Page 30 of Ava’s Love of the Dragons (Of Dragons, Love, and Destiny #2)

"Stay behind me!" Marcus positioned himself protectively in front of Ava. "I knew it! I told you! We need to get out of here right now."

"But we drove the mages away! Master Clark helped us, didn't you see that?"

"Did he really?" Marcus stood firmly in front of her, but she pushed him aside and looked at the master. He calmly observed the remaining students, who were staring at him, no less horrified.

Allan and Kilian landed with their dragons in the middle of the arena, blocking the view of the master, and jumped off.

"Quickly, everyone on the dragons!" Allan waved the cadets towards his fire dragon, while Kilian ran to Ava. With a glance, he made sure she was all right before rushing to the injured students wordlessly. Ava wanted to follow him, but Marcus pushed her back and Magg also stood in her way.

"Stay here, Ava. We need to escape together!"

"I'm certainly not going to leave those two injured here! Let me through!" She squeezed past them and reached the cadets, who were just regaining consciousness. Kilian was supporting one of them.

"Are they badly wounded?"

Kilian shook his head and stood up. With a serious expression, he surveyed the chaos that had broken out, the student climbing onto Allan's dragon, and also Magg and Marcus shielding everyone as if Elora herself was in the arena. The injured cadets also got up and rushed to Allan's dragon.

"KEEP CALM!" Kilian shouted, causing everyone to freeze in place. "We need to stay calm!"

Allan came running with his sword drawn. "Where are we taking the students?"

Ava shook her head in confusion. Why did they want to take them away? The mages were gone. "Do you think our opponents will return so quickly?"

Kilian briefly touched her arm as if he wanted to tell her something. He nodded almost imperceptibly towards the students, Magg, and Marcus. Without exception, they were all horrified. Ava understood. It wasn't because of the mages' attack, but because Master Clark had used magic.

Kilian had warned her about discussing the sensitive topic in public, but hadn't the others seen that the master had protected them? If not, she needed to clarify that.

"We can't just—"

The dragon leader nodded discreetly behind Ava, where Magg and Marcus were standing, hearing every word. The woodsman didn't let her finish.

"I'll get Lilly and Lynn. I'll take you to my village." He was beside himself, and even Magg joined in the chaos of the group, as if she had never kept herself at a remove from everyone else.

Kilian shook his head decisively. "The Old City is no place for aspiring dragon fighters. We'll take them to Moonville."

Allan nodded officiously. "They can continue training there undisturbed."

Marcus looked at Kilian with wide eyes. "You want to take Ava to the official training facility for dragon fighters? Have you forgotten that the king's soldiers are hunting her? And Elora has her people everywhere!"

Allan stood in front of him, chest puffed out. "Calm down, man!"

But Marcus had no intention of doing so. He shook his head continuously. "This is madness!"

Strangely, Magg remained silent, and Ava didn't know what to make of it. Marcus's arguments had some merit. "It's a safe place for the students, but I won't go there."

Kilian looked at her imploringly. "You've bonded with a dragon, so the king will respect you and no soldier can touch you. As a dragon fighter, you're above them!"

Ava looked around the arena thoughtfully.

The cadets were ready for takeoff, sitting on Allan's dragon.

Even Ralph was there. Only Magg hadn't budged, still by Marcus's side.

She didn't know what was right, but this hasty departure felt wrong.

Casually, she counted the combat students and her eyes widened.

"Master Clark said he had six students. Where's the sixth?"

Before she could run off heedlessly, Kilian held her back. "I'll take care of whoever it is."

"But we don't even know who it is!"

"I do. He always sweeps behind the stands."

Surprised, her gaze shot to the spot where she had often seen the quiet man sweeping, but he wasn't there. He was the sixth student?

Kilian was already talking to Allan, who immediately set off to search for the missing cadet, also known as the janitor. Ava could think about the significance of his training later. She pointed at the building.

"I'll look for Lilly and Lynn. And I want to talk to Master Clark."

Marcus turned pale as a sheet. "You won't! He'll kill you or teleport you straight to Elora!"

Ava was slowly losing patience. "He could have done that any time in the past few days."

Kilian touched her elbow in warning, which got her to take a deep breath before she said something rash. "I'll look for Lilly and Lynn, then we'll see what's next."

Marcus tried to hold her back, but Magg stepped between them and shook her head placatingly. "You stay here, I'll go with Ava. I promise I'll protect her with my life."

Was this a trick? Incredulously, she eyed her fellow student, who maintained her cool and controlled expression as always, barely looking at Ava.

"Shall we?"

Ava nodded. She glanced briefly at Kilian, who was talking to Allan, before turning away to run into the building with Magg.

"They must be in the classroom," Ava called out as they jogged through the corridor.

"You don't know your friends very well. They've been sitting in the library for three days. This way!"

"How do you know that? You train longer than I do."

Magg said nothing, perhaps because they reached a heavy oak door, which the cadet immediately tried to pull open. In vain. "Master Clark has locked it."

