Goody Magic Academy, Year Three

Chapter 18

Chapter

Eighteen

A rmed guards streamed out of Ravenwood Estate like a frenzied swarm of ants, their boots pounding the earth in a chaotic rhythm. The acrid scent of sweat mixed with gunpowder filled the air as they fanned out across the grounds.

My heart thundered in my chest as I stripped off my undergarments. Adrenaline surged through my veins, every nerve ending alive with anticipation and fear. Jaxon didn’t turn around, but it didn’t matter. He’d already seen me in my birthday suit.

The shouts got closer to our hiding place. My muscles and bones twisted and lengthened faster than ever before. A searing heat spread from my core to my extremities. The sensation was both exhilarating and terrifying, like being unmade and reborn in an instant. Shifting was becoming easier and easier for me.

Simon came out of the building and stood on the front porch, scanning the grounds. “Find her, you idiots. She can’t have gotten far.”

A tall, muscular, meathead of a man looked over his shoulder. “You sure she can’t shift into a dragon?” he asked dubiously.

“Positive.” Simon put his hands on his hips. “Marsha says she’s completely powerless.” Such a lie. How did he explain me burning off the manacles, melting the bars, or smashing through the window? Looked like he didn’t give a shit about what happened to his men so long as his little fanny was protected. What an asshole!

He walked down the steps to the long driveway. “I need her caught. Maximo Barone offered to pay one million for her.”

I narrowed my eyes and hissed, smoke puffing out of my nostrils.

Some of the men heard me, stopped, and scrambled back.

“She’s in there.” One of them pointed, his voice shaking with terror. He turned and ran back toward Ravenwood Estate. “I don’t care what Marsha says, she’s a fucking dragon.”

“Get Simon,” Jaxon said as he climbed onto my back. “I have an idea.”

I burst out from our hiding spot. My massive, powerful wings unfurled, sending leaves and debris swirling in chaotic eddies around me.

The night sky embraced me as I soared upward, the cool air rushing over my scales. Deep within my chest, I felt the inferno building. With a savage, primal roar, I unleashed a torrent of flame that lit up the sky even more brightly than the sun. The heat seared the air, the acrid smell of smoke and burning vegetation filling my nostrils as I reveled in my newfound powers.

My blood thudded between my ears like a bass drum as I swooped down toward Simon, my talons outstretched. The wind whipped past me, carrying his terrified screams as I snatched him off the ground.

“No! Let me go!” Simon shrieked, his legs kicking wildly at the air. His fists pummeled against my scaled legs as I carried him higher. It felt like a moth’s wings fluttering frantically against me.

With a quick twist, I dropped him onto the roof. The impact forced a painful grunt from his lungs as roof tiles clattered and cracked beneath him.

Jaxon jumped off my back, his boots crunching as he landed on the rooftop. He grabbed Simon by the throat and lifted him off the roof, bringing their faces close together. “I’m only going to ask you once—where’s the Dragon Nexus?”

Simon clawed at Jaxon’s grip. “Let go of me, you bastard.” He lashed out, slapping and kicking at Jaxon’s face and torso.

Jaxon broke out into a surly smile. “Listen to me, you prick.” He shook Simon like a rag doll. “I’m counting to three…actually, no, I’m counting to one…then I’m going to drop you and Peyton’s going to burn you to a crisp.”

“No, please. Don’t.” Simon’s voice cracked with panic. “Here! Take it!” He fumbled in his jacket, pulling out a purple pouch and handing it to Jaxon.

Jaxon opened the pouch and emptied the contents in his hand, revealing a large almond-shaped golden jewel with a big green eye.

The moment the jewel came into view I felt a wave of energy wash over me. Enormous power radiated from the stone, an otherworldly warmth that pulsed like a heartbeat. I don’t know why I hadn’t felt it earlier, when it was in his pocket. Maybe the purple pouch was enchanted—Marsha’s doing, no doubt.

Jaxon snatched the Nexus and stuffed it into his jacket. “Thank you,” he said with exaggerated politeness, dropping Simon onto the roof. “We appreciate your cooperation.”

“You’ll come to regret the day you were born, Jaxon,” Simon sputtered, his face red with rage and fear. “No one crosses me and gets away with it. The people who wanted your dragon whore and the Dragon Nexus don’t like being disappointed.”

Jaxon growled and grabbed Simon by the back of the neck, twisting his arm behind his back and making him cry out in pain.

