Chapter 5 Stay Away from That Dragon

Mia's POV

Draven told me I might be a dragon, and I was thrilled!

Sure, everyone seems to hate dragons, but it still beats being a nobody.

If I really am a dragon, next time Liam mocks me, I'll breathe fire right at him!

In the cafeteria, everyone who walked past us shot us a look, like we were some kind of exotic creatures.

Draven was clearly used to it. He wore his hat everywhere.

"Can dragons fly?" I asked, curious.

"Of course."

"Do dragons collect treasure?" I asked again.

"They love it."

I was so fascinated by dragons that I kept firing off random questions, and he answered every single one patiently.

We talked through the whole meal, and the time flew by.

He asked me, "What's your first class this afternoon?"

"Oh gosh, I have no idea!"

"Check your schedule. It's in your pocket."

My schedule is in my pocket?

I reached in, and sure enough, there was a schedule.

He explained, "Your schedule usually shows up on your nightstand or in your pocket. Don't panic — the principal makes sure you never miss a class."

I glanced at it. "First period this afternoon, Potions."

"Same," he said.

"Great, we get to be in class together again!"

I handed him my phone on impulse. "Can I get your number?"

He clearly hadn't expected that. A little flustered, he said, "We don't use those in the magical world."

"So how do you stay in touch?"

Draven reached into his pocket and pulled out a toad.

It was about the size of a fist, with damp skin in a deep mossy green, glowing patterns across its back that looked like lichen.

Its eyes were large, pupils vertical, sitting quietly in Draven's palm.

Sensing my confusion, he said, "This is Croak. Think of it like the phone you use in the human world."

I leaned in. "It's literally just a toad."

Draven started demonstrating. He pulled out a second toad and handed it to me.

"Lick its back."

I stared at the slippery little thing sitting in my palm, my stomach turning. "You're joking, right?"

"Not at all," he said, completely serious. "It bonds to you through saliva. Don't worry. This one's new. Nobody's licked it yet."

I had no choice. I stuck out my tongue and gave it a quick swipe.

It immediately started pawing at its own head with one tiny foot, like it was washing up.

"It's registering your information."

Then the toad blinked and went still.

"Done. Now we can add each other." Draven said, "Give me one of your hairs."

A little puzzled, I plucked one and handed it over.

Draven held my hair near his toad's mouth. It instantly curled out its long sticky tongue and swallowed it.

Then my name slowly rose to the surface of its back, glowing faintly, before fading into the patterns.

Draven said to his toad, "Croak, connect to Mia."

Both Croaks puffed out their cheeks at the same time, letting out synchronized "croak" sounds like two little speakers.

Draven's name appeared on the back of my toad.

"Press it," Draven said.

I did.

"Now we have each other's contact," he said.

My Croak started talking in Draven's voice, coming right out of its mouth.

"Oh my god, this is incredible!" I was completely blown away.

Draven kept going. "If you don't want to talk out loud, you can send me a message. Just hold down Croak's back, say my name, and think about what you want to tell me."

He showed me right then. Words appeared on Croak's back, glowing softly.

I cradled Croak excitedly. "This is so cool! Where do you buy these?"

"Keep it. I have two," Draven said, unbothered.

"No, I can't just take something from you like that."

He thought for a moment. "I've burned you twice now. Consider it partial compensation."

That actually made sense. And I really did love this little Croak.

"Thank you. You're officially the first contact in my Croak."

After we finished eating, we chatted for a bit longer, until he walked me back to the dorm.

I took a short nap after lunch, then headed to the Potions classroom.

I scanned the room and quickly spotted Draven in the back row.

Class started right as I sat down.

A woman in a pale blue robe, hair pulled back, stepped up to the front.

"Hello everyone, I'm Sarah Wilson, your Potions teacher."

She was the same teacher who had led us into the hall. Her smile was warm, and I liked her right away.

But her gaze paused when it landed on me and Draven. She looked at me and said, "Mia, would you mind moving to the front?"

"Why? I'm fine here."

The slightly uncomfortable look on Draven's face told me everything. Professor Wilson just didn't want me sitting next to a dragon.

But Draven was a friend I'd just made, and I wasn't about to make him feel bad.

Professor Wilson's expression shifted at my refusal, but she didn't push it. She gave an awkward smile and started the lesson.

Draven was quiet and sullen for the rest of the class.

I drew a little smiley face on a scrap of paper and slid it in front of him. That finally got a small smile out of him.

Honestly, it puzzled me. I had a good impression of Professor Wilson. She was kind to everyone. So why would she embarrass Draven in front of the whole class?

After class, she pulled me aside.

"Mia, I know you haven't found your form yet and haven't developed your basic abilities, so I really think you should keep your distance from Draven."

No matter how gentle her tone was, something felt off.

"But I'm not afraid of dragon fire. He hasn't hurt me."

Professor Wilson kept pressing. "His power is immense, and he hasn't fully learned to control it yet. Being around him puts you in real danger."

"I appreciate the concern, but Draven is my friend. I'm not going to push him away, and I can take care of myself."

Professor Wilson said nothing more.

But my confusion only grew.

Why would a well-respected teacher at this school be so biased against Draven?

If I really was a dragon, would they treat me the same way?

I was still thinking about it when I spotted a flash of white in the hallway. Professor Jones.

It hit me. She's the principal. She's the one who signed my acceptance letter.

And she was knowledgeable and powerful. Maybe she'd know what kind of shifter I actually was.

I followed her all the way to the principal's office.

I knocked on the door. A voice called out, "Come in."

I took a deep breath and walked in, a little nervous.

This was the first time I'd ever walked into a principal's office without having done something wrong.

She looked genuinely surprised to see me. "Mia, what brings you here?"

She remembered my name.

I sat down in the chair across from her, gathered my thoughts, and said, "I have a question. I'm hoping you might have the answer."

"Let me guess. You want to know what kind of shifter you are?"

She smiled and poured me a cup of tea, like she was trying to help me relax.

I nodded and took a sip.

She let out a quiet sigh. "I'm sorry, Mia. I don't know either."

"But my parents enrolled me in this school when I was born and paid all the tuition in full. You really don't know who they are?"

My chest tightened. This was my last lead.

Something flickered across Professor Jones's face, a brief flash of awkwardness, before her expression went serious. "I'm sorry, dear. I genuinely don't know."

And then she shut down completely.

I felt crushed. Why did every lead dead-end here?

Then I thought of what Draven had said, and tried one more time with a flicker of hope. "I'm not afraid of dragon fire. Do you think I could be a dragon?"

This time she answered immediately. "No. You are absolutely not a dragon. That much I can promise you."

She said it with total conviction. She wasn't lying.

So I'm not a dragon. And I still have no idea what I am.

Great. I've actually managed to learn less about myself.

And Professor Jones didn't come across as someone who knew nothing. It felt more like she was holding something back.

But why?

I knew I wasn't going to get anything out of her today. I turned to leave, trying not to look as defeated as I felt.

She stopped me. "Mia, even if you're not afraid of dragon fire, I still have to warn you, stay away from Draven. He's dangerous."

Maybe it was the sting of losing an important lead. Maybe I was just in a bad mood. Either way, I wasn't very polite.

"Everyone keeps telling me to stay away from him. But he hasn't hurt me. I'm a shifter who has no idea what she is, and all I want is one friend who also doesn't fit in. Thank you for the advice, but he's not a danger to me."

Professor Jones looked like she wanted to say something more, but in the end, she let me walk out.