Ava grabbed the handle and shook it, but the door wouldn't budge. "Do you distrust him too?"

With a pinched look, Magg raised her hands and knocked forcefully on the library door. "Lynn, open up! It's us!"

Footsteps sounded, a click was heard, and the gentle teacher opened the door. "What's going on?" When she saw Magg and Ava together, she frowned. "Why did you come here together—and during training time?"

Lilly jumped next to her and flung the door wide open. "What did I miss?"

"We were attacked by mages and Master Clark used magic. That's why everyone wants to leave now, even though he saved us."

Lilly snorted, but Lynn shook her head. "We can't leave. We're safe here."

"I'm afraid we have no choice, because all the other cadets are being taken to Moonville."

Lilly's eyes lit up. "Seriously? Awesome! But leave Master Boom?" She pouted. "He's not evil."

Ava quickly lowered her voice, as she didn't know how Magg felt about the story, and Lilly couldn't give herself away. "We need to be careful." She shot her a warning glance, and the girl reluctantly nodded.

"But I need to get my books first."

Ava's jaw dropped. "Your what?"

But Lilly had already run into the library. Lynn watched her with a smile. "She's a great student."

"Lilly?" Were they talking about the same child who thought school was beneath her?

"Do you need to pack too, Lynn?" Magg's voice sounded unusually friendly. Apparently, she only had something against Ava.

"I don't want to go at all." She sighed heavily. "Master Clark was going to show me an old scroll about the Magic Wars tomorrow."

Magg pulled off her cap and brushed her long blonde hair out of her face. "I understand you, but the Master will leave this place too. He has to, because the soldiers will be looking for him. I'm afraid not even Kilian will be able to keep the students from talking."

Ava stiffened. That meant she wouldn't have a choice either. Lynn would go, everyone else would go, and Master Clark was probably long gone.

Lilly came bounding to the door, carrying three thick tomes. "I still need to go to my room and get my backpack, but it's always packed anyway, so we can leave right away."

"I need to get something from my room too." Lynn looked at Ava, who nodded.

"I'll go with Lilly, and Magg will accompany you. We'll meet the others in the arena in five minutes at the latest."

No one had any objections, so they set off. Lilly rushed ahead impatiently. Ava, on the other hand, felt melancholy. She had learned a lot in this place and had hoped to prepare adequately for the fight against Elora. And now?

She would be trained in Moonville too, but at the same time, she would be under the king's supervision.

Didn't that inevitably make her his subordinate?

And what would happen to Lilly if someone accidentally discovered what she was capable of?

The soldiers would kill her immediately.

She couldn't expose the girl to such danger.

But if they fled into the forest, to Marcus's people, or another hiding place, the mages would find them sooner or later, and Ava still couldn't defend the girl. She needed help and had to prepare for the fight.

Heavens, couldn't someone just show up and tell her which decision was the right one?

They reached the hallway on the first floor, and Lilly jumped into her room. Ava hurried to hers, pushed the door open, and stopped dead in her tracks.

Master Clark was standing by the window.

She quickly closed the door before anyone noticed him.

Lilly was only two doors down and her hearing was way too good.

But she didn't know what to say. There were so many questions vying for her attention that she couldn't utter a single one.

So she just looked at him as he turned to her.

He wore his usual serene smile, as if nothing bad had happened.

"I wanted to talk to you briefly before you leave, Ava."

"I'd prefer to stay. I don't think magic is evil."

"That's very wise of you. Another reason why you can be grateful that your mother took you away."

Ava froze. "What do you know about my parents?"

He smiled faintly. "Enough to recognize that they did you a great service."

She looked at him intently. "You know something about my past, don't you? Please tell me."

"You must understand one thing, Ava. Our past shapes us, but it doesn't define us.

It's the starting point of your journey, not the destination.

But that's not what this is about. Not yet.

You must continue to focus on your strengths.

You must no longer fight your feelings to prepare for the final battle. "

"I'm trying, really, but —"

"No, no buts. You must face them. Only when you have the courage to feel everything that lies within you, when you find the courage to explore your heart in all its strength and vulnerability, will you find the necessary power to turn all our fates for the better."

She shook her head. "But I'm not brave when it comes to feelings. You should have noticed that by now. I'm terribly afraid of them."

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that something is more important than fear."

"Stop speaking in riddles! What are you getting at?"

The Master smiled. "Stay close to the dragon leader. He will help you."

"But we're not allowed to —"

The door was flung open and slammed against the wall. Marcus and Lilly were standing in the frame, the girl staring at them wide-eyed. "Is Master Boom with you? I heard you talking!"

"And I saw him from the courtyard! Where is he hiding?" Marcus leaped across the room and clenched his fists as if he were the one who had been engaged in combat training over the past few days.

Ava turned around quickly. She was agitated, but she wouldn't allow him to attack the master. However, as soon as she turned back to the window, there was no trace of him.