Dragons and Destiny (Animage Academy Book 1) Read online

  He gave a melodramatic sigh. “I guess it’s hard to impress a girl whose father is the dragon,” he said. I pushed him arm as we entered the lunch line.

  “Hush.” We got our food and Gracie and Willa found us and sat down soon after.

  “I’m not going to have to do that every day am I? Two hours in complete silence? That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” Gracie stuffed a bite of macaroni and cheese in her mouth and continued talking. “Connect with your animal? What in the world is he talking about? Clearly, I’m a butterfly, but when I shift it will still be me in butterfly form, right? And how on earth am I supposed to connect with a butterfly?”

  “I know, right?” Willa chimed in. “And hardly any of us have even shifted yet. How am I supposed to know what kind of animal I’m supposed to be? I didn’t even want to come. I had no idea I was an animage until the back of my hand started to glow and some strangers showed up at my door to whisk me away.”

  Silence fell over our table. Even Gracie didn’t say anything as we all turned to stare at Willa. She noticed our looks and her normally rosy cheeks started to get pale.

  “Why are you all looking at me like that?” she asked.

  “You weren’t at a Revealing Ceremony?” Hudson asked. Willa looked down at the table and twirled her fork in her spaghetti.

  “Well, my mom doesn’t get along well without me. I didn’t want to leave her. There are no animages in our family, I never thought I would get picked, so I just skipped it.”

  “But once the mark showed up, didn’t your mom want you to come?” I asked. Willa shrugged.

  “Yeah, but like I said, she doesn’t get along well without me. I wasn’t going to come, except if you get chosen for Animage Academy you don’t exactly get a choice about coming.”

  The sound of the next bell interrupted our conversation. It was time for our next class already. We rushed to our next class. Gracie split off when we arrived at the classroom buildings, she had a different class that period. Just before the bell rang again to announce the start of class, Willa, Hudson, and I arrived in a small classroom for our Supernatural and Human Relations class. The desks were almost full already, the only desks that were free were on the front row. I slid into the middle seat. The heat of people’s stares warmed the back of my neck. I scooted down in the seat as far as I could.

  On our heels was Professor Charles Vickers just as the bell to start class rang. He turned toward us and leaned against his desk.

  “Welcome, students,” he said. Like I remembered, his voice was pleasant and engaging. “I’m not going to launch into a lecture about what you’re expected to know, or learn, or how you’re expected to be the best class ever here at Animage Academy. You’ll get that in every class, and it’s the same every year. I’m sure you are all aware it’s an honor to be here in Animage academy, and what it takes to stay. I have no doubt all of you bright students will make us proud.

  “This class is Supernatural and Human Relations. It’s part history, part economics, part anthropology class. We are here to learn about the current state of affairs in both the supernatural and human communities and think of innovative ways we—as a supernatural community—can be sustainable in the future. One thing I do expect in this class is participation. We can never learn from each other if I stand up here and lecture the whole time, or you just read from a book. So, first up, let me hear: What are some human misconceptions about supernaturals?”

  “Werewolves are bloodthirsty and attack humans during the full moon,” a guy in the back volunteered.

  “True, what else?”

  “Witches are all evil,” I said.

  “Good, good, what else?”

  “Vampires can’t go out in the sunlight.”

  “Werewolves turn humans by biting them.” The class was getting into the exercise. I turned slightly in my seat so I could see some of the students talking.

  “Same with vampires. Also, that we can’t have children. And we only drink blood.”

  “Don’t vampires drink blood, though?” someone asked.

  Charlie was sitting behind me. I noticed for the first time Kylee was sitting beside her. Great. I’d hoped to avoid any classes with her.

  “We do,” she said. “But we don’t have to. Never the blood of humans. Nowadays, we mostly use animals or other supernaturals, willingly of course.” I didn’t really want to consider who might willingly let a vampire drink their blood. The thought gave me chills.

  “And do you turn humans into vampires?” Professor Vickers asked.

