Once Upon a Dragon Soul (Once Upon a Dragon Series Book 3)

I skipped the one class to calm down, and when the bell rang, I felt better. As I walked into anatomy, Elena leaned over the table to speak to Lucian.

She burst out laughing, and Tabitha sat face forward with crossed arms.

A soft growl vibrated in my throat as my strides widened, trying to close the gap between me and them.

I smacked my hand hard on his table. “You have your own dragon. Elena is not yours.”

Lucian’s eyebrows furrowed as he showed me his palms. “Whoa, bud, are you okay?”

“What the hell is going on with you?” Elena hissed.

“Well, maybe if you didn’t find something that would drive a wedge between us, like flirting with Lucian all the time or trying to find things out from Tabitha, I wouldn’t be like this.”

“Flirt? I’m not flirting with Lucian. We were having a conversation about a fucking monkey.”

I looked at her.

“Blake, sit down,” Eddie said as he walked into the class. I pulled out a chair next to Elena and plunged into it as I crossed my arms and ground on my teeth.

I didn’t like how I was feeling today. I hadn’t felt the agitation in such a long time. But she should know better. Seeing her this morning speaking to Tabitha just infuriated me. I mean, the girl tried to kill her twice and she still wanted to make nice.

Elena sniffed.

I closed my eyes. Please, not the tears. I can’t handle tears today on top of everything.

Eddie started the lecture. He asked me a question.

“Not today.”

He just stared at me and asked one of the other guys.

When the bell rang, I walked fast to our next class. I was the first out of the dressing room and on the mat. Hopefully, after Art of War, I would feel like my old self again.

Elena and Tabitha finally got out of the dressing room.

Lucian stood against the opposite wall, by the mats. He didn’t even look my way.

When Mia let us spar, Elena came in fast. She fought in anger and got frustrated when I subdued her fast. But she had other ways today to get out of this. She hit me full in the face with her elbow, and I knew I probably deserved that because of the way I’d been acting.

“Elena and Blake! What is going on with you two?”

“Nothing,” Elena said.

“Blake?” Mia asked as I tried to heal my nose. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” The buzzing spread up my nostrils.

“Elena?”

“It’s nothing, professor, please. It’s just a horrible day. I’m done. Can I please sit this one out?”

She nodded and kept staring at the two of us. Mia walked over to me as she told the class to carry on.

“What is going on? I’ve never seen you guys like this.”

“Seriously, Mia, we are beings with feelings. We can have a fucking off day.”

Her face hardened. “Your language!”

“Then get off my back.” I picked up my things and walked out of Art of War. Maybe Elena was right when she’d said I had to go back to bed and wake up again. This morning didn’t start that well, and it would not end well either.

The moon glistened on the rooftops as the wind sliced through my scales. How the hell did I end up in the sky?

I wanted to stop, but that didn’t happen. I tried to veer to the side to make a U-turn, back to the academy, but that also failed.

I realized what this was.

It was one of those messed up dreams. I hated them with a passion.

The Museum of Etan stood in front of me. A few beats later, I was inside the museum. The alarm blared, but it did not faze me.

I climbed over the golden robe of the box that held King William’s statue with the real King of Lion sword in his hand and took the blade from his frozen grip. When I found myself again, I was soaring through the sky to View Top Mountain where I hid the sword behind a tree and covered it with a few rocks.

I woke up as the sun streamed through. I didn’t sneak off to Elena’s room. The dream still lingered on me. What did that mean?

The frustration was gone, and I felt only regret for how I’d acted yesterday.

Tabitha had Dented? I didn’t even know about that, or did I? I could swear that Elena had told me, but I couldn’t remember when. Lucian took up space in my thoughts. I felt like an idiot. Accusing Elena of flirting with Lucian. What was that?

I rubbed my face. It felt as if the old Blake had seeped through yesterday. The Blake that didn’t have a rider, that had no hope. I wasn’t that dragon anymore.

My eyes skidded to Lucian’s bed, but he was already gone. I climbed out of bed, took a shower, and went down for breakfast.

I found Elena sitting with Becky and my sister and walked to the buffet area.

“He’s here,” Sammy whispered.

“I don’t care. I’m still so mad at him for what he said to me yesterday.”

I flinched as I reached the buffet and tuned out as my sister said something about ‘let’s hope.’

“Morning, Blake.”

“Morning, Chef.” I dished up and went over to Elena’s table. They all became super quiet as I sat down next to Elena. “Morning.”

“Are you in a better mood today?”

“Yes, I’m sorry about yesterday.” I looked at Elena.

She shook her head.

“I’m sorry, and I’ll apologize to Lucian and Tabitha. I don’t know what that was.”

She looked at me, the hurt still clear in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I spoke softer, and her gaze softened. She nodded as she brought the cup of coffee in her hands toward her lips and drew a sip.

I knew she was going to be quiet the entire day, but that was my punishment.

I had barely finished my meal when the siren went off. The shrill vibrated in my ear as every heartbeat in the cafeteria elevated. My scales shivered and some of them threatened to show when that alert swept through me. I pushed it back and got up.

The siren stopped, and the three beeps of the intersystem sounded.

“Everyone swiftly to the auditorium,” Brenda, who worked in the office, sounded calm.

Last night’s dream flashed through my thoughts. It couldn’t be a coincidence, could it?

Elena grabbed my hand, and I looked down at her. “What the hell is going on?”

