Page 40 of Centaur Bolt

Well, except for maybe sex.

“There are two beds. And they are twins,” Vali pointed out. “Are we going for breakfast?”

Food apparently trumped gossip for Dragons. I made a mental note of that as I followed her out into the hall. “You guys go ahead. I have to talk to Cara.”

“Are you kidding?” Kiko grabbed onto my arm. “If you’re going to talk to the Watcher, I’m coming too.”

I sighed. The Satyr’s pursuit of interesting snippets seemed never-ending. Of course, I was the one who’d started the twin thing. “You might miss out on the dumplings,” I warned.

Kiko’s brows dropped. “Let’s be quick, okay?”

Vali stayed with us when we descended to the third floor. As we pushed through the access door and entered the staff-quarters hall, she confessed, “Because of my cycle issues, I’m supposed to check in with the Watcher daily.”

On each side of us were apartments. Cara’s door opened before I’d even had a chance to knock on it. Her face wreathed in a welcoming smile as she stepped back to invite us in.

“You must be Vali,” she said to the Dragona. “Bess told me about your situation. How are you doing? Any sign of a fever?”

“I think I had one last night,” Vali admitted.

“We’d better up your dose. Your body certainly is reacting to what they injected into you.” The Watcher entered her kitchen and opened a cupboard. It was lined with glass receptacles of every size and description. She emerged with something the size of a peanut-butter jar, which had a greenish powder in it.

She rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a zip-top bag, then dumped about half the powder into it and dropped in a red plastic scoop.

“Do three scoops instead of two. This should be enough to last you the week. Also, crystal dust is available in the cafeteria for our Dragon staff and students, but reduce your intake—the crystal might boost your Dragon, and strengthen the cycle.” She waited for Vali’s nod, and then continued. “I will speak to the instructors—you shouldn’t shift to your beast until we get this under control. I can’t guarantee the herbs will control your cycle if you do so. Keep checking in with me, and let me know if the fever spikes again.”

“Thank you,” Vali said as she accepted the bag.

Kiko drank it all in with wide eyes. I had to admit I was curious as to who had injected the Dragona, and why. But I had my own concerns.

Cara turned to the Satyr. “Have you managed to find anything out yet?”

Kiko shook her head. “So far, the students don’t know much other than the fact Marcus lost his Centaur. I haven’t found anything incriminating.”

Cara sighed. “Well, it was a long shot.”

“The Hitzu twins asked us where Marcus was at supper last night,” I told her. “Twice, in fact.”

The Watcher tapped her chin. “Interesting.”

“Yeah. We thought so, too,” Kiko said.

The Watcher turned to me. “I think you have a question for me?”

How had she known that? The woman was mysterious as hell. And now that I was here, I wasn’t sure where to begin. Before I could formulate a plan of attack, my mouth opened and spouted the words, “I’m dreaming of Marcus.”

Her brows rose, and then, her eyes gleamed. From a bright blue to sapphire for just a split second, before returning to normal. But all she said was, “Are you now.”

“Are they real?” I gestured impatiently. “I mean, is he really there?” This wasn’t going as planned. As if I’d had a plan. “They seem very real,” I finished rather lamely.

“Oh, yes,” Kiko said enthusiastically. “Living dreams. I’ve heard of those. But to have them, Marcus would have to be your mate.”

Vali shot her a look. “Do only mates experience those?”

Kiko shrugged. “That’s what I was told.”

A muscle jumped in the Dragona’s jaw. As I stared at them both, Cara sighed and pointed to the table. “Sit. You girls can have breakfast with me.”

Kiko plunked herself down, while Vali paced to the window and drank in the rising sun. Her profile revealed a profound stillness, like she was lost in memory. The Dragona had a story, and I was curious. But unlike my new best friend, I respected others’ secrets.

---