places. Things were still unresolved between the two and Connor didn’t know how to broach the subject of their complicated relationship or if he even wanted to try.
“You look great ,” a sarcastic voice at the door added.
Katie and Connor turned to see Laren standing in the doorway.
Connor’s heart raced as he looked into Laren’s green eyes. The two girls in his life knew of each other, of course, but to Connor’s knowledge, had never met or spoken. Now he wished he could be anywhere else besides in this awkward standoff. Anywhere, even fighting dragons and tribes of Elite warriors in the Amazon seemed a better option than his current predicament.
“Thanks . I’m Katie, by the way. You must be Laren.” Katie walked over to Laren and extended a hand.
Connor held his brea th as they stared at each other like cowgirls in a western standoff.
“Oh, Katie. Right,” Laren shook Katie’s hand politely. “Y ou used to go out with Connor, didn’t you? Didn’t he break up with you? Or was it you that broke up with him?”
Chapter Two
Connor’s mouth almost dropped to the floor as Katie struggled to grasp the intention of the woman shaking her hand. Although Laren’s question seemed simple enough, there was definitely a hint of sarcasm added.
“We went out , and a few months ago I broke up with him when we thought we were going our separate ways to college. But we’re not going away to separate colleges anymore. Are we?”
The two girls stared at each other and Connor knew he had to do something before their eyes changed colors and fangs took the plac e of their perfect pearl teeth. “Well, glad you two got to meet each other finally. I have to get to the front of the castle. Apparently I’m supposed to kill a dragon with the help of someone who doesn’t really like me and, oh yeah, Randolph is coming, too.”
Connor grabbed the book Morrigan left for him on dragons in one hand and his backpack in the other, then awkwardly eased himself between Laren and Katie.
He took a few steps down the hall and thought the two girls might just stand in the doorway forever until he heard a pair of footste ps behind him and Laren’s voice. “Connor, wait up.”
Connor slowed his pace a nd allowed the girls to catch up. Laren walked on his left, Katie on his right.
“Did Morrigan give you that book? What’s it on? Dragons?” Katie asked.
“Yeah, she explained where they were and how they managed to exist today, but nothing on how to kill them.”
“Don’t worry . Lu will help with that. And Connor?” The hesitancy in Laren’s words made Connor slow his pace further and turn his head to look at her. “I know you and Lu aren’t the best of friends, but you can trust him. He can be a sarcastic jerk sometimes, but deep down, way, way, down there somewhere, he’s a good guy.”
Connor smiled and nodded. He knew he wasn’t among the people Lu would call ‘friends’ however, Lu had offered to help him control his Elite gene over the past few days and now guide him, so that was some improvement. Maybe this was the first step on them becoming allies; unlikely, but maybe.
Connor, Laren , and Katie soon reached the main hall, where Elites rushed about and a large crowd gathered by the castle’s entrance. The hall was immaculate, thick carpet vacuumed, every tapestry balanced just right, and enough lights in the chandelier overhead to see through the darkest night.
Just before they reached the crowd of Elites at the castle’s main entrance, Katie grabbed his hand and made him stop. She looked into his brown eyes, her brow knit with worry. “Be careful, Connor Moore. Don’t do anything stupid, or if you do, just don’t get hurt. I’ll be waiting for you when you come back.”
Connor nodded and smiled as she embraced him. He could practically feel two holes being bored through the back of his head and into Katie’s skull from Laren’s gaze behind him.
As the two separated , Connor
“You look great ,” a sarcastic voice at the door added.
Katie and Connor turned to see Laren standing in the doorway.
Connor’s heart raced as he looked into Laren’s green eyes. The two girls in his life knew of each other, of course, but to Connor’s knowledge, had never met or spoken. Now he wished he could be anywhere else besides in this awkward standoff. Anywhere, even fighting dragons and tribes of Elite warriors in the Amazon seemed a better option than his current predicament.
“Thanks . I’m Katie, by the way. You must be Laren.” Katie walked over to Laren and extended a hand.
Connor held his brea th as they stared at each other like cowgirls in a western standoff.
“Oh, Katie. Right,” Laren shook Katie’s hand politely. “Y ou used to go out with Connor, didn’t you? Didn’t he break up with you? Or was it you that broke up with him?”
Chapter Two
Connor’s mouth almost dropped to the floor as Katie struggled to grasp the intention of the woman shaking her hand. Although Laren’s question seemed simple enough, there was definitely a hint of sarcasm added.
“We went out , and a few months ago I broke up with him when we thought we were going our separate ways to college. But we’re not going away to separate colleges anymore. Are we?”
The two girls stared at each other and Connor knew he had to do something before their eyes changed colors and fangs took the plac e of their perfect pearl teeth. “Well, glad you two got to meet each other finally. I have to get to the front of the castle. Apparently I’m supposed to kill a dragon with the help of someone who doesn’t really like me and, oh yeah, Randolph is coming, too.”
Connor grabbed the book Morrigan left for him on dragons in one hand and his backpack in the other, then awkwardly eased himself between Laren and Katie.
He took a few steps down the hall and thought the two girls might just stand in the doorway forever until he heard a pair of footste ps behind him and Laren’s voice. “Connor, wait up.”
Connor slowed his pace a nd allowed the girls to catch up. Laren walked on his left, Katie on his right.
“Did Morrigan give you that book? What’s it on? Dragons?” Katie asked.
“Yeah, she explained where they were and how they managed to exist today, but nothing on how to kill them.”
“Don’t worry . Lu will help with that. And Connor?” The hesitancy in Laren’s words made Connor slow his pace further and turn his head to look at her. “I know you and Lu aren’t the best of friends, but you can trust him. He can be a sarcastic jerk sometimes, but deep down, way, way, down there somewhere, he’s a good guy.”
Connor smiled and nodded. He knew he wasn’t among the people Lu would call ‘friends’ however, Lu had offered to help him control his Elite gene over the past few days and now guide him, so that was some improvement. Maybe this was the first step on them becoming allies; unlikely, but maybe.
Connor, Laren , and Katie soon reached the main hall, where Elites rushed about and a large crowd gathered by the castle’s entrance. The hall was immaculate, thick carpet vacuumed, every tapestry balanced just right, and enough lights in the chandelier overhead to see through the darkest night.
Just before they reached the crowd of Elites at the castle’s main entrance, Katie grabbed his hand and made him stop. She looked into his brown eyes, her brow knit with worry. “Be careful, Connor Moore. Don’t do anything stupid, or if you do, just don’t get hurt. I’ll be waiting for you when you come back.”
Connor nodded and smiled as she embraced him. He could practically feel two holes being bored through the back of his head and into Katie’s skull from Laren’s gaze behind him.
As the two separated , Connor
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