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

Chapter Five

Our pace was brisk as we walked through the school. I knew I would have gotten hopelessly lost without Jayden there to guide me, even with the odd 3D map appearing in my head.

"Stop going in front of me," Jayden snapped in an exasperated tone.

I scowled at him, slowing slightly so he could pass her. "You try knowing that you are about to meet your partner for life and are walking at a snail's pace to get there."

"A snail's pace? We've been practically sprinting all the way there with how jittery you were. And, if you forgot, I have tried knowing that I was about to meet the partner of my mind and heart before. His name is Caligo."

For some reason, it hadn't occurred to me that Jayden might have a dragon. All he had told me was that he was a Shade, so I never thought that he might be a Rider as well.

"Oh."

He chuckled. "You didn't realize that I was a Rider, did you?"

I felt a bit of heat find its way into my cheeks so I turned away. He laughed again.

"Nah, it's fair. I never said anything and you can't see my tattoo clearly, so it makes sense."

I blinked in confusion. "Tattoo?"

"Oh shit. I wasn't supposed to tell you that yet." He gave me a wide-eyed look before shrugging. "Ah, well. Fuck it.

"When you find your dragon egg and it hatches, you will have to clean all the weird gooey stuff that's still on the dragon. After that, it's number one priority will be to mark you body somewhere to show that you're a Rider. Cal marked me on my back, so you can't see it unless I take my shirt off. Also, everyone has a different mark."

I was following him until he said the part about taking off his shirt. My thoughts immediately turned to how he would look without it and how it would feel to run my hands over what I was sure were hard muscles.

I shook my head, hard, ignoring the odd look that he gave me. I didn't images like that popping into my head all of a sudden. "Ok. Got it."

Even to my ears, my voice sounded tight, and I could have sworn that I saw a flash of golden swirling heat in his eyes before he turned away.

The rest of the walk was made in silence, although we did pick up a bit of speed. Within another ten minutes, we had arrived.

Slowing to a stop, I glanced around the semi-large circular area. There was a regular looking door on one side. The only interesting thing about it was the fact that the handle looked to be made of pure gold.

Jayden leaned against a wall, his gaze locked onto the three other students that were already there. "Now, we wait. At least till the rest of the first-years get here."

I nodded, putting my back against a wall and sliding down until I was sitting. I brought my legs up and wrapped my arms around them, trying to ignore the way the three students were staring at me with fear that bordered on terror.

In a crowd as large as the one in the dining hall, I was invisible. But here, where it was obvious who I was and there was no one to hide me, I was the girl who nearly drained everyone of their power.

It didn't help that I could see and feel the waves of fear that echoed from the three students. It was more enhanced this time, most likely because there were three of them instead of just one.

A sigh sounded, and a second later, Jayden had slid down next to me. I stayed silent, closing my eyes to try and block the sudden pain I felt.

I had just wanted to go to the Academy. I wanted to escape my guardians, who turned out to be my aunt and uncle. I hadn't cared if I was the weakest one there as long as I got away.