“What happened in there? Why did you tell her about your past? You know we can’t be friends with her, we can’t be anything to her,” I ask Korbin as we watch Isola run towards the academy, dressed in the tightest bloody clothes I’ve ever seen. What the hell is she wearing and why does she look so fucking hot in it?

“I don’t know, she messes with my head when I’m near her, and I forget everything planned,” he says with a groan, rubbing his face as he watches Isola like I do until we can’t see her as she gets into the academy.

“She can’t mess with your head. Your parents–“ I say.

“–I know, I’m not an idiot,” Korbin interrupts, looking over at me.

“I get it, she is attractive and damn innocent in all this. But it has to stop, and she has to bear the price in the end. Being her friend, it’s not part of our job, and is fucking dangerous,” I say, making sure he is looking at me, “Don't get close.”

“Who are you trying to kid? I’ve known you my whole life, and I know when you want something,” Korbin says, making my dragon growl low.

“You don’t know anything, just like you told her,” I growl.

“I know something is up. You looked shocked to see her yesterday. Why?” he asks. I try to ignore how my dragon is thinking about her, how we watched her all the way around the woods and I couldn’t get my dragon to focus on anything but Isola. It’s a total mind fuck when your dragon finds a treasure he wants, and I can’t explain why we can’t have her. It’s more confusing when I can’t stop thinking about her either.

“I remember meeting her, but I don’t want to talk about it,” I refuse to even think about it. I won’t be thanking her for anything.

“Then keep your eyes off her,” he warns.

“It’s all my dragon,” I growl, watching as Korbin’s eyes turn slightly black.

“I get it,” is all he says.

“What are we going to do about Thorne?” I ask, needing to discuss him. I don't know why he's here, he wasn't meant to be.

“Watch him, and hope he doesn’t drop us all in it,” Korbin says as I roll my lip ring between my lips, and look back at the castle.

“We should all take turns watching both him and Isola. We need Elias to actually help us, and not fuck around while he is here,” I mutter, knowing my brother can’t be trusted to do anything that doesn’t benefit himself.

“Talk of the devil,” I mutter. My brother’s dragon is diving out the sky and flying straight towards us. Elias’ dragon is all black, with red claws and a nasty temper, not much far off my brother’s. He lands with a thump in front of us, roaring loud before shifting, and my brother is left knelt on the ground. He stands up, reaching inside his leather jacket and pulling out a cigarette. He lights it up before walking over to us.

“I heard my name,” he says, blowing smoke at Korbin and smirking when he doesn’t look impressed.

“Where have you been? You’re meant to be watching Isola this morning,” I question him.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” he replies, shrugging a shoulder and looking back at the castle.

“She is inside, in the shower by the sounds of it,” he says and smirks at me, “I wish I could join her,” he taunts. His eyes turn black as his dragon says something that makes him grin around his cigarette.

“No fucking her, no messing around, or you will get kicked out of this place, just like you did when we went to school here,” I warn him.

“Sleeping with three of the teachers was worth it,” he shrugs.

“We need to be here, and you know why. If he finds out–” I stop talking when my brother’s face goes serious.

“I’m going to fucking watch the princess,” he snaps and turns around, walking towards the castle before I can say anything else to him.

“Do you trust him?” Korbin asks when Elias is out of sight.

“He’s my brother, of course I do,” I reply.

“And if he chooses the wrong side?” he asks.

“He won’t, so it doesn’t matter,” I state. My brother may act like a complete asshole, but he knows the end goal of being here. We have a job to do, and nothing can mess with that job. It could mean the end of everything, and even my brother isn’t stupid enough to mess that up.

“Your judgement is too clouded by the fact he is your brother. You don’t see how out of control he is, and always has been,” he replies.

“Don’t Kor,” I warn him, and he places his hand on my shoulder.

“I’m your friend, if I didn’t say it, I would be lying to you,” he says gently.

“Elias has never loved anyone, never given a shit. I don’t care what some prophecy says. He won’t fuck this up,” I shrug his hand off and walk away. As I get closer, I pick up the sweet, icy scent of Isola.

“Minee, she will be mine, and you will save her,” my dragon whispers to me. For the first time in years, I slam a barrier down between us before punching the wall near the door.

“For fuck sake,” I mutter. The third prophecy says one of the brothers will fall. Everyone thinks it is Elias, yet it's my dragon that already thinks of Isola as his. The third prophecy, the one that no one knows except for the king and us. Well, and the fire rebellion. The only one who can never know is Isola. It would destroy her, and us.