Page 84 of Centaur Bolt

“Neat trick,” I said. ”Are those Cara’s herbs?”

She nodded as she sprinkled the powder on her dumplings. Then she dumped the crystal dust over them as well.

“Dragons have dust in their bodies. It’s how they can use the gates without a crystal,” Kiko explained.

“It’s also what enables us to shift to such a large beast,” Vali added. “And it helps me to do physical things like run.”

“Gives your males endurance, too,” Kiko said with a sigh and a dreamy expression.

I ignored the Satyr and eyed the dust instead. “It gives you strength?”

She nodded.

Strength I could really use. Jumping to save Marcus wouldn’t do me much good if I couldn’t get us out of there, too. “Would it give me more power?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “Dragons are kind of unique.”

Kiko swallowed her mouthful. “It might be risky, Riley. I know of someone who became addicted to it, and others who have even died.”

“I wouldn’t take it all the time,” I reasoned. “Just to boost me for now.”

“I’d ask Cara if I were you.” Vali seemed uncomfortable with the topic.

“Cara won’t say yes until she has all the facts on Riley.” Kiko offered me a significant look, and I just knew she was thinking of fur and balls.

I saw Vali’s uncertainty written on her face, so I said, “She’s coming to my special abilities class today. I can ask her about it.”

The Dragona relaxed and speared a dumpling. Kiko continued to watch me, as if she expected me to make a grab for a fistful of dust. But I counted on her being easily bored—and after a moment, she launched into a description of a young Empire Dragon she’d met who, apparently, had holed up in a hotel room with her for four days…

I only half listened, as I had something else on my mind. I finished up my tray and stood up. “I’ll see you guys at the run.” When Kiko looked as though she’d come with me, I added, “I’ve got to make a pit stop.”

She rolled her eyes. “All that food has to go somewhere.”

“Yep. Catch you later.” I wove through the tables and drifted by the food counter. I used a group of big Dires to block Kiko’s view of me and snagged a couple of napkins before sidling up to the condiment section. Waited for the kitchen help to be busy exchanging trays of food…

Moments later, I stuffed the napkins in my pocket, left my tray in the pile, and hurried out the door.

As I walked up the stairs, I listened and watched. They were mostly deserted—a few students drifted past, but with the first class only ten minutes away, they were preoccupied. I didn’t want anyone to see me.

I pulled one of the napkins out of my pocket and unfolded it carefully. Took a mouthful of the dust, and grimaced. It tasted a bit like iron and tingled on its way down. I gulped a bit more, then refolded the napkin and shoved it into my pocket.

Moments later, I was on the dorm level and pushed through the washroom door. Because I hadn’t lied about needing a pit stop.

* * *

Apparently, crystal dust gave you goosebumps.

Or, at least, it did that to me. Sadly, I couldn’t ask anyone if this was a common side effect.

Cara and Jacques waited for me just outside the front door. Cara had what looked like a journal in her hand. She stared at me as I walked up to them. Surely, she couldn’t sense that I’d eaten crystal dust? I avoided her gaze as she handed me the journal.

I opened it to see a folded sheet of paper, which revealed a hand-written list of names. Beside them, was a number.

“I just jotted down some of the more common destinations. The number refers to how many hours difference they are from here.”

When I glanced at her in confusion, Jacques said, “If you use photographs to Jump to those locations, you must first know what time of day it is. That will help you end up there at the right time.”

“You know about that?” I asked.

---