Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,3

with a certain finger. Lucky for him, Dad missed it. That would’ve certainly earned him a smack to the back of his head.

At the bottom of the staircase, it was so silent you would have thought we entered a room that held a few dozen, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Thousands of supernaturals from the surrounding region—dragons, lycans and witches—had come out in droves. Some in support of loved ones who endured the trials, others out of curiosity to see who’d been selected.

My heart raced at the sight of them all, and it sped up when every eye in the room shifted to us, my family. I’d gotten good at hiding how unnerving it was to be the center of attention, but the feeling was always there. Especially when I wanted nothing more tonight than to blend in with the other candidates.

It wasn’t lost on me that a fair number of local contenders didn’t even think I deserved the chance to compete for a spot. With space being limited, and because I wasn’t quite of age just yet, they looked at my being there like I’d stolen the opportunity from someone who’d already shifted.

The rumor being spread around was that I had been given special privileges because of my title, but little did they know, said title had served as more of a handicap than an advantage. Beyond the option of bypassing the initial application, I had done this all on my own just like the others.

Trainers worked me ten times harder, and then judged me with far more scrutiny. It seemed the world assumed I’d been pampered my whole life, and fighting that stigma was the reason I pushed myself. They seemed to have forgotten who my father was. If they thought a man who’d dropped so many bodies that he earned the nickname Reaper would raise weak, defenseless children, they were sadly mistaken.

“Good evening, Queen Evangeline,” a group of teens off to the right said with wide grins. The boys among them bowed politely while the girls stooped into dainty curtseys.

Mom gave a gracious nod when they addressed her, smoothing the pleats of the floral-print dress she spent hours selecting. She had no idea how little something as trivial as her attire mattered around here. Our generation idolized her—a forgotten queen who rose to power against some pretty tough odds. As much as she tried to hide it, she’d never been fully comfortable with the attention either, but she endured it because this was her calling. She was born to lead.

“Right this way, one-seventy-seven.” A solid arm gestured toward me after I’d been addressed by my ID number.

I peered up to find that one now directing me toward the other contenders standing in line was Dallas—the closest thing I had to a grandfather. He bore that title, yes, but looking at him, you’d never guess he was a day over twenty. That was one of the many blessings bestowed upon lycans and dragons alike. After transitioning, aging further was optional. So, naturally, most in attendance tonight could pass as siblings of their own children.

My parents and extended relatives included.

Dallas’ southern accent had given him away long before I met his gaze, but I was grateful to find comfort within his eyes. He’d been present for most of the tryouts. Several students, like myself, had their hearts set on joining the Guard after graduating the academy. So, with Dallas’ military background, it was a no-brainer why the Council, and Advisors from the academy, requested that he take part in our regional screening process. He saw firsthand how grueling the trials had been, so now that I was an official Dragon Fire co-ed, his proud smile meant everything.

He stepped forward to escort me toward the others who’d been accepted tonight, but before he could whisk me away, I was brought into a tight hug. My father and siblings had said their goodbyes before we left home. My mother, however, had been uncharacteristically quiet since I shared the news of being accepted. It wasn’t lost on me how hard it was for her to let me go, but she’d be strong.

We both would.

The warmth of her embrace caused emotions to resurface. “I need you to always remember something, Noelle.” She paused to compose herself. “You’ll encounter a lot of people wanting to throw their weight around, those who will try telling you what to do, and who to be, but never let anyone define you in this