Chapter 10

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A/N: Hey, guys! I would like to thank everyone who has read Burning Sky so far. I love all the feedback I am getting. It motivates me to keep on writing.

You probably don't know this but Burning Sky is already complete. In fact it has been complete for half a year. But I was never motivated to write the sequel and that was due to the lack of feedback. But now I feel my inspiration and motivation are back. So, thank you!

I hope you enjoy the story so far. Feel free to comment and vote if you like it :)

~Veronica

P.S. Any guess on who the dragon is?


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Sora slumped over her desk, desperately trying to do her homework, but her mind was a whirlwind. She was not normal. According to Drake, she was something called a Dragoncaller. She could channel dragons' powers. She could set things on fire. Sora was still having trouble accepting that people who appeared perfectly normal were actually dragons, and they could shapeshift into a dragon just like Drake had done.

Wearily, Sora glanced over at her clock. It was almost midnight. She knew she wasn't going to get any studying done at this point, so she gave up. She quickly changed into her pajamas and flopped down on her bed. She burrowed under her warm, protective blanket, wishing that somehow she could hide and all of her new found problems would disappear.

Her eyes slipped shut, and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep, only to be awakened what seemed like moments later by a soft bark. Sora opened her bleary eyes and focused on the clock's numbers. It was two in the morning. Kiba must be barking because Drake is going out again, she thought.

Talking to Drake that day had surprisingly put her mind at ease. She didn't feel the need to climb out of bed and go out to investigate, because Drake had assured her that she had nothing to fear. He seemed more rattled than she was when he told her that he needed her help to track down the other dragon at her school. Sora's curiosity was getting the best of her once again, and she was determined to find the dragon, that is as long as she herself didn't have to turn into a scaly beast. Sora was more than fine with someone else being the dragon.

***

The buzzing of her cellphone announcing she had a text awoke Sora early the next morning. It was Mo saying they needed to talk. Sora hurriedly got ready for school, said a quick goodbye to her grandparents and dashed out the door.

When she reached the school building, she was surprised to find the front door unlocked. No one was there but Sora wasn't expecting to see any of her fellow classmates at school this early. She headed towards the newspaper room where Mo and Katie were waiting for her.

She walked in and gave them a smile. "Good morning." They didn't even bother to answer.

"Come, take a look," Mo said pointing to the computer screen in front of him. Sora was shocked to see a red dragon glaring back at her from the monitor. Worse, it was the very same red dragon that she had met face to face in the forest. It was Drake!

"How?" was the only response she could squeak out.

"You were right. Drake goes out in the middle of the night to transform in the forest. I found him and photographed him in the exact same clearing that you described," Mo said with a satisfied grin on his face. He was obviously pleased with his discovery.

"I didn't want to believe there were dragons, but seeing this," Katie gestured wildly at the computer, "I can't really deny it anymore," she muttered. "I can't believe you've seen this thing." She was worried about Sora, and her fear showed as she shuddered while looking at the monster on the screen.

Sora was more concerned for Mo's safety. "You followed him?" she demanded. He casually nodded with a crooked smile on his face. "This is serious," she scolded him. "You could've gotten hurt or worse."

His smile widened, and he shrugged. "You worry about me." It wasn't a question.

Sora felt her cheeks blushing, and she averted her eyes.

"This is going to be the biggest story ever," Mo's eyes sparkled with excitement as he spoke the words.

"You can't print that. You are not breaking this story until we know exactly what we are dealing with, and even then...," she trailed off. Katie nodded furiously in agreement.

"And why not? This is huge!" Mo always did what he wanted. Sora knew the only way to dissuade him was to come clean and tell him everything she knew.

She furtively told Mo and Katie about her meeting with Drake. She didn't leave anything out, not even when it came to revealing that she was a Dragoncaller or that there was another dragon hiding in their school who might be a ticking time bomb.

Drake had explained to her that dragons were usually born into families of dragons, but once in a while a rogue dragon popped up, and it was the Collectors' job to track that dragon down and recruit them. Most rogue dragons were completely unaware of their powers until the first time they accidentally transformed into a dragon.

"So you have to find this dragon before they destroy the whole school?" asked Katie.

Sora nodded.

Mo was silent as he pondered over everything Sora had told them. Finally, he smiled. "You mean we."

"What?!" Sora exclaimed.

"You can't expect me to sit here and do nothing when you just exposed what may be the greatest story of the century. I won't print the dragon story, for now, but in exchange you have to let me help you track down this rogue dragon." His mind was made up. Sora hated to admit it, but she was relieved to have his help.

Katie wore a shocked expression, but she immediately piped in, "Of course you can count me in, too."

"Okay," Sora agreed noticing Mo's smug expression. "But we need to convince Drake first. He might not like it or want it, but I think we could use the extra help. There is just one problem. He still has no idea that you two are in on the big secret."

***

Sora caught sight of her watch. It was just one minute before first period started. She was going to be late again if she didn't hurry. How could this happen? I was one of the first to arrive, she scolded herself as she darted inside her classroom seconds ahead of her professor.

