Page 34 of Goody Magic Academy: Year Three

My feet hit the damp ground, the impact sending jolts up my legs. The rich, earthy smell of the bayou—of mud and decaying vegetation—filled my nostrils, together with the promise of escape.

I didn’t allow myself even a moment to savor my small victory. Every second counted. Without looking back, I pushed to my feet and sprinted toward the cover of the nearest trees.

Suddenly, an agonizing headache threatened to split my skull wide open. It could have been from using so much power so quickly, or frustration pounding my brain, reminding me that the Dragon Nexus was still inside that sprawling white monstrosity behind me. I had to go back in.

I crouched low in the underbrush, sizing up the antebellum mansion. Its pristine white walls glowed in the moonlight, both a beacon of opportunity and a portent of danger. Front door? Suicide. Back door? No better. My gaze traveled upward, tracing the ornate architecture all the way to the roof.

A wild, impossible idea took root. The top. It was the only way. A route that only a dragon could take.

My hands shook as I began to strip down to my undergarments, the cool night air raising goosebumps all over my exposed skin. I tried to quiet my ragged breathing, every small rustle of leaves making me flinch.

Crunch, crunch, crunch

The sound froze me in place. Footsteps. A guard.

Fear shot through me like a flaming arrow, setting every nerve alight. My throat constricted, making it hard to breathe. God, I was going to get caught. After everything, I was going to get caught here, half-naked in the bayou.

I tensed, ready to run, to fight, anything to avoid being dragged back into that hell.

Suddenly, a blur of movement caught the corner of my eye. Before I could react, a strong hand clamped over my mouth, stifling the scream that tried to escape. An arm wrapped around my naked waist, pulling me back against a solid chest.

“What are you doing out here?” a familiar voice growled in my ear, low and urgent.

The relief that flooded through me was so intense it made me dizzy. I sagged against the body behind me, my legs suddenlyweak. I tried to turn, to confirm what my ears were telling me, but the grip on me tightened.

“Don’t move,” the voice whispered. “There’s a guard just beyond those trees.”

We stood frozen, barely breathing. I could hear my heart pounding, so loud I was sure the guard would hear it too. Seconds stretched into an eternity as we waited.

Finally, the footsteps receded into the distance. The hand over my mouth slowly relaxed, allowing me to take a deep, shuddering breath.

“Are you okay?” the voice asked, concern in every syllable.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak just yet. Slowly, I turned to face my rescuer.

The sight of him standing there, real and solid, sent a fresh wave of emotions crashing over me. Relief, fear, hope, and a dozen other feelings all swirled together in a dizzying mix.

“Jaxon,” I breathed. Seeing his handsome face was like a dream come true. “How... What are you doing here?”

He looked as relieved to see me as I felt, though his handsome eyes were sharp with worry. “Rescuing you, obviously. I was going to force a guard to let me inside. Either he would comply, or I would drain him,” he said, a hint of his usual sass creeping into his tone. “Though it looks like you managed the first part yourself. Did you get the Nexus yet?”

“No.” The word escaped my lips, followed by a burst of near-hysterical laughter that I quickly stifled with my hand. The sheer absurdity of the situation hit me all at once, threatening to overwhelm my senses.

Here I stood, in nothing but my underwear, my bare feet sinking into the soft, muddy earth of the bayou. The humid air clung to me like a second skin and the pungent smell of stagnant water and lush vegetation filled my nostrils, while crickets droned their endless summer song.

And there, barely an arm’s length away, stood Jaxon, his presence as commanding as ever. Moonlight filtered through the cypress trees, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow on his face as his tense eyes scanned our surroundings.

In the distance, voices carried on the still air, accompanied by the occasional splash of someone wading through shallow water. The guards were out there, searching. Searching for me. Danger pressed down all around us, as thick as the soupy air we breathed.

And yet, despite it all, a bubble of pure, unadulterated joy welled up inside me. My heart raced, but not from fear. Every cell in my body hummed with elation. Jaxon was here, at my side, when I needed him most.

I bit my lip to keep from grinning like a fool. It was madness to feel this happy in such a perilous moment. But as Jaxon’s hand found mine, his touch sending sparks through me, I couldn’t bring myself to care about the danger.

“We should move,” Jaxon whispered, his voice low and urgent.

“But how do we get back inside?” I asked, the gravity of our mission reasserting itself. “The Dragon Nexus?—”

“Is still in there. Dimitri told me. Simon called Angelo and Dimitri overhead the conversation. But we don’t have much time. The auction’s tonight,” Jaxon finished. His eyes traveled over me, taking in my state of undress, and a hint of a smirk played at the corners of his mouth. “Were you planning on flying in?”

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