Vivian pursed her lips as she stared out into the rain. The coffee cup between her hands was becoming uncomfortably warm, but all her attention was on the girl in the middle of the courtyard.
She'd come straight to the university the moment she'd felt the dragon rising, finding Myrddin as effortlessly calm as usual, while she worked herself into a tizzy. The magi had instructed Vivian to wait under this tree, and she had - waiting with what she thought was remarkable patience for nearly an hour. But it had paid off.
Water dripped off the hem of the oversized coat that Myrddin had draped over the girl, and Vivian wondered why she was still out in the rain, staring across the courtyard like she was lost.
The dragon-shifter finally moved, just as Vivian was about to go over to her. She walked with purposeful steps towards the lecture building. Vivian frowned. Why didn't the girl just go home? She was soaked through to her skin.
Vivian lingered under the tree for a couple more minutes until it became clear that the girl hadn't changed her mind.
"Crazy," Vivian mumbled. "The girl's crazy." She tapped the zipper of her jacket, activating the charm within it, before she stepped out from under the shelter.
The rain bounced off her as she strode across the courtyard towards the teachers block where she had watched Myrddin disappear into. Her coffee cup vanished into a convenient rubbish bin at the door.
Vivian stopped in the hallway outside Myrddin's office, giving the oak door first a glare and then a sharp rap.
"Come in."
The door swung open when she turned the handle.
"Ah, Vivian." Myrddin lifted his head from the papers on his desk, green eyes fixing onto her. "Did you see the dragon-shifter, then?"
Vivian lifted a stack of paper off one of the chairs in front of Myrddin's and dumped it onto the floor before sending her shoulder bag down to join it.
"Yes, I did," she finally answered, as she sank onto the recently cleared chair and tucked her knee-length skirt neatly around her. "You know she went into her lecture after you left? She didn't go home!"
"She didn't go to her lecture." Myrddin tidied a pile on the edge of his desk almost absently. "She went into the bathroom."
Vivian stared at him. "How the blazes do you know that?"
He glanced up at her again. "Do you even need to ask that question?" Myrddin tapped the side of his head, and Vivian understood. Mental tracking.
"So what's she doing now then?"
Myrddin's eyes unfocussed slightly, gaze sliding past Vivian's shoulder to see the girl. "She's going back to her home now. And it appears that she's changed clothes, seeing as she is no longer wet." He snapped back to the room.
Vivian rolled her eyes. "What's her name, anyway?"
Myrddin shrugged. His hands were back to tidying stacks of paper, resorting and shuffling. "I don't know. I didn't ask her."
"You could always dip into her mind," Vivian pointed out. "It's not like it's an effort for you." She regretted the thought instantly. Myrddin fixed his green eyes on her, hands stilling.
"Reading minds is not a casual business, Vivian," he said sternly. "I cannot just go dipping into peoples' minds willy-nilly."
"I know." Vivian dropped her gaze down to where her fingers were playing with the hem of her shirt. She hated the way Myrddin's disapproval made her feel. The only consolation was that Myrddin's disapproval made everyone feel awful.
"She will be confused after her manifestation," Myrddin continued. "Lost. In need of guidance."
"Can't you guide her?" Vivian had been furious when Myrddin left the girl in the courtyard. She was a dragon.
Myrddin's fingers stilled the pen he'd been fiddling with. Vivian straightened up as his expression became one she'd rarely seen on him. Uncertainty.
"I'm not the right person," he murmured. "Someone closer to her own age will be better. Someone who knows the way razerni live with humans."
He didn't believe what he was saying. Vivian held in a laugh. He thought he shouldn't have walked away.
"Why me then?" she pressed. "That manifestation wave would have shocked everyone in the vicinity, possibly the country." Vivian shifted forward in her seat, leaning against Myrddin's desk. "Not to mention she's a dragon. We all felt her Rising last night. Someone will come after her. She might be able to shove her magic down for a while, but that burst of power she released during her Shift… that's not a one off. People will notice her."
"That's why you are the best choice," Myrddin answered calmly. "If necessary you can use Glamours to hide her. That's not a skill many others have."
Vivian sat back abruptly, giving the man a wide-eyed stare. Now she was really confused. He'd just given her his equivalent of a compliment in saying that she was strong enough to hide a dragon's power. It would be risky, hanging around with a dragon, but at the same time it could be incredibly beneficial.
"Fine," she agreed slowly. "I'll do it. But know that it's under protest!"
Myrddin nodded. "Noted. Oh, and Vivian?"
"Yeah?"
"This is between you and me." His green eyes pinned her down in her seat, the air turning heavy. "You are not to tell anyone else who the dragon is. Or even to guide them to her. Understood?"
She nodded, swallowing hard. "Understood."
"Good."
Vivian drew in a deep breath as the atmosphere lightened. She stood, pulling her bag up with her and slinging it over her shoulder. "Guess I'd better get going then."
