Dragon Guard Scholar - Alicia Montgomery Page 0,2

she turned her head and looked up. The sky was a perfect blue, and the puffy white clouds were so close she could probably hold her arms out and touch them. It was like being in a plane, but so much better. The wind rushed around her, reminding her of skydiving in New Zealand, except she wasn’t falling. It was exhilarating, and in this moment, she could forget all her troubles.

After what seemed like an eternity, they dipped low and began their descent. She plastered her body tighter against the dragon’s chest, holding her breath until she heard a loud thump and felt the jolt as the massive creature landed.

Her feet touched the ground, and the dragon’s grip loosened. The fact that she could stand up straight without falling over was a miracle, as her knees were like jelly. But at least they were finally on solid ground, and she didn’t even see the ocean as they flew. However, the thought that they were surrounded by the sea set her on edge.

When Christina had told her about this assignment, she’d been eager for the challenge. Even after working nonstop for half a year now, she had no plans of slowing down, not when her work was the only thing keeping her distracted.

Heck, she had even been looking forward to visiting a new country. But that was before her research told her she would be living on an archipelago. The name Northern Isles should have given her a clue.

“Gosh, I really needed that.” Sybil, now fully transformed and dressed, exclaimed. “I don’t get to do much flying these days with my duties, plus Aleksei’s being overprotective with me being pregnant and all.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize,” Ginny said. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks. Now, c’mon, let’s head inside.” They had landed on a huge balcony, and Sybil led her through the double doors that led into what Ginny assumed was Helgeskar Palace.

“I’m back,” Sybil announced. “And I brought our guest.” Stepping aside, she let Ginny in.

Now or never. Ginny put on her most confident air, hopefully to mask the maelstrom of emotions inside her. “Woo-hoo, that was fun!” she blustered. “Reminds me of skydiving, with less falling. Thanks for the ride, Sybil. We should do it again sometime.”

“Sure,” Sybil chuckled.

“Are you all right? No trouble during your trip?” A tall, handsome man with dark blond hair strode forward, making his way toward Sybil. While he looked harmless in his formal suit, Ginny’s lioness cowed back, as it could tell he was the biggest and most dominant creature in the room. So, this was the dragon king. Intimidating was a mild word to describe him.

The king placed a hand on Sybil’s shoulder. “Sit down, lyubimaya moya. You’ve had a long flight.”

“I’m fine, Aleksei, stop fussing,” she said, then glanced behind him. “Poppy, you accepted the job, I hope?”

Across what looked like the living room of a plush apartment was a brawny giant of a man and a small, pretty woman—Poppy—who nodded. “Uh, yes … but if you don’t mind my asking, what is this about?”

“Oh, right.” Sybil gestured to Ginny. “Everyone, this is Ginny. She’s from the Blackstone Shifter Protection Agency.”

“You’re the undercover agent?” the brawny giant asked. He was even bigger than the king, probably seven feet tall, with shoulders like rocks.

Ugh, of course. She should be used to the reaction by now, but it still irked her when people underestimated her because she was female. “Well, I won’t be undercover for much longer if you shout it out like that.” She marched over to him, hands on her hips. “Or do you think that just because I’m a woman, I can’t find your mole? I’ve been doing this for years now, and I’ve never had my cover blown. Not even my family knows about my job.” She could feel this man—dragon shifter—sizing her up, but she wasn’t going to be intimidated.

“Apologies, I did not mean to imply that you were not capable.” He turned to the king. “But, Your Majesty, I do not understand what Poppy has to do with this.”

“Remember how we were trying to find a suitable position for the undercover agent to take without arousing any suspicion? After much discussion, Sybil and I figured it out: She’s going to replace Poppy as Alric’s nanny.”

“It’s perfect, when you think about it,” Queen Sybil said. “Poppy is our current nanny,” the queen explained to Ginny. “With her taking the teaching position, we’ll have reason to train someone new. And that means Ginny will be