Shouts of surprise fill the bleachers as the familiars finish off the target and turn to me for my next command as my mind falls blank from shock. Hundreds of pairs of eyes, human and familiar are suddenly focused on me as the breath freezes in my lungs.
"Students! Please disperse your familiars and return to your seats! Return to your seats immediately!" Headmaster Hallewell calls out hastily as the familiars begin to flicker out of existence.
The power that I didn't know I was feeling begins to fade, like a caffeine high wearing off as I am left feeling slightly empty and hollow. A few students are staring at me as they start to jog for the bleachers, like they almost want to get away from me and I look around to realize that I am the only one left on the field.
They're afraid of me, I realize and triumph burns hotly in my veins.
I hold my head high as I walk for the bleachers and return to my seat where Tessa, Astrid, and Luke watch me with wide eyes. Several people sitting near us are speaking in hushed voices as Luke leans forward to say something.
"What did you do?" he starts to ask but is quickly interrupted when Headmaster Hallewell makes an announcement.
"Now that that is over with, I am pleased to introduce our students to the Draconic legion, Blaize Graeme, please report to center field and summon your familiar," Headmaster Hallewell says as he moves on quickly and I can't help but feel irritated.
I have an ability that was thought to be a myth, shouldn't there be some sort of special announcement? I wonder silently to myself as Tessa side-eyes me like she can't believe what just happened.
A few, hesitant cheers rise from the students as someone stands up from several sections over. The boy is a few years older than me and his eyes are a brilliant shade of gold, which makes his tanned skin-tone look even darker. His hair is dark and tufted as he runs a hand over the top of his head and begins to descend the bleachers.
A rumbling, pounding rhythm makes the bleachers shake as the students recover from their shock and start to stomp in unison, as does Tessa and Luke. Astrid is busy browsing through her phone as she gnaws on the corner of her lip and only glances up to look at Blaize once as he gets down the last set of stairs to jog for the center of the field.
A hush settles over the crowd as the young man, as I could hardly call him a boy, claps his hands together once and even from my place in the bleachers I can hear the clap as lightning sizzles across his palms and spouts off several feet in different directions.
He's an Electrokinetic, a manipulator of lightning and he's putting on a show.
A roar fills the bleachers and the roar is matched by a bestial one as a large, orange dragon the size of an SUV flickers to life. The beast stands on its muscled hind legs like it's posing for a moment to reveal its white-scaled underbelly before it slams downwards to make the ground shake. The dragon scans the bleachers with wide, blue eyes and Astrid snorts as she looks up from her phone.
"It looks like a charizard," she cackles and I can't help but agree with her as I look at the dragon more closely.
"Too bad his master's name isn't Ash," I retort and she shoots me a grin.
"Finn Delacroix, please enter the field," Headmaster Hallewell announces and a slight, blonde-haired boy quickly heads down to the field.
There's a flash, like a camera has taken a picture, which is followed by a flicker of grey as a grey scaled dragon appears from a puff of smoke. Its eyes are an unsettling shade of white as a forked tongue flickers from its mouth, like a snake testing the air. There are less cheers and I can sense that he may not be a favorite of the crowd, but this doesn't seem to affect him because he stands up straighter, puffing out his chest as he gazes up at the crowd with a challenge in his eyes.
"Violetta Grimsbane," the headmaster announces at last.
A girl of Asian descent stands before she marches down to the field, her short hair swishing around her face. Her back is straight and her shoulders are drawn back as she heads out to the field where she summons a black dragon with wide, green eyes that shimmer in the sunlight.
The three students face the crowd expectantly before the headmaster speaks again.
"Riders, mount up," he booms, "and let the tournament begin."
YOU ARE READING
Unfamiliar (Unfamiliar Series #1)
FantasyKara thought that going to a boarding school for witches would be hard. But when she's framed for murder, she must clear her name before the murderer can strike again. ***** Kara has just turned sixteen and is to attend Greenwood Academy, a witches...
