The Last Dragon Shifter

Chapter Thirty-Six

The next two days passed quickly, and on Firan morning, Naomi said her goodbyes to a half-asleep Lark. She couldn't help but throw one last jealous look at her roommate, cozied up in bed. Then she lugged her suitcase out to Legacy's front steps. Malcolm, Figgis, and Sam were already there, along with Coach Scott and the recording crew. She took her place next to Figgis and enviously eyed the mug in his hand.

"Coffee?" she asked, sniffing a hint of hazelnut.

"Yep. Sorry, Cliffton. The perks of getting up early."

"And being friends with the kitchen staff," Sam clinked his matching glass with Figgis's cup.

"I am early. We're like the only ones here."

"There'll be a snack cart on the tram. Maybe some mediocre, off-brand toxins to inhale." Malcolm's disdain for coffee meant he'd traded his cup in for lavender tea. He looked utterly serene and well-groomed as if he'd been up for hours too. Naomi glanced down at her worn-in sweater and black pants. Maybe she should have put more effort in, with the recording team there, but they were going to be stuck on a train for hours. She'd take comfort over flash any day. Much to Lark's chagrin, probably.

She scooched over to nudge Malcolm and nodded at Coach Scott. "How many chaperones are we having on this thing? Is, uh, Dean Wellington coming?"

"No, thank the gods. It'll be Coach Scott and a senior advisor, Mr. Whitman."

Mr. Whitman did turn up shortly after Malcolm's confirmation. The lanky man, with copper skin, had the twins in tow. Slightly flustered, his tortoise-shell glasses were dangerously close to falling off his nose as he studied their itinerary.

"Scott! We've got to board soon. Are all the passengers accounted for?" Mr. Whitman glanced around.

"Yes, present!" Quinn answered as he and Soraya came rushing down the steps.

"Oh goody. Would be a shame if you'd missed us," Malcolm muttered under his breath.

The others missed his comment as Coach Scott and Mr. Whitman shuffled the group into formation. They'd have a short bus ride to the tram station, then board a southbound train to the sandy beaches of Aequor. Naomi snickered in amusement as Malcolm took in the dingy bus.

While she stayed nearby him on the bus, her mind flitted to the longer tram ride. It was the opportune chance to spend more time with Quinn. That's if she could pull him away from Soraya's clingy grip. AND evade Malcolm's suspicious interference. Whether the prince liked it or not, she and Quinn were friends, maybe more. Also, if she didn't stake a claim soon, Soraya was ready to take her place. Yet, how would she even do that?

She decided to stick to baby steps. When they arrived at the tram, they had a whole cabin blocked off for their group. While Soraya struggled to put her luggage in the overhead compartment, Naomi's reflexes were much quicker. She hauled hers up with ease and swiftly slid into the open seat next to Quinn. Thankfully, Quinn beamed at her sudden arrival.

"Hey, Cliffton. You ready for this?"

"Yeah. I mean, I've never been to Aequor but I'm sure I'll manage."

"Seriously? It's beautiful there." Quinn's eyes lit up. "The water is so clear, and if you're lucky, you'll see a few water sprites. They're something else."

"I've never met a sprite before." All she knew was that they stuck closely to their homes and protected their territory. Sometimes with a few tricks.

"Oi! Slacker!" Sam hissed at her from a few seats away. Sparing him a glance, he waved at her, mouthing loudly: "Do Your JOB!" Malcolm gave them a sharp, warning look, but in the end, forced Sam to put his hands down. Soraya also cut her eyes at Naomi but decided to take a seat across from them, then absorbed herself in her headphones and music from her fancy ringer.