  “No, of course not,” she said.

  “What about my werewolf students? Do any members of your packs change humans into werewolves?”

  “No, never,” a werewolf sitting in the back answered.

  “Does anyone know why that is?” The professor asked.

  “The Supernatural Secrecy Act of 1900, right?” Willa asked.

  “Correct,” Professor Vickers said. He quit leaning on the desk and paced back and forth in front of us as he talked.

  “What does the Supernatural Secrecy Act of 1900 mean?”

  “That supernaturals can’t, under any circumstances, reveal their nature to humans. If they do, they can be imprisoned or even restricted from using their magic for the rest of their lives. It also establishes the Council as our governing body and enforcers of the Act. So, we are forced to live in secrecy and lies,” Kylee answered.

  “You sound disenchanted with the Secrecy Act, why is that?” It was impossible to tell what Professor Vickers was thinking. He maintained a look of polite interest as he facilitated the conversation.

  “Because it reduces supernaturals to being the other. There may be less of us, but we have just as much right as humans to live as we please. The Act hurts those of us who can’t hide our true natures. Most witches and warlocks are fine, they are basically enhanced humans. If it’s not a full moon, werewolves can blend in. But faeries and vampires have almost no chance of blending in with human society. And not all animages can, either. You can’t waltz through Central Park with huge bird wings or a tail. None of us can shift whenever we want. Once we are off school grounds, the ability to shift will be greatly diminished. The Act means much of the supernatural community has to live in isolation and fear.”

  Heat filled my face. People who thought they knew how to solve all the world’s problems and that I had the ear of my father loved to tell me their criticisms of the Secrecy Act. I hated when it was discussed. People had the tendency to believe I spoke for my father and the Council. The truth was, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It was just the way things were, and I spent my life being ushered aside whenever Dad talked politics. I had never been interested in learning all about the implications. Looked like that was about to change.

  “You seem very well-versed in some of the most common complaints about the Secrecy Act,” Professor Vickers told Kylee.

  “My dad is the leader of the Faction,” she said. A few of the students in the class shifted in their seats to get a better look at Kylee.

  “Interesting,” the professor said. “For those students that don’t know, can you explain what the Faction is?”

  “The Faction is a grassroots group of supernaturals who protest the Secrecy Act of 1900 and the governance of the Council. We believe all supernaturals should be able to live free and whole in their being, whatever it is, and not worry about hiding from humans. The supernatural community shouldn’t have to live in fear and hiding.”

  “Why does the Council think we should stay hidden?” I didn’t like where this conversation was going. I sunk lower in my seat.

  “Sophie would know, her father is the dragon and the Chancellor of the Council,” Kylee told the class. And there it was. Now the class was craning their necks and trying to get a good look at me. I ran the charm on my necklace back and forth across the chain, suddenly very interested in a spot on my desk.

  “Sophie? Would you like to answer?” Professor Vickers a
sked softly. I sighed inwardly and brought my head up to meet a few of the eyes turned my way. I caught Hudson’s eye. He nodded in encouragement. I cleared my throat and sat up a little taller.

  “It’s not that the Council wants to keep everyone hidden. The Secrecy Act came into existence because supernaturals were being hunted. Humans way outnumber us, and they were hunting us because they feared us or because they wanted our magic for themselves. Our numbers kept going down, and some supernaturals were changing humans against their will, leading to a community that lived in fear and division. Since the Secrecy Act, the supernatural community has recovered and become stronger than it ever was prior to the 1900s. Now we do live in freedom, freedom to be ourselves amongst other Supernaturals without having to worry about interference from humans. At least, that’s the way my dad has always explained it to me.”

  Professor Vickers smiled at me and nodded. “Exactly, Sophie. Since the Secrecy Act the Supernatural community has thrived. We have been able to set up schools of magic, including Animage Academy.” He paused for a moment like he was listening for something. “We are out of time today but thank you for the conversation. We will continue with this discussion next week.”

