Page 36 of Goody Magic Academy: Year Three

“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.

Chapter

Nineteen

Jaxon looked up at me, still holding one hand over his jacket pocket. With the other, he held out my discarded shirt, jeans, and undergarments to me. He had thought of everything. I hadn’t even considered what I was going to do about clothes until now.

Taking a deep breath, I concentrated on shifting back to my human form. The transformation was quicker than ever, my bones and muscles rearranging themselves at a dizzying speed. As soon as I was back in human form, I grabbed my undergarments, hastily putting them on.

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