Dragonslayer

Chapter Seven

When I wake up, the first things I see are bookshelves.

There must be at least a thousand books- so many I can't see the wall underneath. Books, and books, and books. So many books I can feel my head swimming.

Then I notice that I am not alone.

Sitting in a hard-backed chair at a desk is a girl with long hair the colour of platinum woven into a thick braid. She's writing something, and talks without turning. "So, you're awake."

"Yeah." My voice sounds dry. I swallow. "Who're you?"

"Oh, you know me," she says, capping her pen and turning around.

Her is hair is the colour of snow and her skin is so pale she looks almost ill. By stark contrast, her eyes are dark- not dark brown, but an intense black and sparkling with intelligence- and framed with shadows. She seems like the sort of person who frequently chooses work over sleep. Like Niko on the dragon yesterday, she wears black.

Those things don't seem familiar at all. I've never met someone with hair so light. But other things are- the sharpness of her nose, the cheekbones. The plump lips that look perfect even without being covered in plum lipstick.

I can't believe it until I spy a plum dress hanging out of the half-open wardrobe. "Elivia?"

She laughs. "I'm afraid that was a pseudonym." She crosses the room and shakes my hand, which is weird because I'm still wrapped in the sheets.

"So what do I call you?"

"Tabira. That's my actual name, I promise."

My mind is still reeling. "But... how?"

"Hair dye," she answers. "Lots of under eye concealer. Coloured contacts." She gives a satisfactory nod. "I've always been into make-up and hair as it is. I'm not wearing any now though- my dragon hates it, for some reason." Typically, she gets to look pretty and calm without make-up. Lucky her.

I smile half-heartedly. "Do you, um, know why I'm here?"

"Yes." Tabira casts her eyes downwards. "Except I won't be the one to tell you. I can do a little explaining for you, though. I'm sure you have gathered that the person who hacked the toaster was me?"

I nod. I hadn't really thought about it, but it does make complete sense.

"So," she continues, "I hacked the toaster. Got it to burn me, got you to fight it, and when you set your knife on the counter-" she pulls something out of her black jacket and places it in my hand- "I took it. It was my job to ensure you were unarmed when you came up to your room."

"So Niko could attack me without getting a knife in the back?" I ask, flicking my knife around in a circle. It feels so much better having this in my hand. So much better. Briefly, I wonder if I have an addiction to holding weapons before reminding myself to focus.

"Exactly," Tabira agrees. "You went back to your room a lot quicker than we expected, though. He was probably eating crisps or something when you went in."

I smile awkwardly. "Do you know him?"

Her face crinkles into a smile. "Nik? Of course. We trained together when we were little. Went on our first real job together. When we bonded with our dragons completely and achieved synchrony, we got our awards and qualifications together." She shakes her head ruefully. "Crazy boy."

"Crazy?" I mutter, climbing out of the hard wooden bed. "More like psychopath."

"It gets better," she assures me. "Trust me."