Page 9 of Tears of Gold

Skye purses his lips and kicks at a long tuft of grass. “We'll cross that bridge when we get there. I have hope now one memory came back, although it's an unpleasant one.”

I scowl. That doesn’t sound like good news at all. What will Ava do when she remembers how we first met?

Skye tips his head, studying me. “For the record, she wasn’t upset about her memories returning. It was because we said you could testify about the salty at the Davina camp if the Royal Guard requires.”

I stop walking. Ava was worried about me? She would be right to be worried because the elemental army getting their hands on a rogue like me would be a lengthy prison sentence, if I was lucky. Torture and death would be more likely since they’d suspect me of being a Davina spy. They wouldn’t be far off since I did a job for the rebels. Shit!

Skye leans against the opposite wall. “For the record, we wouldn’t throw you to the goblins. Erritt would sort out papers or some shit if you had to testify. Not many people saw the salty.”

“And Ava was one of them,” I murmur, understanding their train of thought. It’s far better me than her, even if that’s the only thing these guys and I agree on. I examine Skye, and his gaze slides away. “I suppose you can’t end up in questioning either?” He’s a pain in the ass, but he’s been fair to me, not like the other bastard. I wouldn’t want to see Skye tortured for information.

A faint rumble sounds from his throat. “Right.” He pushes away from the wall. “It won’t happen anyway. Vanrey said his testimony’s enough, and he’s as good as a general in their ranks. Unfortunately, Ava left before hearing that part.”

I press two fingers against the sliver of a scab on my throat, remembering that I’m still pissed with all of them. “Well, I need to shower before class.” If only I could wash off the irritation lodged under my skin, digging at me like a wild grass burr.

“You really keen to study subjects you know nothing about and will fail anyway?”

I glare at him. “Got a better idea?”

He grins, revealing his dimples. “Thought you'd never ask. Come on.”

Skye leads me to the far side of campus to the swimming pools, and I follow him warily, still unsure where we stand. It doesn’t seem like the dragon holds a grudge, but he’s always been somewhat open minded.

We cross into the shade of the giant, open-sided shed. I thoroughly inspected the academy grounds when I first arrived but haven’t spent much time at the pools. Water isn’t my favorite element, although the mers are fun to watch. Their tails and the fins down their back are far more flowy than the pictures of imagined mermaids back on Earth.

“Let's go for a swim,” Skye offers with an overwide smile.

I scrunch up my nose. “I'm not that keen on water.” Probably because there’s none on the desert planet Fadoza where I grew up, and although I forced myself to learn to swim on Earth in case I ever needed a hasty exit across water, it never appealed to me.

“Too bad, you said you needed a shower.” He leans in close, too close. “Phew, yep, I agree.”

“Cut it out.” I slap him away. “As if you need to be so close with your animal nose.”

He laughs.

Splashing catches our attention as three mers frolic in the furthest pool. Skye turns and watches them with narrowed eyes. “Damn salties. Should I go mess with them?”

I arch my brows at him. “One, it’s saltwater, and two, aren't you at the bottom of the food chain around here?”

His feral grin shows a hint of wickedness as he strips down. “In the water, I'm at the top of every food chain. Don't go anywhere.” Morphing, he runs to the large pool on the other side and dives silently into the water.

A heartbeat later, the mers scream. They leap from the water like breaching salmon, transforming midair as Skye's heavy jaws click together under their tails. His thrashing churns the water to white. Panting and holding their hearts, the three mers scream expletives at him before grabbing their things and running.

Skye’s wicked chuckle floats across the water. He dives out of sight and reappears on the bank a second later. I thought he was fast on land, but water truly is his element. He’s still chuckling as he comes close and shakes off like a dog, the twenty-foot length of his body trembling and flashing with silver light.

“Hey!” I yell, backing away from the water droplets.

“Shit, that salt stinks.” He grimaces and spits on the ground while clawing at his scaly sides. Then he chuckles again. “But it’s worth the scummy salt bite to hear them scream. Now it’s a bit more private! Come on in; I've got something to show you.”

“And if I don't want to?” I watch the wide set of his jaw and the long, deadly fangs uneasily, caution keeping my eyes glued to him. Between his easy-going nature and cheerful smile, I sometimes forget he’s a dangerous alpha predator.

His reddish-gold reptile eyes narrow. “I'm only asking nicely out of respect for all those clever things in your pockets you probably don’t want to get wet.” His tail whips back and forth like a real side-winding snake. Or an angry cat.

A curious tingle runs through my belly. Skye did say he’d teach me to access my qi better. “Fuck! Bossy much?” I grumble, stripping down to my underwear and unstrapping the brace that keeps my knives flat on my belly.

I fold my clothes and put them high on the grandstand, with my knives hidden under the top layer. Returning, I dab my toes in the closest pool. It's cool but not freezing. The murky green water doesn’t look too exciting, and I wonder if it’s full of bacteria. Not really up to local county standards, let alone the Olympics.

“What now, sea snake?”