Queen of Embers

Ch. 9 Yet Another Journey

The next morning I realized I didn't have one of those strange dreams. Feeling my inner lips, I confirmed that mouthwash did do the trick. The wounds had healed for the most part. Mouthwash and dragon genes did the trick, at least. I checked my phone and leapt out of bed when I realized it was passed 9 o'clock and I was supposed to be meeting Victor and Rowan downstairs to look for Simon. I rushed over to the suitcases Helena and I brought and realized we should probably put our clothes away. I looked over at our ever growing pile of dirty laundry and decided we should probably locate the washing room as well. I dug out a plaid, button down shirt and a pair of leggings and threw them on. As soon as I fastened up my last shoe, ran down the hall with the door slamming behind me. I could hear a grumbling Helena rising from her peaceful sleep and inwardly winced.

I felt more energetic today than usual. I had gotten more sleep but I was also excited about this first day of training with Victor. Granted, I was also nervous about Rowan and Simon being there. I had high hopes, though, for a breakthrough with Simon. We had a connection a few nights ago, and I could understand how out of place he felt here. He was a water dragon and the rest had lived on land and had grown up together. They had more  time to become a family. While I didn't know exactly how long Simon had known them, it seemed particularly new. My situation was a bit different, being human and a female, but we understood each other all the same. If I could learn to adapt and bond with the others, so could he. I felt like if I could get better at honing these powers, I could also inspire him.

The problem, though, didn't lie with Simon only. The others all needed to also accept Simon. I didn't know, yet, how to persuade them in the direction of bonding with Simon or Simon with them. I had hoped this training was a stepping stone, at least. If I only I could get Rowan to see the good side of Simon that I could see. I could see it, indeed. It may have been deep in there, but it was there. Else, he may not have come to warn us of that mysterious dragon at all. These were all things that I was mulling over since the night before.

I chewed my thumb as I stepped off the stairs and rounded the corner to the hallway. I was so lost in thought that I hadn't realized Victor was walking toward me. I instantly ran into him and jumped backward. He held an amused look on his face as he watched me fumble.

"Oh! Victor." I shook my head, coming out of my daze. "I'm so sorry."

"I was just coming to find you." Victor said, smoothly.

"Yea, I overslept." I rubbed the back of my head, realizing I had forgotten to brush my hair. I had hoped it didn't look like a rats nest. Luckily, I didn't see any mirrors to know.

"I see." Victor grinned, motioning me onward toward the gardens. I wondered what he meant, maybe my hair did look bad. I had wished I had seen a mirror, after all.

We made our way out into the gardens. I was running my fingers through my hair to try and take it down. Rowan was looking at me sternly with his arms crossed.

"You are thirty minutes late." Rowan said. "We are could have found Simon by now."

"I know, I rarely get that much sleep." I said, fidgeting with a knot in my hair.

Rowan raised a brow at me as if questioning what I was doing. He shook his head and threw is arms down, starting toward the woods. Victor and followed suit. Giving up on my hair, I brushed it back out if my face. Once we approached the woods, I awkwardly bobbed around. I managed to avoid thorns and limbs that came out of nowhere, while getting a few looks from the other two. Victor was amused but Rowan seemed to look at me as though I were holding him up. I didn't quite understand what it was about the mere subject of Simon that put him in a bad mood.

"So, do you think he will be at the pond?" I asked, stepping over a limb.

"He will likely be there." Victor said, grasping my elbow as I stumbled forward.