Page 36 of Phoenix Burn

But he straightened and shook his head. “It isalwaysmy fault.” He pulled away from Dani and locked that eerie metallic gaze on me.

“It is my burden to interpret the future,” he said. “Only rarely is the message clear enough that I can intervene to steer things along a given path.” He looked from me to Matt, and back again. “You must find your Dragon.”

The words were like a dagger to my heart. “Was Talakai involved in this?” I didn’t recognize my own voice.

A muscle jumped in Ash’s jaw. “Some things I cannot discern. Others I cannot reveal. I can only tell you that you must not give up on him.”

He turned away, and Tyrez went with him, laying his big arm over Ash’s golden-scaled shoulders.

Dani interpreted our confused expressions and twitched her lips into a half smile. “If he could tell you, he would,” she said apologetically. “But despite the fact that the timelines can be confusing to interpret—if he says find the Dragon, you’d be best off finding the Dragon.”

She hurried after them. Cara and the tall man with the powerful energy were already well ahead, deep in conversation as they walked up the path.

I exchanged a look with Mari and then with Matt.

His eyes glowed softly at me as my thoughts swirled in a million directions. We’d found the twins. They were safe, but with Talakai’s involvement still a huge question mark, it felt unfinished. Like I should still be out there, doingsomething.

As usual, Matt brought it all into focus.

“We need time to rest and regroup.” He pushed a hand through his hair and grimaced. “And then, I guess, we’d better find that bloody Dragon.”

11

Anna

Kitani and Cody waited for us at the back entrance, letting all the others pass them as the twins played with my silly dog.

They weren’t alone. Although it was early, a few students lounged on the back steps, and a couple threw a ball around in the field.

“The girls needed this,” Kitani said to me as she handed me Trix’s rope, which she had untied to facilitate frolic mode. “With any luck, they’ll get over it before we do.”

I went to put the rope back on, but then hesitated. If I closed my eyes and thought of Trix, I was suddenly leaping with her...

I was seeing through her eyes.

It was disorienting as hell, but when I envisioned her coming to me, she broke away and did so. Mind control? Or a strong rapport? I had no idea.

I coiled the rope and shoved it in my cloak pocket.

We entered the building, and I spotted more students out front. Cody cursed. “I’ll have to tell them the runs aren’t on today, not sure when Sebastian will be back, and I—”

“It’s okay for them to miss a run,” Kitani said, reaching out to touch his arm.

Cody checked his watch. “I’ll tell them at breakfast.”

Breakfast? I should have been ravenous, but I wasn’t hungry at all. The others had vanished down the hall toward Amadeus’s office, including the guy with the weird energy. Part of me wanted to go with them, to gnaw on every twist and turn of what had occurred over the last few days.

Talakai...

Ash had told us to find the Dragon. But at the moment, I was so exhausted I could barely think.

Matt’s big hand gripped my shoulder. “Rest first, Angel. Then we’ll come up with a plan.”

I shot him a grateful look. When Kitani, the twins, and Cody headed for the elevators, I followed, and Matt and Mari came with me.

Trix trotted at my heels as we all filed into what Matt called the “lift.” It was a squeeze with Mari, but at this point, I couldn’t have climbed the stairs if my life depended on it.

“My mind is going like a lizard drinking,” Matt complained in the elevator. “I need to run, but I’m so bloody stonkered.”

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