A third stepped forward and said, “Only the excellent.”
I huffed.
The girl next to me whispered, “A little arrogant, don’t you think?”
But at that moment, the headmaster smashed his staff against the stone once more while shouting, “Riders, to your houses.”
The older students marched in precise movements toward four doors set into the walls of the courtyard. Only now did I notice the pattern in the paving stones that pointed at each of the four doors, with a fifth, the tallest, pointing at the school’s entrance. A five-pointed sunburst. I bounced on the balls of my feet, unsure what was next.
“I’m Vanya,” said the girl next to me.
“Ari.” I didn’t know why I used my nickname, but it just came out.
“Pleased to meet you, Ari. I hope to see you on the other…”
But she was cut off by a shrieking sound from the sky above.
A shadow cut across the courtyard, and a girl screamed. Shading my eyes from the sun, I glanced up, jaw falling open.
A sleek black dragon darted into the corner opposite from me, landing before the door that had shut behind several older students. For a moment, I thought it was Myth, until another dragon, then another and another landed before three other doors. The four regal Cevnals stood in the courtyard, perfectly trained to remain still, chests lifted, wings folded, eyes penetrating all who met their gazes.
My attention stole quickly to the Cevnal to my right. Regal and larger than the other three, this one had silver scales and a simple pair of small horns that curled away from her narrow face, marking her as the only female in the group. The male Cevnals, with their longer horns, ranged in color from black to blue to a mottled tan.
The headmaster lifted his staff skyward. “If you wish to enroll at Cardan Lott College, you need only enter the school. Anyone who attempts to enter through the door behind me will be sent home. Otherwise, you may choose any door. Choose your door wisely, for the dragons will not let you into the wrong house.”
“Which door will you choose?” I asked Vanya, realizing how ill-equipped I was to be here. To choose a door. To find my place here.
She shrugged.
Another student, lanky and blond, spun toward us. “House Sapphire supposedly is for the serious students. Top scorers in every subject come from that house. Emerald is for the servant-hearted, artistic type, but I hear it’s more of the nature-loving ones who end up there. The true dragon lovers.” She leaned in, eyes wide. “I hear there’s moss in their rooms instead of carpet. And Diamond is for socialites. Ruby is ruthless. Every year, someone disappears from their dormitory at some point in the year. Only go for Ruby if you have thick skin.” She smiled and strode toward the door to House Sapphire.
Students were starting to move, to take hesitant steps toward the doors they’d chosen. A few trembled violently as they edged toward the center of the courtyard.
“Who would want to join Ruby…?”
I trailed off as Rushland Covington sauntered over to the red door.
“He would,” I grumbled, but my words were swallowed by the click of claws on stone as a girl cautiously stepped up to the green dragon to my left. She cowered as the dragon lifted his head and half-opened his wings.
Bad move.
Instantly, the dragon’s head darted out and knocked the girl to the ground, not violently, but not gently. The rider clutching the saddle patted the dragon as he lifted again to his full height. The girl on the ground burst into tears, scooting backward before clumsily getting to her feet. Another potential student raced forward, only to also get knocked down.
All around the courtyard, people were falling to the stones. The dragons weren’t hurting anyone, unless you countedbruised hips or knees or egos. I no longer could see Covington in the courtyard. He must have made it inside.
So far, no one else had made it past a dragon.
People were crying, others were shouting and cheering on their friends, and by now faces had appeared in the upper-story windows as the older students leaned out to point and taunt the hatchlings, laughing as each one hit the stones. The mirth with which they watched the new students fall was alarming, but they’d been here too, and they’d each gotten past the dragons.
These dragons and their riders appeared deadly serious about keeping peopleoutof the school, and no one here could possibly move faster than a well-trained racing dragon. This wasn’t a test of speed, but of will. A cruel game. This was a test of how many times you would get up after getting knocked down. I wondered how long the humiliation would last before the game was up.
Determined, I stepped forward, aiming for the blue door. Fairfax had urged me to succeed, and a house full of bookworms sounded like it might actually be enjoyable. A welcome change from Bennett’s constant teasing over my love of books. I weaved between fleeing students and those picking themselves up off the pavers as I crossed the courtyard. I smiled at one girl peeling herself off the ground. I extended my hand to her. She frowned at it and stood, brushing her dress smooth. I shrugged and marched toward the female Cevnal. If I was correct, this game wasn’t meant to be won—it was meant to be endured. I braced myself for the hit, bending my knees so I’d fall gently.
The dragon lowered her face toward me. I clicked my tongue at her instinctively, snapping at the same time with my right hand, hoping to draw her snout to my right side so I could more easily direct my fall. The dragons were well-trained, after all, and while I didn’t know which commands or signals they’d learned,I figured I might as well try what I’d seen the trainers do at the Covingtons’ lair.
I bowed my head as I tensed, expecting to be knocked to the ground.
The dragon’s snout stopped at my chest, her great nostrils pushing waves of hot air around me. Her amethyst eyes glinted in the sunlight as I stared back at her. She could snap me in half with one bite, and her tail could crush my bones. If she wanted, she could knock me down with enough force to render me unconscious.
