The Last Dragon Shifter

Chapter Fourteen

The under-a-microscope feeling intensified when Lark pushed open the doors to the dining hall. The room was massive and immaculate, with more stained glass windows and long, sparklingly clean wooden tables. As Lark shuffled Naomi into the serving line, the hairs on the back of Naomi's neck stood up and her cheeks flushed. So much pressure and so much attention focused on her every move.

Be brave, Naomi. Be brave, she repeated to herself, but she was aware of each step she took, every glance she caught.

Then she felt Lark's hand on hers.

"They don't matter. The only thing that matters is sausage or ham."

"What?"

Lark motioned toward the food out on display.

"Forget the stares. Forget the insecurities. All you need to decide is whether you want sausage or ham."

"What if I want both?" Naomi teased gratefully.

"Take both, damn it."

At Lark's insistence, Naomi did. For the next few moments, she focused solely on going through the serving line. It was packed with every breakfast food you could imagine—omelets, bagels, bacon, eggs of every kind. Even delicacies like Aequor's famous sea berries. The juicy fruit was cultivated from coral under the tropical locale's famous waters, and known for its tart, rich flavor. Altogether, it was a smorgasbord of delicious options, and the most food Naomi had ever seen. With her plate loaded down, she and Lark sought out a table near the window.

"See? That wasn't too bad," Lark said as she placed her napkin in her lap.

"Thanks to you."

"You'll get used to it. Some other kid will do something outrageous or embarrassing tomorrow, and you'll be old news."

Naomi doubted it, but she took comfort in Lark's words. Against her will, Naomi had the nagging thought she should be searching for Malcolm or Figgis. Granted, her first class would start soon and she'd meet up with them, but there was this impending anxiety. Already she felt as if she was supposed to be at the prince's side. That was her new job, after all—looking out for him.

He was nowhere within the cafeteria.

"Prince Malcolm thinks he's too good to eat here, right?" Naomi asked. She meant it casually, but her off-handed remark startled her companion.

"You can't talk about the prince that way," Lark hissed.

"That's because you haven't met him."

"We have classes together."

"It's not the same as dealing with him up close."

"Isn't that your job? To deal with him up close? I hope you don't talk about him like that to his face."

Naomi took the opportunity to stuff her mouth with a delicious sausage-ham combination.

"Naomi!" Lark gasped.

"I was only saying, it's exactly like him to think he's too good to show up here. He claims he wants to be a normal person, but where is he?" Naomi said as she tried to seek him out in the crowd.

"He comes sometimes. He..." But Lark's words got lost in the back of Naomi's mind. Because instead of spotting Malcolm's self-righteous frame, she found someone else entirely.

She spotted a boy several tables over. Not any boy, though. Tan, tall, buff. Shoulder-length black hair and mysterious hazel eyes. He shouldn't be at a school. He should be off riding one of those fancy e-speed motorcycles, that glorious hair blowing in the breeze with some lucky girl riding shotgun.

While she was glorifying him in her wild imagination, he looked up and stared right at her. He wasn't looking at her the same way the others had. His stare was one of knowing. As if he truly saw her. Underneath the rumors and everyone's terror...he saw her. The real her. Not the monster people were making her out to be.

"Who's that?" Naomi said to Lark, although her gaze never broke away from his.

"That's Quinn Hunter," Lark said, before slapping Naomi's fork out of her hand. The distraction did as Lark intended, breaking Naomi's attention away from Quinn.

"And you don't want to get involved with him. Trust me on this. Yes, he is sexy as sin, but that's exactly it. As sin. He's dangerous."

"How so?"

"He's always getting into trouble. He's part of the aristocracy but acts like an alley cat. Always getting into scrapes and fighting. Disobeying school rules. For your own good, if you don't want to make your reputation worse, stay away from him." Lark waved a reprimanding finger.

"All right, all right. I got it."

Despite Lark's chastising, Naomi wished she could take one last look. As she went to glance over her shoulder, the school bell rang. Quinn got up and disappeared, and Lark grabbed hold of her arm, dragging her off to class.

*** Soooo, Quinn. Who dat? 😳Why's he here, trading knowing looks with Naomi? Find out more next time!