The Touch Reader (#1 of the Elemental Originals Series)

Chapter Three

I scanned the greenery as I shifted on Tornado again, slightly uncomfortable. She didn't have a saddle, which meant that it wasn't nearly as nice a flight as it could have been. Especially when it was for over five hours and night had already fallen. A flash of something dark made me turn, and I stiffened as we banked around a large hill.

A huge castle sat on a hill, like a ghost its coloring was white with dark gray rooftops and a red entrance. It looked to be at least four stories, maybe five. A stunning autumn forest surrounded it, glimpses showing a lake behind it.

As large as the castle was, however, it didn't look nearly large enough to house at least eight hundred students. Hopefully, there was some spell that made it larger on the inside than the outside.

Dipping, I tensed, holding on only with my legs so that I wouldn't have to touch Tornado and read her thoughts.

She landed carefully, fanning her four wings to keep her balance as her talons clicked on the concrete. Stretching her four wings and angling them so they could act as slides for us to get down. 

Since there were four wings and four of us riding her, we each rode a different wing down, groaning when we had to stand up and force our cramped muscles to stretch.

I winced as I stumbled over to my sister with Leo tagging along behind me.

She was scowling darkly when we got there, glowering at the two older Riders who were helping the other kids dismount. "And just why couldn't they have put a saddle on that dragon? That was horrible!"

Leo offered a faint smile. "Well, before whatever happened at the ceremony, that dragon seemed very depressed, so I assume that they didn't want to bother it that much."

"Her," I said before I could stop myself. They both paused and turned to look at me in curiosity. I winced internally but repeated myself. "Her. Not it."

Flamma made an o right as a loud clap made us all jump and look at a grinning Azula and an annoyed looking Terry.

"Alright, gang! We're here! Its about to be midnight, but because everyone wants to meet the new Riders and Mages, the entire school is waiting inside those doors for us, especially since we're the last to arrive." I swore that every single person listening paled at the sound of that.

"Don't worry, it will definitely not be a completely mortifying experience walking through the crowd until you reach your table because everyone is watching you. Just be confident!"

I was going to strangle that woman.

"So, have fun!" With a speed I was not aware that a human could possess, she bolted to the huge doors and threw them wide open, displaying us to eight hundred pairs of eyes and showing a strength I was also not aware a human could have.