“I don’t know, but the last time the siren went off, wyverns tried to overpower the two kings and King Helmut almost died. Let’s go.”

As we walked through the crowd of students toward the auditorium, I clasped her hand tighter. I pushed past a few students, clutching Elena’s hand in mine, and pulled her toward the gallery where Lu usually sat. I needed to apologize and find out what he thought was happening.

My gaze met Tabitha’s clear blue eyes, and she looked away. She was sitting next to Lucian.

He looked up at me and back down, folding his arms.

I sat down on the chair next to him and pulled Elena into the chair next to me. My sister and Becky plopped down on the seats next to Elena. I stroked Elena’s back, waiting for Master Longwei to tell us what had raised the alarm.

“You okay?” Lucian mumbled.

“Yeah, sorry about yesterday.”

“What was that? As you know, I would never—”

“I know. Sorry.”

He nodded. “What do you think this is about?”

“I don’t know. I was hoping you would know.” The worry was clear in my tone as I’d dreamt about this last night, but I would not voice it to anyone just yet.

He shook his head.

“Why is my dad here?” Elena asked, and my eyes flickered to the podium. My father stood next to him.

Master Longwei whispered something and with the murmuring going on in the auditorium, I struggled to hear what they said.

Please don’t let it be the King of Lion sword.

Master Longwei took the podium and tapped on the microphone. Everyone settled down as whispers about King Albert being on stage filled the auditorium.

“Welcome, King Albert,” Master Longwei said, and everyone applauded. The king lifted his hand, and it quieted down.

King Albert grabbed the microphone. “We had a minor incident last night and when the inventory came in this morning, they discovered that the King of Lion sword was stolen last night.”

Everyone voiced their concern as a deep fear of déjà vu and the unknown sunk its claws into me.

King Albert’s voice blared over the speakers. “I know it’s a scary time, and I got informed that this has happened before. Please, stay calm. I sent out a fleet this morning to search for it, and I’m positive that they will find it. So there is no reason to panic. We will put extra guards at Dragonia Academy just for safekeeping until they find the sword. Can I please see Blake and Lucian in Master Longwei’s office after this? You are free to go and to attend class as normal. Please try not to be alarmed. The kingdoms are working together to see that the sword is back in no time.”

Lucian and I got up as everyone was ready to leave. Elena wanted to follow, but I stopped her.

“Stay. Your father said he wanted to speak to Lucian and me. I’ll tell you what he said later.” I winked.

Her lips thinned and she rolled her eyes, but she stayed, and I rushed to keep up with Lu.

I still felt horrible for what I’d said to Elena, but yesterday wasn’t my day, that was for sure.

“Why does he want to see us?”

“I don’t know.”

Master Longwei’s office was locked when we got there so we had to wait a few minutes.

King Albert and my father’s voices came from the stairs and as Master Longwei answered their concerns, they appeared.

“Good, you are both here,” Master Longwei said.

The dream kept popping up in my head. It wasn’t the first time that I’d dreamt something crazy and the next day, a major event had taken place. My scales rippled underneath my skin as I realized what this could be.

My Moon-Bolt gifts.

Sure, it wasn’t like the other Moon-Bolt’s sight, but I wasn’t a Moon-Bolt dragon either. They see things and speak in tongues or riddles. Lucian would have woken up if I’d said something.

I pulled Lucian back before he entered the office. “Did I say something last night in my sleep?”

He shook his head. “Why are you asking?”

“Nothing…”

We stood behind the chairs that Dad occupied. Master Longwei offered King Albert his, but he declined with a quick nod and plopped down on the chair next to Dad. I moved to stand against the wall.

Lucian stood closer to the table.

“The sword is really stolen. How?” I asked Elena’s father.

“From the footage, we think it’s a wyvern. There is nobody on the footage. It’s like they masked themselves—”

“Or they played with the footage, Al,” Dad said.

“Believe me, I’ve seen my fair share of wyverns and what they can do. There are some of them that can mask themselves like that. They’ve spied for days on us, even months at a time.”

I didn’t like the idea that they could do that, and neither did my father, as a growl escaped his lips.

“The alarm didn’t go off. It only went off after the sword got stolen. The entire place was in chaos as they threw some artifacts around. The footage resembled something close to paranormal activity.”

“So, you think Goran wants the sword?” I seemed to be the only one asking questions.

“He’s tried this before, Blake,” my father said.

“That was his men doing it for him on this side. It wasn’t Goran directly.” That fact put me slightly on edge as I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes.

“He knows that it’s the only weapon that can destroy him,” King Albert said.

I opened my eyes and let my hand drop to my side.

“It’s crucial to find it and bring it back. But it’s not why the two of you are here. I want you to keep an extra eye on Elena. Keep her close.” He then looked at Lucian. “Your father is begging you not to go and try to look for the sword yourself. I will find it.”

We both nodded.

He looked at me again. “We have guards stationed at Dragonia Academy. If any trouble comes, they will let me know. Just take care of my daughter, please.”

“Goran knows about her, doesn’t he?” I had to know.

“He does. I don’t know how, but he knew about her before the creepers came down.” The worry embedded in every line on King Albert’s face.

“You have my word.”

That I’d dreamt this should make me want to tell him, but I had to make sure that there was something to what I’d dreamt last night, first. I knew where they’d stationed the sword. If the sword was there, I would own up to my dreams.