s voice was grim. “We’re not going to make it.”

“Yes, we are.” Rose’s words were firm as she gently closed the book. “I’ve found the spell. You need to strip first, or you will rip through your clothes.”

Heat rushed to my face and down my throat. I had forgotten that part. “Oh,” I squeaked.

Rose’s eyes met mine, a flash of sympathy in them. “Sorry. It’s just the way of shifters.”

Twyla put her arm around me. “Don’t worry, I’ll act as a shield to keep any prying eyes off you.”

“Puh-lease,” Finn muttered.

Twyla stepped in front of me. My heart hammered against my ribs as Jaxon wordlessly moved to stand directly in front of me as well. His broad shoulders blocked me from everyone else’s view, a small mercy as I reluctantly began to undress.

I had a small wall in front of me, hiding the heat melting me as I got ready to rip off my clothes, but the rustle of fabric still seemed deafening as I peeled off first my shirt, then my checked purple and white skirt. Each article of clothing I removed felt like a layer of protection being stripped away.

As I took off my undergarments and the cool air kissed my bare skin, a prayer ran on a loop through my mind: God, please don’t let the Bloodborne Brotherhood burst in while I’m in my birthday suit.

The approaching footsteps seemed to sync up with my racing pulse, a countdown to the moment of truth. Vulnerable and exposed, I closed my eyes, trying not to dwell on the fact that everyone could see my body right now, right down to the birthmark on my right breast, but focusing instead on the stirring power within me. It was time to embrace my dragon and hope that modesty would be the least of our concerns in the next few seconds.

“Yes, this is definitely it,” Rose whispered urgently, her voice barely audible over the approaching footsteps.

My heart hammered in my chest as Rose began to read, her voice growing stronger with each word:

“Dragon blood that sleeps within,

Waken now, let change begin.

Scales and wings, once hidden deep,

Rise to surface, no more sleep.

Fire in heart and claw in hand,

Transform at will, take dragon’s stand.

Break the chains of human form,

Let shifter’s nature be reborn.

By ancient power, by witch’s call,

Control the change, both big and small.

From human skin to dragon’s might,

Shift with ease, by day or night.”

As Rose finished the incantation, the air in the room began to ripple and pulse. A warm, tingling sensation washed over me, starting in my core and spreading to my fingertips. I gasped as I felt something powerful stirring within me, like a long-dormant part of myself was waking.

I looked at Finn and Kamaron, seeing the same mix of surprise and wonderment on their faces.

“Do you feel that?” I asked, my voice hushed but filled with sudden confidence.

They both nodded, eyes fixed on me, waiting for guidance.

The heavy footsteps outside were practically at our door now.

Jaxon’s voice cut through the moment. “Well, fearless leader, now’s your chance to test out the new wings. What’s the plan?”

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of their expectant gazes. The dragon within me reared up, ready for action.

“Okay,” I said, surprised by the steadiness in my voice. “Finn, Kamaron, follow my lead. Twyla, you open the patio door. We’re going to shift and get out of here. Everyone, be ready to move.”

Twyla did as I requested even as the door to the hallway splintered, wood cracking under the force of heavy boots. My heart leapt into my throat and adrenaline surged through my veins.

“ Now , Peyton!” Jaxon’s voice cut through the chaos, urgent and sharp.

I gritted my teeth, focusing on the newfound energy pulsing within me. My skin first prickled and then burned as scales erupted all over my body. Bones shifted and cracked painfully as my muscles stretched and contorted, doubling, tripling in size.

The room spun around me, my perspective shifting wildly as I grew taller and larger. My face elongated, jaw extending into a powerful snout. A searing pain hit between my shoulder blades followed by a rush of relief as my wings burst forth, unfurling in the cramped space.

The patio door beckoned, a rectangle of dark sky beyond. I lunged forward, scales scraping against the frame as I squeezed through. The cool night air rushed over my new form, carrying on it a thousand scents I’d never been able to detect before.

Without hesitation, I leapt from the balcony. For a heart-stopping moment I plummeted, the ground rushing up to meet me. Then instinct kicked in: my wings snapped open, catching the air, and I soared upward.

The city spread out beneath me, a tapestry of lights and shadows. I banked, circling back toward the faculty apartments, my keen eyes searching for any signs of Finn and Kamaron. I blinked in surprise. My sight and hearing were ten thousand times better than before. The distant sound of sirens easily reached my ears, and I clearly saw red and blue lights glowing on the highway, chasing a speeding car. It made me think of the danger we’d narrowly escaped.

