Chapter 97 97- Never Forget To Bring A Blanket On Moonlit Flights
LEXI
“Uh… Sorry about that.” I comment awkwardly from the doorway. Blake bolts upright off the floor like someone just set off an alarm next to his head.
“Huh?” He asks, blinking at me in confusion.
“I asked the Academy if you were up.” I explain, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.
“I guess it interpreted that as ‘wake Blake up.’ Sorry…” I trail off, suddenly very aware of how quiet the hallway is. I keep my voice low, almost whispering, not wanting to wake anyone else who might be sleeping nearby. Blake, on the other hand, seems completely unconcerned about that.
“That’s fine. You can wake me up if you need to.” He says immediately.
“Is something wrong?” He asks. HIS voice is a normal volume, not even a little bit quiet. So much for being considerate of the neighbours.
“It’s not that something is wrong exactly.” I say.
“I just… Can’t sleep.” I tell him. Blake studies me for about half a second, then walks straight over, takes my hand, and tugs me fully into his room before I can say anything else. The door swings shut behind me with a soft click.
“Sit.” He says, steering me toward the chair by his desk. I drop into it automatically while he stays standing for a moment, watching me carefully like he’s trying to assess whether I’m about to fall apart.
“What would help you right now?” He asks bluntly. I blink.
“Oh… I… Don’t quite know.” I admit slowly. Now that he’s asking, it’s actually harder to explain than I expected. I twist slightly in the chair, trying to put the feeling into words.
“I’m feeling… Kind of claustrophobic and trapped.” I say after a moment.
“Like the walls are closing in or something. I think I just really want to get away from everything for a bit.” I sigh heavily. Blake narrows his eyes.
“That’s not right. You know what it is you want. Just say it.” He demands.
“I really want to see my parents.” I admit. The words come out a little more desperate than I intended. Then I glance around the room, suddenly remembering where I am.
“Not that I’m trying to get away from you, Academy.” I add quickly, looking up toward the ceiling.
“I could just use a little break.” I conclude. For a second nothing happens. Then Blake’s bedroom light brightens slightly… And slowly dims again. Acknowledgement. I smile a little at that.
Sadly, my smile doesn’t last long. Blake’s expression shifts into something thoughtful, his brow furrowing as he stares at the floor for a moment.
“You want space… And you want to see your parents…” He trails off. I sigh and nod.
“Yeah. I know it’s kind of unreasonable.” I admit.
“I really ought to stay here, and going to see them isn’t particularly safe. But that doesn’t make me want it any less. And I suppose… I don’t like that this threat from unknown people is controlling how I get to live my life and how I get to spend my time.” I gesture vaguely toward the walls around us.
“I just… Don’t like feeling trapped.” I add. That seems to click for Blake. His expression tightens, and his brow furrows more deeply as the thought settles in.
“You’re right.” He mutters, irritation creeping into his voice.
“Why should they get a say in anything you do?” He says hotly. There’s a brief pause while he thinks, and then something in his expression shifts. His eyes sharpen with sudden determination. Before I can ask what he’s thinking, he grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet again.
“Go dress warmly and braid your hair. We’re going to take a quick flight to see your parents.” He says decisively. I stare at him.
“What? Like now?” I ask, completely confused. He nods like this is the most obvious solution in the world.
“Yes. Right now. No one knows we’re going, which makes it safer, and who would expect us to leave in the middle of the night? Plus I can fly us there, so the trip will be fast and relatively safe.” He explains. My brain struggles to catch up with the plan.
“But… It’s the middle of the night… My parents would be sleeping!” I point out. Blake snorts.
“I’ve met your parents. You can’t tell me that given the choice they wouldn’t choose to wake up and see you.” He says bluntly. I open my mouth to argue. Then I stop. Because he’s… Kind of right. If I showed up at three in the morning, my parents would absolutely wake up. Mum would probably make tea. Dad would pretend he wasn’t worried while asking a hundred questions. They would both just be happy I was there. The fear twisting in my chest starts to loosen, replaced by a sudden rush of excitement. We’re really doing this? We’re actually going? I step forward and give Blake a tight hug before I can stop myself. He stiffens for half a second, then relaxes and wraps his arms around me. He buries his face briefly in my hair, breathing in like he’s reassuring himself that I’m really there.
“Go get ready.” He says once he releases me. I nod quickly and hurry back to my room, my earlier restlessness suddenly replaced with nervous excitement.
Fifteen minutes later I’m dressed, my hair braided tightly down my back, and ready to go. I send off a quick text to my mum letting her know we’re coming, though I doubt she’ll see it at this hour. Still, it feels better knowing it’s there. I tuck my house key securely into my pocket, making sure it’s wedged deep enough that it won’t fall out during the flight. Then I wrap a scarf snugly around my mouth and nose. Hopefully that will stop me from getting sniffly or having bugs fly directly into my face this time. The outfit the Academy provided me is fairly dark, black jeans and a deep navy shirt. I suppose it caught the vibe of this whole thing being a sort of covert operation. Blake is already waiting in the hallway when I step out of my room. Actually… He was dressed when I woke him. Was he ever not ready to go? The thought makes me smile faintly. Blake doesn’t seem like the kind of person who enjoys being caught unprepared. He reaches for my hand automatically, hooking it over his arm before leading me outside. The familiar contact steadies the nervous excitement bubbling in my chest.
“The Academy gates are locked, but we’re flying so it won’t matter. I’ll shift, you climb up, and we can leave from here.” He explains quietly as we step into the courtyard. I nod.
“One thing first.” I tell him. Blake pauses and raises an eyebrow. I step closer and tug the scarf down from my mouth, letting it fall loosely around my neck for a moment. Then I go up on my tiptoes and press a light kiss to his lips.
“Thank you.” I tell him softly when I pull back.
“For going out of your way to help me like this. I really appreciate it.” I say sincerely. Blake’s mouth curves into a satisfied smile.
“Of course.” He replies easily. Then he steps back and shifts. This time I’m expecting the sudden explosion of fire when he transforms, but it doesn’t make it any less impressive. The flames flare outward and vanish just as quickly, leaving the enormous dragon standing where Blake had been. I still have no idea how we didn’t wake the entire Academy. Although I suppose the transformation isn’t actually loud, just… Flashy. Unless someone happened to be looking out their window right at that moment, they probably wouldn’t notice anything. I glance up toward the dorm windows and notice something strange. The glass looks oddly… Shiny. Almost reflective. I laugh quietly. I have no idea what the Academy did, but I strongly suspect we can thank it for making sure no one saw a thing. Blake kneels and lowers one wing for me to climb. It’s a lot harder to climb up there in the dark, but I manage to scramble my way up and settle near the base of his neck. Once I’m seated, I pull my scarf back up over my mouth and nose and tie it securely so the wind can’t rip it away. When Blake glances back to check that I’m ready, I tighten my grip on the spikes at his shoulders. A second later he launches us up into the air.