Drake was watching her closely. Once she was seated properly and the class had begun, he turned slightly toward her. "Are you okay?" he whispered so softly that she almost missed it.

Sora was a bit taken back by his sudden show of concern. "Yeah, it took me a while to digest everything but I am fine." She shot him a small smile in hopes that it would ease his worrying. "There is something that I have to tell you, though."

Abruptly, Drake turned to face her. His face was anxious, and perhaps even scared. Before Sora could utter a word, their professor berated Drake for not paying attention, and he was forced to turn his attention back to the lesson.

Sora didn't let that stop her. She decided that this was the perfect opportunity to come clean with Drake. He couldn't get angry while they were in class after all. She quickly passed him a note telling him about Mo and Katie being in on everything.

"You did what?" Drake screamed at the top of his lungs when he read the note. In one instant, he jumped from his seat, the chair hitting the floor with a loud noise and gave her a murderous look.

Sora wanted to melt into her seat. Drake ignored the professor's warning, and blurted out through clenched teeth, "What were you thinking?!" His eyes burned with an unknown fury and his body shook. Sora had never seen such anger on him, not even when he was a dragon.

Sora sat in stunned silence, but then she felt her own anger start to rise. This whole situation was his fault. If he hadn't transformed into a dragon in front of her without warning, she wouldn't have needed to talk to someone. She was about to rise out of her seat and take him on, when she felt her palms flash with unexpected heat. A strange sensation rippled across her hands, it felt like a thousand ants marching across her skin, but when she looked at her hands she was startled to find nothing there, they looked normal.

For whatever reason, seeing Sora staring at her palms had a calming effect on Drake. The enraged voice of their professor cut through the classroom. "Mr. Harrison, if you don't want to be sent to the headmaster's office right now, sit down!" Drake righted his chair and plunked back down, his eyes never leaving Sora's face.

Sora felt the prickling sensation on her hands washing away. She stared at Drake confused, hoping for some kind of explanation. Drake wore an apologetic look, and she was stunned into silence.

After class, Drake was immediately by Sora's side apologizing. "Sorry I yelled at you," he said. Sora was a bit taken back after his angry outburst in the middle of the class.

At least for a guy, he was quick to apologize. "What was happening with my hands?" she asked.

"You were about to channel my powers," he whispered to her because they were surrounded by curious eyes, especially after what had just happened.

Sora gazed at him in utter shock. "I was about to..." she couldn't finish her sentence. The thought of inadvertently starting another fire in the middle of her classroom sent a wave of fear bolting through her. She buried her face in her palms.

"You have to be in sync with a dragon's feelings in order to use their power. You must have been really mad," he commented and raked a hand through his hair haphazardly.

Sora was beginning to think that his hair mussing was a nervous tick. "I was," she muttered and turned her eyes to the window. "But I am fine now."

"Good. And even though I am not happy that more people know about me, we might need all the help we can get."

The bell rang and just before turning to face the front of the class, he tilted his head next to hers.

His soft, warm breath tickled her neck making her shiver. "Just don't tell anyone else," he whispered in her ear.

She nodded as he drew back quickly and flipped around turning his attention elsewhere.

***

At lunch, Drake and Sora trudged to the cafeteria, both feeling a bit awkward after their earlier encounter. Thankfully, they spotted Katie in the back with an empty table and full tray. The pair approached Katie, and when she noticed Drake tagging along with Sora, her eyes widened a bit, and her eye brows shot toward the heavens.

"Sora," she said with a trembling voice when they reached her, not daring to look at Drake.

Drake shot Sora a scolding look. Probably Katie doesn't look like dragon hunter material to him, she thought and sat down.

"I am Drake," he said and offered his hand to Katie as politely as possible. Sora was a little bit surprised and so was Katie, but she eventually shook his hand.

"Katie," she said her voice still unsteady.

Sora watched as Drake's expression shifted from alert to relaxed. "What are you doing?" she asked him once the introductions were over.

"Just making sure she is not the one," he explained.

"She wasn't even there," protested Sora a little bit frustrated.

"Oh," his lack of a proper response earned him a huge eye roll from Sora.

She shook her head. "Just ask me next time, deal?"

"Okay, I am asking you now. Who was there the night of the fire?"

"Yeah, Sora. Who was there?" another voice entered their conversation.

Sora jerked around and saw Mo standing behind them, balancing his lunch tray on one hand. Drake eyed Mo up and down suspiciously. "He is the other one I told you about," Sora explained quickly trying to avoid any further weirdness. Drake backed off and appeared to relax slightly.

Mo set his tray down and settled next to Katie. "I'm Mo Bayes." He nodded his head in a salute.

"Drake," said the other guy, forgoing the handshake this time.

Sora didn't pay that much attention to them, lost in her thoughts, until she realized something. "Drake, touch him," she said all of a sudden and everyone at the table looked at her confused. "He was actually there that night."

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