Page 15 of Fated for Dawn

A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “Promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” I said, drawing an X over my chest. “Though, let’s drop the dying part.”

His chuckle vibrated through me, and I felt some of the tension leave his body. As I settled back against his chest, I marveled at this softer side of Ryker. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that beneath all that muscle and dragon fire beat a very beautiful heart.

“Alister went all out with the goth decor, huh?” I joked weakly.

Another rumble, this one almost a chuckle. “Sleep,” Ryker commanded softly.

I closed my eyes, listening to the steady thump of his heart. As I drifted off, one stray thought floated through my mind: How had I gone from a shy, introverted bookworm to snuggling with a dragon shifter?

Life was weird.

5

Evelyn

Ipushed open the doors to the dining hall, a flutter of nerves buzzing in my chest. Adrien must have received my text informing him of my return to the Academy.

The moment I stepped inside, conversations fell silent. Every single head turned towards me, wide eyes locking on my presence. A wave of shock rippled through the room.

After all, I was supposed to be dead.

A shrill, nasal voice pierced the silence. “Evelyn!”

I turned to see Ruby, her eyes as wide as saucers and her mouth gaping open like a fish out of water.

Unable to suppress a smirk, I waved at her. “Yes, it’s really me. Did you miss me?”

It was unexpected to see her sitting with my friends. I guess being besties with the girl rumored to follow in her mother’s footsteps—and being from the Luminary Coven—didn’t boost her popularity.

As I made my way to our usual table, I could hear the whispers swirling around me.

Despite that my friends’ faces lit up with a mix of joy and disbelief when they saw me approaching.

“It’s really you,” Raven breathed, leaping up and pulling me into a tight embrace. I hugged her back just as fiercely. “Adrien said you were back, but I couldn’t believe it.”

One by one, they crushed me in their arms.

Adrien ruffled my long black hair with a familiar grin. “Damn, girl, you had us worried. Lucien said you’d return. So where were you, exactly?”

I plopped down in the chair beside him and grabbed a roll from his plate.

“Oh, you know, just taking a nice vacay in the Shadow Realm,” I said dryly. “I’d rate it one star. Would definitelynotrecommend.”

Felix’s eyes widened in shock. “You actually went to the Shadow Realm?”

“Yep,” I said, biting into the roll.

Ruby slid into the seat beside me, unusually quiet—an odd look for her.

“What about Alister?” Adrien asked, his voice hesitant. “Is he back too?”

Suddenly, the roll in my hand didn’t seem so appetizing. I set it down. “No, not yet. But I’m getting him back.”

“You’re going back to the Shadow Realm?” Felix’s eyes grew impossibly wider.

“Yes, I have to.” Hoping to steer the conversation in another direction, I asked, “So, what’s been happening since I’ve been gone?”

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