Page 18 of The Dragon King's Awakening

The tension eases as Naia explains, her voice taking on a teacher's patient tone."The River connects all bodies of water, and through them, all places.I simply guide us along its current to our destination.You'll feel a moment of coolness, like diving into a pool, then we'll emerge exactly where we need to be."She pauses, then adds with a slight grimace, "Though I should warn you, most first-timers find it a bit...unsettling.You might want to wait until you've digested breakfast."

"Unsettling how?"I ask, eyeing the mountain of food my dragons have consumed.Because apparently, when you're dealing with magical teleportation, it's totally reasonable to be concerned about digestive logistics.

"Like being dragged through a whirlpool by your belly button," Sean supplies helpfully."You'll probably throw up."

Great.Nothing says "welcome to magical transportation" like the potential for spectacular vomiting.Just what I always dreamed of when imagining my first interdimensional travel.

"Lovely," Finn mutters, then glances at the wall clock."Still, if we go soon, we could reach the Court before they close for the day.It's already almost noon in New York."

Zahraxis nods."Very well.We accept your aid."The words seem to cost him something, but there's a nobility in the way he forces them out.

Naia beams."Perfect!Why don't we meet at the eastern shore in half an hour?That small cove near the art gallery would be ideal—the currents are particularly strong there."

My stomach does an anxious flip that has nothing to do with magical transport.Very soon I'll be leaving the island—leaving everything I've known for the past month—to dive into a world of dragon politics and ancient magic.My heart begins to race, but before the panic can take hold, I feel both dragons shift closer, their warmth steady and reassuring on either side of me.

"We will keep you safe," Zahraxis murmurs, his formal tone softening just for me.

Finn's hand finds my knee under the table."Always," he agrees.

Looking between them, I realize that home isn't necessarily a place.Sometimes it's a feeling, a certainty, a belonging.And somehow, in the space of a day, I've found mine with these two impossible creatures.

"I should go pack," I say, rising from the table.

"I'll walk with you," Sean offers, carefully settling his guitar case over his shoulder."Elias says we're doing voice work today anyway, so I need to stash this in my bunk."

As we turn to leave, Zahraxis catches my hand, pressing a kiss to my knuckles that sends a shiver down my spine."Do not take long," he says softly."I find I do not like being parted from you."

"We'll meet you at the cove," Finn adds with a warm smile.

Just another totally normal morning, I think.Magical river-drifting, dragons who can't share breakfast without causing an inter-species incident, and two mythical creatures who apparently can't stand to be more than a few feet from me—totally normal.

The eastern coveis sheltered by towering cedars that lean out over the water, their branches creating dappled shadows on the rocky shore.I've been here before, or at least to the large deck of the art gallery that overlooks this spot, which is a favorite location for students to sketch or meditate—but it feels different now.The air itself seems charged with possibility.

Zahraxis and Finn are already waiting when Sean and I arrive, both dragons standing unnaturally still as they watch the waves lap against the shore.Their auras pulse with barely contained energy, Finn's a steady crimson glow, Zahraxis' still flickering between gold and darkness like an emotional light show.

Naia steps out from behind one of the larger rocks, her bare feet leaving no prints in the wet sand.The water seems to reach for her, tiny ripples breaking their natural pattern to flow toward her presence."Are we ready?"

"As we'll ever be," I say, adjusting my backpack strap.My stomach churns with equal parts excitement and nerves.

"Remember to breathe through it," Sean advises."And maybe don't eat for a few hours after."

Zahraxis moves closer to me, his presence solid and warm at my back."If this harms her—" he begins, but Naia cuts him off with a gentle laugh that suggests she's used to overprotective magical beings.

"It's perfectly safe.Unpleasant, perhaps, but safe."She extends her hands, silver light already dancing across her skin like sunlight on water."Everyone join hands.And whatever you do, don't let go."

Right.No pressure.

Finn takes my right hand while Zahraxis claims my left, his grip almost painfully tight.Naia completes our circle, linking hands with both dragons.I can feel the tension vibrating through their bodies—Zahraxis especially seems like a coiled spring.

"Close your eyes," she instructs."The River moves in ways your mind isn't meant to process."

Well, that's not ominous at all.

I barely have time to comply before the worldshifts.

The ground vanishes beneath my feet, water rushing in, and my stomach lurches as if I'm being yanked forward by my navel.Cool wetness surrounds me, but I can't tell if I'm moving through it, or it's moving through me.The sensation is like being caught in a whirlpool while simultaneously being stretched like taffy.

Zahraxis' grip threatens to crush my fingers, and I hear what sounds like a dragon's roar, distorted as if coming from underwater.My lungs burn, though I'm not sure if I'm holding my breath, or if breathing is even possible in this space between spaces.

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