As I hovered high in the air, the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. I was flying. I was a dragon again. And yet exhilaration at the transformation was mixed with fear and uncertainty about what this new reality meant for me. For all of us.

A red dragon appeared on the balcony, its scales glinting in the moonlight. It spread its wings, the membrane stretching taut, before lunging into the air. The creature’s movements were jerky and uncertain, its wings flapping erratically as it tried to gain altitude. My heart clenched, recognizing poor Kamaron in his first shift, struggling with his new form. I looped around him, the air from my wingbeats buffeting his scales. My eyes locked with his, willing him to follow my lead, to connect with his innate rhythm of flight.

A second red dragon burst onto the balcony. Wood splintered beneath its weight, raining down on the street below. This new arrival let out a deafening roar, followed by a burst of fire that illuminated the whole of the night sky. The ferocity in its eyes, the authoritative way it announced its presence—this was undoubtedly Finn, his dragon asserting dominance over its new territory.

Shouts erupted from the apartment, a cacophony of voices, some panicked, others aggressive. My superior dragon vision caught a glimpse of Twyla as she raced onto the balcony, her face a mask of terror. Without hesitation, I tucked my wings and dove toward her, the wind whistling past my scales. As I neared, I stretched out my talons, letting them close around her shoulders. Her scream pierced the night as I lifted her off the balcony, her feet kicking at the air.

Three shapes burst from the patio door, small and fast—bats darting into the night sky. Hot on their heels came a group of robed figures, their hoods whipping back in the wind as they rushed onto the balcony.

Finn reacted in an instant. He swirled in the air, his massive form surprisingly agile, and unleashed another massive stream of fire. The orange flames lit up the night, finding their mark on one of the robed men. The figure’s garments ignited, and an agonized scream split the air as he flailed and rolled on the ground, battling to extinguish the flames.

The night air was now filled with the scent of smoke and fear, the sounds of beating wings and human cries creating a chaotic symphony. As I climbed higher, Twyla secure in my grasp, I glanced down to the courtyard, my dragon vision piercing through the darkness. The high priestess stood there, face upturned, gaze locked on me. Her eyes blazed with an intensity that made my scales crawl.

The force of her hatred slammed into me like Thor’s hammer. I could almost feel it trying to pierce my hide, to pin me down like some rare specimen in her dragon collection.

My wings faltered for a moment, buffeted by her malice. Then instinct took over. My muscles coiled and then released as I surged forward, tapping into a well of speed I knew I possessed. The wind howled past my ears as I put distance between myself and the high priestess, praying it was enough to evade any spell she might cast.

As Goody Magic Academy receded behind me, my thoughts turned to my parents. Worry gnawed at my insides, twisting like a knife. How could they possibly be safe? One was imprisoned, the other lost in the untold depths of a coma. The idea that their fates were in my hands weighed down on me, heavier than a mountain.

The Dragon Nexus. The words echoed in my mind, a beacon of hope amid the chaos. That was the key. If I could find it before the high priestess did, maybe, just maybe, I could save them. The very air around me was charged with the urgency of my mission.

I banked, my wings catching an updraft as I circled the Enchanted Eldercare Center once. The familiar building looked so small and vulnerable from up here. How much had changed in so brief a time. With a heavy heart, I turned away, setting my sights on the horizon.

The night stretched out before me, a canvas of velvet blackness painted with pinpricks of starlight. Each beat of my wings carried me further from everything I’d known and closer to a world of both danger and possibility. The cool air rushed over my scales, carrying scents I’d never noticed before—the tang of distant waters, the musk of forests, even the acrid touch of human civilization.

I wasn’t flying into the unknown, not really. My destination was clear, even if the path to reach it was perilous. New Orleans beckoned, a city of magic and mystery, where danger lurked in every shadowed alley and behind every ornate facade. The thought of it sent a shiver down my spine, from my snout to the tip of my tail.

As I soared through the night sky, the weight of our mission pressed down on me. This wasn’t just about adventure or discovering my newfound powers. Many lives hung in the balance—the lives of my parents, of my friends, perhaps even of all of dragonkind. If we failed... The thought was almost too terrible to contemplate.

With each powerful beat of my wings, I reaffirmed my vow to myself. Failure wasn’t an option.

Not ever.