“No one talks about Peyton like that,” he hissed. “Apologize or I’ll break your arm.”

Simon’s eyes, wide with terror, darted between Jaxon and me.

I bent down until my snout was inches from Simon’s red face. Smoke curled from my nostrils as I bared my teeth, a low rumble building in my chest.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Don’t burn me. Please. I won’t say it again. Mercy. Mercy!” He whimpered each word and tears streaked down his beet-red face, his eyes wide and round.

Usually, I would have felt sorry for someone blubbering as abjectly as this, but I considered all the human flesh he had sold and how those poor girls must have wept for mercy, and nothing but pure hatred and contempt bubbled up inside me.

I would have loved nothing more than to burn him alive, but as much as I detested him, that wasn’t in my nature.

Jaxon’s voice dripped with menace. “Very good. Don’t ever talk about my woman like that again, or next time I’ll drain you, nice…and slow…and painful.”

“Simon, where are you?” Marsha cried from below.

Jaxon immediately climbed onto my back and I coiled my muscles, ready to spring into the air.

“You’ll pay for this, Jaxon,” Marsha screamed as we took flight. “You’ll regret betraying us.”

Her threats faded into the distance as we soared away, leaving Simon sobbing behind us on the rooftop.

I beat my powerful wings, propelling us swiftly through the night sky. Jaxon’s grip tightened around my neck as we flew further from Ravenwood Estate. The cool air rushed past us, carrying away the last echoes of Marsha’s threats.

Part of me wanted to look back, to see if Marsha had somehow given chase. The absurd image of her streaking across the sky on a broomstick suddenly flashed through my mind. I snorted, a puff of smoke escaping my nostrils. Hollywood really had done a number with witch stereotypes. In all my time at Goody Magic Academy, the closest thing I’d ever seen to a flying broomstick was an enchanted Roomba.

As we flew over the bayou and the city of New Orleans, I became increasingly aware of the Dragon Nexus. Even tucked away in Jaxon’s jacket, I could feel its power pulsing against my scales, an insistent, almost hungry sensation that made my skin crawl. The need to figure what to do with it grew more serious with each passing moment. We had only discussed retrieving the Dragon Nexus, not what to do with it after that. Hopefully, the headmaster would know.

Whatever we decided, it would have to be kept secure. The high priestess getting her hands on this would spell disaster for every mixed blood supernatural. A shiver ran down my scales, despite the heat generated by my dragon form. Her desire to destroy Raven, the greatest champion of mixed blood supernaturals, could become reality with such a powerful artifact in her possession.

We flew until the sun began to creep above the horizon, its light glinting off the distant curves of the Mississippi River. Below us, I could see the first stirrings of dawn—lights flickering on in houses as people awoke, traffic starting to fill the streets.

Instinctively, I climbed higher, weaving through the wispy clouds to avoid detection. The last thing we needed was to draw attention to ourselves or leave an easy trail for the high priestess or Marsha to follow.

I felt Jaxon shift his weight, leaning forward to peer ahead. His grip on my scales tightened slightly—we were getting close. Relief washed through me as the familiar silhouette of Red Rose Academy’s antebellum buildings came into view.

With a grateful rumble in my chest, I angled my wings, beginning our descent toward the headmaster’s quarters. As we glided down, the front door of the building burst open. The cavalry, as Valentin had called them, poured out onto the lawn.

Twyla was the first to emerge, her face alternating between worry and relief. Close behind her, Finn wore a deep scowl that contrasted sharply with Kamaron’s mile-wide grin. The sight of their familiar faces sent a rush of comfort through me, despite the gravity of our situation.

Ethan was next, followed by Valentin and Rose, holding hands tightly. Their intertwined fingers and the way they leaned into each other spoke volumes about the tension in the air. They were clearly bracing themselves for the storm that was coming.

Last to exit was Headmaster Tarus. As I touched down on the grass, a chill ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the cool pre-dawn air. Headmaster Tarus’ gaze had followed our descent, his expression an unsettling mix of dread and anticipation. Something about the intensity of his stare made my scales itch, though I couldn’t quite put my claw on why.

I knelt on the ground to allow Jaxon to dismount more easily, my eyes never leaving the headmaster. Headmaster Tarus was an enigma whose reaction to our return seemed just a touch too...hungry.

Jaxon slid off my back, his hand instinctively moving to cover the jacket pocket that held the Dragon Nexus. The air crackled with tension as we faced the welcoming committee, waiting to see who would break the silence first.