Starsky Academy

22.

"We'll take Shana to Dean Ramino first. There will be no more backstabbing from her." My voice was deadly calm as I glanced at the frizzy, orange-haired girl, who was watching her dragoness with wide, nervous eyes.

I closed my eyes briefly as another jolt of pain coursed through my body. It was from Avyn. He was in pain, and he was scared. Why, why did I let him go off hunting like that? 

"I'm really sorry, please know that. If nothing else, I did want to be your friend but I just felt like my dragon's safety had to be my number one priority." Shana mumbled.

"Yes, and now your friends and also your fellow classmates have had their dragons kidnapped. Losing your dragon is like being stabbed in the heart, Shana," Amber told her sharply, "I don't think I can forgive you, but I do understand why you were worried about Alya." She added after a moment.

I was surprised at how thankful Shana looked at Amber's last sentence. "Thank you," the girl murmured.

I took Shana's hand, pulling her towards where the Dean's room was. Aiden and Amber followed.

Aiden knocked on the door crisply, three times. There was a brief silence before it swung open and the Dean's wrinkled features appeared before us. Looking over at Shana, she seemed completely confused.

"What are you doing? What's going on?" Dean Ramino narrowed her eyes.

"Miss, Dean, Ramino," I paused, finding the proper title for her, "Well, Shana here was giving the Shadows information on this school. She was feeding info to Aiden's uncle, Duke--"

"Aiden's uncle? Why does that matter here?" The Dean truly was confused.

Aiden took a deep breath, looking nervous at her reaction, and then spilled the whole story, with Duke, the Shadows, and his imprisoned father Erridor, and why they needed dragons and their fire to melt the prison bars.

Dean Ramino looked shocked at the end of the story. Her face was pale and her usually confident dark eyes were glazed with surprise and even fear.

"And S-Shana here was spying for them?" Dean Ramino finally acknowledged the trembling figure that I had called my friend just an hour earlier.

Shana nodded her head, looking fearful and remorseful. Behind her, Alya was still pressured by the cold stare of Navi, Aiden's silver dragoness.

"I'm not quite sure how to handle this information, children. For now it is within my duties to take Shana into custody, but there will be some sort of trial before anything is decided." Dean Ramino gestured at Shana and Alya, but still looked rather sick to her stomach.

"Excuse me, miss," I interrupted, "I understand well that it may be dangerous, but Aiden knows where Erridor and Duke are as well as my missing dragon, Avyn, and Amber's Rainsong as well." The Dean looked at me like I had grown another head. "And?" She furrowed her thin eyebrows.

"We're... We're going to get them back." I spoke and waited through a painfully long silence.

Eventually the Dean realized my words and shook her head violently. "Absolutely not. I will not put any of my students into danger. You shall wait for some kind of military to go and stop this; beg my pardon but three 16-year old teenagers shall do nothing."

I tried to refrain myself from snapping back at her, and then Aiden stepped in with, "Well, there's a good likelihood that by the time that military does arrive there, it will be too late and Erridor will be released by the imprisoned dragon's fire. Also, only I know the way there so either way I must go."