Page 26 of Dragon Unleashed

“You’ll pay for that later,” Farrell says.

Zephyr scowls. “This is why I don’t do relationships. She won’t back off.” He turns his back to Farrell. “Look Lorelei, Naeve and I, we think Farrell made the wrong call. We were wrong to blindly follow him.”

Farrell stands, tugging the bottom of his shirt into perfect alignment with slightly more force than necessary.

“Yes. Well. Ididn’tmake the wrong call,” Farrell says. “But we do need to get past this.”

“Shut up, Farrell,” Naeve snaps. “If you can’t say anything helpful then just…shut it.”

“We don’t need them, chica,” Chano mutters.

I wheel on him, and he shrugs. Eventually he breaks eye contact and toes the floor. “Fine. Having an allegiance might be better, but we’d manage. We’d survive.”

Slumping forward, I lean against his big, broad chest.

“That’s just it.” My voice comes out quieter than I intended. Clearing my throat, I try again. “I’ve spent my whole childhood surviving, Chano. I’m tired. I’d like to do more than just survive.”

I feel him nod slowly, as he rubs circles on my back. He rests his chin on my head.

“That’s fair. I’ll try for you, chica. I’ll try if he will.” He jerks his head toward the asshole.

“Well, that’s settled.” Farrell rearranges his shirt again, twiddling his cuff links. “Since we’re all here, and things are still half-civilized, we should discuss our thesis.”

He thinks it’s that easy to forgive him? I lean back and stare into Chano’s eyes, seeing my concern reflected there.Please don’t let this be a mistake.

“The deadline is midnight tonight or a topic gets selected for us,” Farrell continues. “I have a decent proposal in mind.”

Naeve and Zephyr start talking over him and suddenly the three of them are vying to be the first to get their idea out.

This is surreal. My brain can’t catch up. We weren’t even talking half an hour ago. Pressing my fingertips into my eyeballs, I rub until colors explode behind the lids. I swallow but the saliva won’t go past my thick tongue.

“Choking, or want to say something?” Zephyr asks, pursing his lips.

I wrap my arms around myself and force the words out. “Uh…I…um…I chose the topic.”

They’re silent.

“I submitted it. I didn’t think any of you would care. Actually. Not even that, I may as well be honest.” I let out an awkward laugh. No one responds. “I thought you might choose a cushy number. Something easy. This won’t be easy.”

Their expressions say it all. I am not popular. But bugger it. I had a chance to do some good.Andthis way I can even get around the Virrey’s stupid rule—I’ll be able to leave academy grounds under the guise of schoolwork.

“You know me better than that,” Naeve whispers. “I like hard topics. I wanted to look at how extremist cults brainwash supes into denying magic. Iwantedto work out what happened to my brother. I never ask anything of you guys.” She sinks onto Zephyr’s bed and hugs a pillow to her stomach.

“I’m sorry, Naeve.”

Zephyr sniffs. “I had one too, not that you care. My family is completely at the Virrey’s mercy. They eke out an existence on land that’s hemorrhaging magic. I wanted to explore magic regeneration and restoration. To give them a chance.”

I blink quickly. We’ve barely reconciled and I’ve already messed up.

“Mine was good too, not a cushy number, little Miss Judgy,” Farrell says, removing his feet from the desk and standing. “The increasingly common landslides across Venez—I think it’s because mining companies are tapping into unstable ley lines. People have lost everything.”

He walks slowly toward me; I can feel Chano tense.

“I was going to suggest a case study on structural strengthening of lay lines. Granted, it’s not as personal asNaeve’s or Zephyr’s. I’d have bowed out, let them decide between them which one we do.” He bumps my shoulder as he angles past me to the door. “But since you don’t trust us to choose, to make a decisionamongus, pray tell us, little princess, what did her highness decide?”

I stare hard at the luxurious rug on Zephyr’s floor, wishing I could hide under it. Just for a little while.

“Increasing Magical and Environmental Disasters in Venez and the Health Impact on Supernaturals.”

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