The Fire Within (Book 1 of Dragonfire series)

Chapter 4

I woke to the sound of a woman humming, which turned out to be Prim with my breakfast on a cart.

"Good morning Miss," she said in a chirpy tone. I stretched as she lifted the tray of food onto my bed. I removed the lids on the plates and found a wide variety of exotic fruits. I started to devour them as she reminded me there was soap and such in the bathroom. I took the hint after I finished my fruit and took a shower. The shampoo and conditioner smelled amazing and the body wash felt great against my dirty skin. There was a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door, so I wrapped myself in that before heading to the armoire to find an outfit for the day. I opened the bathroom door only to find Cullen leaning up against my bed.

Startled I yelled, "What are you doing in here? I could've come out naked!" He smiled at the thought before explaining his presence.

"Kokel instructed me to take you to Earth today, seeing that Alfio had other matters to attend to." Assuming he would have no reason to lie, I continued to make my way over to the armoire when my back was pinned up against it.

"You aren't leaving, are you?" He asked me looking genuinely nervous about my answer. Startled by how close he was to me, I tried to regain my thoughts.

"No, I'm just going to talk to my parents and discuss it with them." He looked relieved as he took a deep breath through his nose.

"You smell very good," he whispered slowly inching closer, making me wonder if I would have a replay of last nights events. Instead, he took a step back and left me to get dressed. The smell of an earthy vanilla lingered where he stood and filled my nose, making me wish he was still here so I could inhale more of it. I cleared my mind and put on a ripped pair of jeans, a loose v-neck, and a pair of converse. I quickly towel dried my hair, put on some mascara, and a thin line of eyeliner before meeting Cullen outside my room. He was wearing dark jeans and a black v-neck under a black leather jacket. He looked very...good. As we walked through the halls, I noticed students walking with books, as if they were going to class. They all had a human shape, but some had exotic colored skin and hair,such as blue or pink, or pointy ears or other features that were slightly different, but nothing too disturbing. Cullen explained that people came from all different planets to master their powers.

"I thought Kokel said this was the only planet that could sustain life?"

"This is the only planet that can sustain all types of life. There are beings that can survive here, but not on earth or other planets. Since this is the planet of life, and was created by one of the Axl's, anyone can live on it." He said coolly. Makes sense.

"Why aren't there any younger kids here? And why does everyone look like they are in their 20's?" I asked slightly confused at the age range.

"Fia's don't start to really develop their power until they reach 17 or 18. Therefore, they can't start training until that age, and their power stops growing around the age of 24 or 25. Don't be alarmed though, because the magic within us helps us to age physically at a much slower rate than regular humans."

"How old are you," I asked.

"I'm 20, and you?"

"I just turned 18 a few weeks ago," I said as we approached the front doors. He picked up the pace and walked infront of me so he could hold the door open.

"Happy belated birthday," he said with a wink. I giggled and thanked him as I proceeded into the sunlight. A black car waited outside for us, like a taxi I assumed. The driver stepped out and opened the doors for us as we crawled into the backseat.

"Take us to the travel station in Magix please," he spoke to the driver. He turned to say something to me when he saw my face. "What's wrong," he asked when he saw a disappointed look on my face.