Page 65 of Phoenix Rise

The headmaster went stiff as a board, his eyes flashing yellow. But then he blinked, and I sensed him bottling his anger. “That is a serious accusation.”

Her hair settled, but the ends twitched as though eager to reanimate. “And one I currently cannot prove. But as the academy headmaster, you might tread with a bit more care.” She straightened, her eyes snapping blue fire. “We are doing something worthwhile here, but the academy cannot be accountable for every council member’s whim. We must hold true to the greater good, or this effort will fail.”

To give him credit, Amadeus didn’t dismiss what she’d said. Instead, he pursed his lips, and declared, “I am not your enemy. But I am responsible for this academy, and the allocation of its resources.”

Cara nodded. “And I respect that. You may tell the council that the academy’sresourcesdid not free Matt and Talakai from Xumi.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw before he nodded and marched off, every muscle rigid. Cara exchanged a resigned look with me.

I swallowed. “If there is corruption on the council, whose side is Amadeus on?”

“Amadeus is in a difficult position,” she conceded. “He is a rigid thinker, but he does believe in what we are trying to do here. And he knows the council is rife with problems. But there are many good individuals there as well, trying to make a difference.”

As we resumed our trek across the field behind the academy, I tried to envision all the working pieces, and didn’t quite manage it. “Where do the Watchers fit in?”

She sighed. “The Elder council dictated caution regarding Watcher involvement in this initiative. But neither Bess nor I gave them a choice. I pointed out that this academy would boost the council’s power across the realms, and as such, we needed representation.”

Cara made sure I was still listening, then continued. “The Dragons feel much the same way. Although Tyrez is officially an exile, he is also the current Emperor’s son and brother to the future ruler.” Her lips straightened. “The underworld had rapidly expanded its reach in response to the Dragon Legion’s current state of weakness. The realms are desperate for assistance in keeping such influences at bay.”

This candid admission to the current state of affairs alarmed me. “But—we aren’t an army.”

Cara’s eyes twinkled. “When the world is coming apart at the seams, who saves the day? An army of thousands of soldiers?”

In the mundane human world, that would be the truth. But even as I opened my mouth to say so, I realized what she was getting at.

“The right person, at the right time, in the right place, can move mountains,” she stated.

“We aren’t superheroes,” I protested.

Her brow rose. “What else would you call us?”

My mouth opened and then closed again. Dragons and Unicorns and werewolves. People that could move boulders with their minds, or shake the earth, or link their thoughts with animals, or manipulate energy.

All those things, focused on a single goal, could indeed move mountains.

“Wearesuperheroes,” I said, and she smiled.

21

Matt

I was as nervous as a bushpig in a billabong full of crocs, and that was the honest truth.

I stood in a field full of naked guys. Perfectly normal for shifters—we were comfortable in our own skins. But for the first time in my life, I worried about it.

I’d had times when I was so stonkered that I had concerns about shifting form. That I might run out of resources partway through and die a messy death. But I’d never been afraid of what I might turnintowhen the shift was done. I was Dire. I knew what the end result would be. Fur, teeth, claws, the ability to run like the wind.

But notfly. Never fly.

Now I was sweating as I joined the other Dires, and we began our special abilities class.

Tyrez and Cody were there to put us through our paces. Looking at the two of them, you would never have guessed they’d been battling Dragons only hours before. They looked like they could do it all over again.

I found a quiet spot at the back. Other Dires cast glances my way—I was usually front and center for this class, proud of my ability to push the shift fast, and of my mastery of partial shifts.

Our instructors started us with those—calling out the part they wished us to shift. Hands, feet, index finger, thumb, nose, and face, one foot and not both, faster and faster while we struggled to keep up.

The first time I shifted my fingers, I stared at the claws. They were thicker than usual, but not full Dragon talons. Maybe that was as far as things would go? I breathed a little easier.

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