  Almost on cue, the bell for the end of class rang. I stood with the rest of the class and gathered my things. This class had certainly given me a lot to think about.

  Next, I had Essentials of Defense I. The last class of the day. Even though it had been over a century since the supernatural community was under threat, each school still taught defense. I assumed the class was going to be about basic defensive magic. Boy, was I wrong. We met in a large ground floor studio beside the gym. The first sign I wasn’t going to like what was about to happen were the thick padded mats that lined the floor. This couldn’t be good. Our professor stood at the front, twirling her cheetah tail around and around in her hand as we waited for the bell to ring.

  As soon as it did, she jumped right into it. “Welcome to Essentials of Defense I. I am Professor Sarah Orlando. Apparently, I’m not allowed to let students call me by my first name so Professor Sarah will be fine. Over the next four years you will learn how to defend yourselves against every kind of attack, both magical and physical. We must be ready for anything. Most of you haven’t come into your powers yet, so we start with physical defense.” There was an audible groan from the back of the class. Professor Sarah plowed on like she didn’t notice.

  “First up is basic hand to hand combat. Across the hall, you will find the locker room. Each student has a locker with their name on it and clothes inside. I expect you to be changed before you come to class each day.” When we returned to the classroom, I picked a spot close to the back. I was on my own in this class. No Willa, Gracie, or Hudson to keep me company. I didn’t recognize any of the other students, either. Maybe it was just as well. I was bound to make a fool of myself in hand-to-hand combat. There were two older students lined up in the front with the professor. One of them was Penelope. The other was the most beautiful boy I had ever laid eyes on. Even for a faerie, he was gorgeous. I gulped, suddenly feeling tall and awkward in my white tank and red gym shorts.

  “These students have tested out of defense class,” Professor Sarah announced. “So now they are here to keep their skills intact and help teach you. Pair up. I will demonstrate a hit and block, then you and your partner will take turns practicing. Body shots only, no faces and heads. At least not today. Don’t hold back. If you hit your partner, it means they weren’t blocking correctly, and they will learn to do it the next time.”

  There was a shuffle as everyone turned to find a partner. I realized there was an uneven number of students in the class a beat too late when I found myself alone. Drew appeared in front of me.

  “I’ll partner with you. Sophie, right?”

  “Um—yeah,” I managed to squeak out. This was my first chance to impress this guy and I couldn’t even say complete words. I could already tell this was going to be fun. And not at all humiliating.

  “I’m Drew.” Before I could attempt to say something smooth and charming, Professor Sarah was demonstrating a punch and block with Penelope. Penelope demonstrated how to block without so much as a hair falling out of place. A snort almost escaped me. I was totally capable of that, sure. I didn’t resemble a newborn giraffe, all knees and elbows.

  Drew and I squared off as my insecurity threatened to drown me. His attempt at a reassuring smile didn’t help. It did, however, make me tingly all over. Forget defense class, all I wanted to do right then was run my hand through Drew’s shaggy blonde hair. I really needed to snap out of it and focus on what was going on.

  “Hmm? I’m sorry?” I asked when I realized Drew had said something while I was busy getting lost in his eyes.

  “I said, how about you start punching and I’ll try to block you.”

  “Oh okay, sure.” With arms like jelly, I let a punch fly, aiming for Drew’s shoulder. He swatted my hand away like it was nothing.

  “Again,” he said. I tried again. Same thing. I kept punching, aiming for Drew’s shoulder or chest. None of my punches landed. I was working up a sweat. I wanted to imagine that I looked like Penelope who was now walking around correcting people’s technique. She wasn’t sweating, she was glistening. However, the numerous mirrors informed me that my imagination was incorrect. My face was getting red and my thick hair was breaking loose of its braid. Strands were getting stuck on my forehead and the back of my neck. Finally, I landed a punch on Drew’s shoulder.

  “You let me do that,” I accused him. He smiled.

  “Nice one,” he said. “Now, let’s switch.”

