Page 45 of Goody Magic Academy: Year Three

“Peyton, please. You need to calm down,” Jaxon said, his voice tight with tension.

I stopped mid-stride, spinning to face him. A growl rumbled deep in my chest, savage and threatening. I could feel my dragon pushing against the boundaries of my control, its scales itching to burst through my skin. “Calm down?” I snarled, my voice rough and barely human. “Would you calm down if it was your parents?!”

The air crackled with tension, like before a thunderstorm. My vision sharpened, the world taking on the hyper-focused clarity that always came with my dragon form. I was balancing on a knife’s edge, teetering between human and beast, desperate for action yet terrified of the consequences of losing control.

A few minutes later, Rose returned, her footsteps quick and light on the polished floor. In her hands she cradled a small purple velvet pouch. The very air around it hummed with barely contained power and shimmered with an otherworldly iridescence, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Rose’s fingers trembled slightly as she handed the pouch to Jaxon. Her voice was tinged with a mix of hope and apprehension. “I’ve put a tracking spell on it,” she said, her eyes darting between us. The scent of lavender and ozone lingered around her, a telltale sign of recent magic casting.

Ethan came back into the room, his shoulders slumped. His usual stoic demeanor had cracked, revealing the turmoil beneath. He bowed his head, the light gleaming off his baldpate. When he spoke, his voice was rough with emotion. “Go. Go before I change my mind.”

His gaze swept across the room, taking in the others. The lines on his face deepened as he continued, “The headmaster will be angry, and you don’t want to be here when he returns. It’s up to me alone to face him. I’m the one who betrayed him.” The words hung in the air, heavy with resignation and perhaps a hint of fear.

Rose stepped forward, her hand reaching out to rest on Ethan’s arm. Her touch was gentle as her fingers curled around his sleeve. “I’m sorry to put you through this, Ethan,” she murmured.

Ethan’s stoic mask slipped further, his eyes softening as he looked at Rose. “Only for you, Rose. You’re like a daughter to me, and you know I can deny you nothing.” The tenderness in his voice was heartbreaking, and my eyes filled with unshed tears.

His gaze fell on me next, and I felt the weight of all his years and wisdom in his look. “Godspeed in saving your parents, child,” he said, his voice filled with both hope and trepidation.

The room fell silent, the gravity of the moment settling over us heavily. The ticking of a distant clock seemed to grow louder by the second. The air felt charged with a potent mix of fear, determination, and the faint whisper of magic coming from the Dragon Nexus.

My heart raced, adrenaline surging through my veins even as the dragon within me stirred restlessly, sensing both the promise of action but also impending danger. Jaxon stood beside me, his breathing measured, his presence a steady anchor. The purple pouch in his hand pulsed with an otherworldly rhythm, a constant reminder of the power we now wielded and the responsibility that came with it.

Ethan’s sacrifice, the potential danger awaiting my parents, and the perilous journey ahead all weighed down on me. Yetbeneath the fear and anxiety a spark of hope flickered. We had the Dragon Nexus. Maybe we could save my parents without having to give it to the high priestess.

Chapter

Twenty-Four

We stepped out onto the headmaster’s porch, the aged wood creaking softly beneath our feet. The air was thick and humid, carrying the rich, heady scent of magnolias and the faint, dank notes of the nearby Mississippi River.

Sunlight cascaded down on Red Rose Academy, bathing the grounds in a golden glow that shimmered on the meticulously manicured, emerald green lawns.

The historic buildings of the academy stood proud and tall, their columned facades and wraparound porches harking back to a bygone era. Shadows cast by the buildings stretched across the grounds, offering pockets of coolness in the warm Southern day.

The academy’s signature red roses were in full bloom, their vibrant petals standing out against the weathered white paint of the antebellum buildings, transforming the gardens into a riot of crimson. The flowers swayed gently in the warm breeze, their sweet fragrance wafting through the air and mingling with the earthy smells of sun-warmed brick and old wood.

In the distance, the soft chatter of students and the occasional peal of laughter drifted toward us on the gentle breeze, and birds chirped sweetly in the ancient, gnarled oak trees that dotted the campus.

It was a scene of perfect tranquility, an idyllic snapshot of life in New Orleans that was utterly at odds with the turmoil roiling within me. The beauty and normalcy of it all felt almost surreal, as if the academy existed in a perfect bubble, untouched by the danger and urgency of our situation. To any casual observer, this would appear to be just another ordinary day in the Crescent City, with no hint of the magical peril that awaited us.

Valentin looked at Jaxon. “Do you know where in Lumina Glade the cathedral is?”

Jaxon’s brow furrowed, gazing into the middle distance as he recalled a memory. “Yes. I’ve been there before, as a child,” he said, his voice low and tinged with unease. “It’s a dreary, dilapidated place.” He paused, a visible shiver running through him despite the warm day. “We always said it was haunted.”

Rose’s face grew somber, her usual vibrant energy dimming. “And you were right—it is,” she said in a solemn whisper. The weight of her words hung in the air, adding another layer of tension to our already fraught situation. She glanced between us, concern etched in her face. “How are you planning to get there?”

A surge of excitement rushed through me, my dragon stirring beneath my skin. The familiar warmth of impending transformation spread through my limbs. I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “By dragon, I guess,” I said, my voice rough as my beast within pushed closer to the surface. “Fastest way to get there.”

My fingers trembled with adrenaline and anticipation as I tore off my clothes, the fabric nearly ripping under my fevered hands as I cast my garments aside with reckless abandon.

The cool air hit my bare skin, raising goosebumps across my flesh, but the chill lasted only a moment. Heat surged through my body, starting in my core and radiating outward with an intensity that took my breath away. My bones began to shift and elongate: usually the sensation was uncomfortable, but now it felt like sweet relief.

The transformation overtook me faster than ever before, as if my dragon form was eager to claw its way to the surface. Black iridescent scales erupted across my skin in a wave, and my vision sharpened as my eyes changed and the world around me burst into vivid detail. I could see every vein in the rose petals, hear Jaxon’s and Rose’s rapid heartbeats beside me.

My body continued to grow and change, muscles rippling and reshaping under my hardening skin. Wings sprouted from my back and unfurled with a sound like leather snapping in the wind. As the last of the change washed over me, I realized I was panting, steam curling out of my nostrils.

The dragon within me—no, the dragon that was me—let out a low, rumbling growl. Every fiber of my being thrummed with energy and anticipation, my scales quivering with barely contained power. It was as if my dragon already knew the gravity of our mission, understood the threat of the high priestess, and was eager—desperate—to meet this challenge head-on.

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