Racing the Storm

Chapter 9

**Devon's POV**

I sat on the couch of the lake house, my elbows digging in to my knees as the weight from my head pushed the joint down. My eyes were focused on the rug below to avoid the gaze of the two adults across from me. I could see Mrs. Baxter's bright yellow socks and Dean Baxter's black ones at the very top of my vision but I did not look any higher than that.

I didn't need to. I could feel both pairs of eyes staring at me waiting for a response to a question I couldn't answer.

"Devon," Dean Baxter's voice broke the silence first, gliding through the air to my ears, "Where did Thalia go."

"I don't know, why do you think I would know that?" I replied for what felt like the millionth time.

"Because I have records of you leaving your dorm half an hour before Thalia was woken up and a report that says you went back ten minutes after she may have taken off," She answered.

"And because you're clearly feeling guilty," Her wife pointed out, "You won't even look at us."

"It's like 6 AM and I got no sleep, excuse me for not looking you in the eyes," I growl.

"Don't speak to us like that," The animal care teacher snapped. A quiet whisper I couldn't quite decipher came from Dean Baxter as I heard something fall back on the couch.

"Devon, we brought you to our house so you could talk with us in a more comfortable environment, but if you don't help us out we will move to the office. Do you want to be in the uncomfortable office chairs?" Dean Baxter said.

I let out a sigh. It was really nice of them to let me in their house. The couple did it frequently to let students unwind with a more home feel. I had been a frequent flyer here my first year and I felt like I was close with both of them.

"She landed in the woods after she took off from the cave. She landed, I asked her what was wrong. She showed me the mark and....." I stop, wondering if I should even tell them this.

"I didn't encourage her. I said she should try and hear Hastings out...she was worried that security wasn't enough," I half-lied. Half-lies weren't that bad, right?

One sigh sounded from across the coffee table, one slap on the thigh. I'm not sure if someone hit themselves or hit someone else, but Mrs. Baxter stood up and started walking away. I tensed up as the silence grew longer and longer but still I did not look up.

"You can catch up on sleep on the couch. If you or your dragon leave this property there will be hell to pay," Dean Baxter's smooth voice got scary towards the end as she rose to her feet.

I nodded in agreement, "I'm sorry I can't tell you anything else."

Her black socks vanished from my view as she stood and left. My mind trailed to Thalia once again. With how fast Tuuka was they were probably long gone by now. My heart sank a little at the thought, thinking of how she probably raced nothing but the stars in the sky with no concern of where she ended up. She had snapped so quickly, but then again could I blame her? If Nuri had been tagged I would have done something similar.

Heavy fabric is dropped over my head. I nearly swear but I catch myself since I was in the dean's house. My body folds forward until I register that I can push back. The fabric slides down landing between my back and the couch. I turned to see a few blankets and a pillow.

"Make yourself comfortable kid. This is the best jail you could ever be sent to," Mrs. Baxter hummed.

A small smile spread on my face and I set myself up on the couch.