The Last Dragon Shifter

Chapter Twenty-One

When Figgis came back, it was Sam's turn for a break. Naomi ended up trailing Alicia and Malcolm to lunch along with Figgis. Meanwhile, Sam was probably lazing about in the teacher's lounge somewhere. Naomi was beginning to resent the guards' rotating schedule. Filling in like this on short notice might be part of her job description, but doing it was becoming a real pain in her ass.

While Malcolm and Alicia continued to flutter around each other with their entourage around them, Naomi made small talk with Figgis.

"Sam missed you over the break period. I'm afraid I was a poor substitute." Naomi reflected on the way she'd left mid-shift. Figgis merely scoffed at her comment.

"Sam didn't miss me. He missed teasing me," Figgis said as he buttered a roll.

"He does seem to get his kicks out of screwing with people," Naomi agreed.

"The thing you have to understand about Sam is...well, he's an asshole," Figgis said, unable to deny the truth. "But in the end, he's not all bad. He's also brave—the best partner I've ever had—no offense. And his jokes are funny sometimes when they're not directed at you. Eventually, he wears you down and becomes more of a lovable asshole," Figgis said, a soft smile on his face. It was that endearing smile alone that stopped Naomi from challenging him on the matter.

"I'll take your word for it, then," Naomi said.

They didn't get to continue their examination of their partner's behavior. The PA speaker sputtered to life and began a recitation of the daily announcements. Naomi halfway ignored them until the words "Summit Trials" caught her attention.

"Applications for the Summit Trials have officially begun. The deadline to apply is in two weeks. Remember, teams must consist of both a female and male representative who must be from different species. And sorry, freshmen. The competition is only open to sophomores and up."

There were a couple of disgruntled groans at this point, but they faded out as the speaker clicked off.

"The Summit Trials. My friend mentioned those to me earlier today. And didn't King Drewell bring it up that time at lunch?" Naomi said.

"Yes. It's a pretty big deal. The king encourages Malcolm to participate, but..."

Figgis immediately shut up at the look Malcolm gave him.

"He brings it up each year, but you've never done it?" Naomi turned to Malcolm.

"We're doing it," Oliver piped up.

Naomi glanced at him, finally noticing his presence. He and Olivia (obviously the "we" he was referring to) were the fraternal twins she'd initially noticed hung around Malcolm.

The two seniors were both rather quiet compared to the conceited sneers and rude remarks of Roland, Gia, and Alicia. Naomi wanted to like them, but they always seemed to fade into the background whenever they were around. Regardless, they were high-bred upper class, which was why they stuck around Malcolm's group. And given their elite upbringing, it was no surprise they were also interested in the glory of the Summit Trials. Despite being siblings, they would still be able to compete together, since Oliver was a water mage, and Olivia was a kitsune.

"That's great. I—"

Malcolm cut Naomi off with a sullen defense. "I don't have to do everything my father says, you know," he muttered under his breath.

Alicia wrapped a comforting arm around his. "Besides, he doesn't need to compete. His father's the king. He can go to the World Summit regardless."

"Because that's the way to go through life. Coasting on daddy's coattails," Quinn said, propping his hip up against the table.