Myrddin nodded. His focus was already sliding back to the papers in front of him. Vivian couldn't help rolling her eyes just a little as she walked out the door.
Once in the hallway, she stopped. She didn't know where the girl lived. She didn't even know the girl's name. A moan of annoyance left her lips, and she started off down the hall again. She'd have to go looking for the dragon-shifter tomorrow. Hopefully the girl had a strong mind and would recover enough to come back to university then.
The rain had gotten heavier, and was creating a thick haze that hung in the air, making it difficult to see.
The annoyed click that Vivian made with her tongue was lost in the sound of the droplets drumming against the roofs and the ground as she gave her waterproofing charm a small boost.
"The dragon-shifter picked one heck of a day to manifest," she grumbled as she stepped out into the rain.
"Vivian!"
She turned her head to see a figure dashing across the courtyard towards her, unprotected from the pouring rain. The person skidded to a halt in front of her, flicking his short, black hair back and sending droplets flying into the torrent of rain. His glasses were covered in dozens of droplets that hid his eyes, but he seemed to be seeing her just fine.
"Chen," Vivian said in surprise, breaking into a smile that she hoped didn't look forced. "What are you doing?"
"I study here, remember?" he panted. Vivian couldn't help thinking that his woollen sweater wasn't much use for warmth when it was dripping water that added to the growing puddle around Chen's sneakers.
"Yeah, but why are you out in the rain? You're soaking."
She grabbed the edge of his sleeve and dragged him under the cover of the office block. The sound of the rain was louder under there, and she had to raise her voice to speak to him again.
"Did you need to ask me something?"
"Why else would I come over to you?" Chen had taken his glasses off, so she could see him roll his eyes at her. "I wanted to ask about the dragon-shifter."
Vivian blinked at him, then wondered why she was surprised.
"What about them?"
"Who are they?" he asked eagerly, pausing in rubbing his lenses with the edge of his shirt, which, Vivian noticed, was wetter than the glasses.
"Give me that," she said impatiently, holding out her hand. He relinquished his glasses to her, and she pulled a clean handkerchief out of her bag. "The dragon-shifter will decide themselves if they want to be known," she told him as she wiped the smears of water off his glasses.
"In other words, you don't know." Chen raised his eyebrows at her with a grin.
She huffed, handing his glasses back. "Course I know. I saw her manifest."
"Ah! They're a she!"
Vivian scowled at him. "Stop asking me questions, Chen!"
"Just describe her, please," he begged. "Maybe I know her! I could help!"
She was about to tell him to leave it alone, but she realised that he could actually be helpful. "Fine," she said. "But you're not allowed to tell anyone else, understood?"
"Cross my heart." Chen slapped his palm against his chest. "Not a soul."
Vivian took a deep breath. The promise pressed down on her, but if she was careful it could be worked around.
"She's got brown hair," she told him. "Had it up in a bun on her head. She's about yay tall, blue sneakers with an off-brand logo, red and black backpack -"
"Carys!" Chen interrupted excitedly. "That's Carys! I knew it!" He pumped his fist into the air.
"You know her?" Vivian hadn't actually expected him to know the girl.
"Yeah, we have a couple of classes together. In the same student hall in our first year too!" Chen looked delighted that he'd recognized her.
"Do you know where she lives now?" Vivian asked.
He shook his head. "But I can message her," he suggested. "Let her know she's not going crazy and that she can talk to me."
"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Vivian said slowly.
"Ouch."
"That was a compliment!"
"It implied I don't normally have good ideas!"
Vivian flicked her eyes heavenwards, trying to remain patient. "Message her then," she said. "But act natural, you don't want to scare her off."
Chen already had his phone out, fingers flying busily over the screen. "I'll just ask why she isn't in the lecture," he said. "It's a reasonable question, could lead to conversation."
"Let me know when she replies, alright?" Vivian told him. "And what she says."
"Will do." Chen nodded, his eyes still trained to his phone. "Might take a while though. If she's confused -"
A soft buzz could be heard through the racket the rain was making, and Chen's expression turned surprised. "Oh. I didn't expect her -"
"What does she say?" Vivian interrupted.
"Uh…" Chen tapped his screen. "Right. She says: Sorry, not feeling well. Will be in tomorrow." He glanced up at Vivian. "What should I reply with?"
"Something casual. Maybe say you're looking forward to seeing her tomorrow."
He clicked his tongue, clearly giving it some thought. "All good," he said aloud as he typed. "Hope you feel better. See you tomorrow. And send."
Vivian nodded. "Tomorrow then. When is your class?"
"Ten thirty."
"I'll be seeing you then too," she told him. "But right now I've got to go. And I'm pretty sure you're going to be very late to your lecture." She didn't wait for his reply, stepping out from under the shelter and into the rain to make her way across the courtyard and out of the university.