  Blocking was so much harder than punching. Drew hit me almost every time. His punches were so soft, I barely felt them. He was holding back on me. Typically, I would have been upset he was treating me with kid gloves, but when he smiled at me again my annoyance vanished.

  “So,” he said as we got into the rhythm of punching and blocking. “Is your father really the chancellor and the dragon?”

  “Yep.”

  “Does that mean you’re going to be the next dragon?”

  “The dragon’s always been the oldest male in my family. I’m not a guy, so no,” I said with a shrug as Drew hit me in my other shoulder.

  “Okay switch,” he said again. I went back to punching. “Don’t look where you’re going to hit. It makes it too easy for me to block you.”

  “That makes sense. What year are you in?” I asked him.

  “Second,” he said.

  “What do you shift into?”

  “I’m a gryphon. If you’re not a dragon, what do you think you’ll be?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “When’s your birthday?”

  “September first.”

  “Well you don’t have long to wait, then.”

  Just when I thought my arms were going to actually fall off my shoulders and run for their lives, Professor Sarah walked to the front of the class and called for us to stop. I let out a relieved sigh and shook my arms out.

  “Good job today,” Drew said, patting me on the shoulder as he walked away. My hand twitched as I resisted the urge to touch the place he patted.

  “Sophie, pull yourself together,” I muttered. I couldn’t act like a love-struck puppy every day in class.

  “Tomorrow we start with a mile run. Meet outside this building on the sidewalk. After that we will be talking about ways to stop a bigger and stronger attacker. You’re dismissed.”

  Chapter Five

  The first day of class passed into the first week and before I knew it, I had been at Animage Academy almost a month. My days quickly took on routine. Breakfast, shifting class, lunch, more classes, then I ended the day with defense. We had a student shift for the first time almost every day in shifting class. My own time to shift drew closer.

  I was standing in my bathroom the day before my birthday. It was time for my daily inspection to check for clues as to what I was going to shift into. Hands f
irst. Nope, no talons or claws. None on my feet either. As I brushed my hair, I checked for the start of horns or ears. Nothing. It was hard to see my back in the mirror, but I craned my neck around to check my skin for fur, or scales. At this point I would’ve even accepted a tail. My reflection shrugged at me. Just like every other day the answer was the same: nothing.

  We’d moved on to staff lessons in defense class. Drew continued to partner with me every day. His charm had yet to wear off on me, but at least I managed to not be a babbling idiot around him most days. Even though we talked every day in class, I never had the courage to talk to him when I saw him around school. It didn’t help that Kylee and her gaggle of followers were usually all over him.

  I let my mind drift as I blocked his staff with my own. With my birthday so close, I was struggling to focus on anything. I was excited about shifting the first time, but also sad that it would be my first birthday without Simon. The first-year students hadn’t been allowed off campus yet, so this was the longest I had ever gone without seeing or talking to him. While I was lost in thought, Drew went for another hit and I didn’t bring my staff up in time. The end of his staff glanced off mine and hit me in the cheekbone.

  “Ouch!” I said, grabbing my face with one hand.

  “Oh no, Sophie,” Drew said, dropping his staff and stepping toward me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you, when you hit my staff, I couldn’t stop it fast enough.”

  “Don’t drop your staff Drew,” Professor Sarah said. “A pretty girl playing the damsel can take you down like that.” Of course, she was watching us. She directed her attention to me.

  “Sophie, that’s what happens when you get distracted. Remember, an enemy is not going to give you a chance to recover from your boo boos, quit whining and hit back.”

  I smarted a little at Professor Sarah’s accusation. I wasn’t really whining. The pain of the strike radiated from my cheekbone and through my head. Drew settled back into a fighting stance while Professor Sarah continued to watch us. Anger swelled up inside of me, wild and sudden. I wasn’t a prissy girl that fell down from a bruise. Before Drew was completely ready, I struck out, hard and fast. Drew brought his staff up to meet mine just in time.