Free dragons breath 01 - stalked by flames by susan illene

to ask the dragons.”
    Apparently he wasn’t going to offer up his own magic theory—or anything else useful.
    “Very funny.” Justin narrowed his eyes in warning.
    “Why this is happening is just one more thing on our list to figure out. For tonight, we’ll work on sleeping arrangements and guard shifts.”
    “I’m not so sure I’ll make a good guard,” a guy with shaggy brown hair said. He was skinny and pale with wire-rim glasses.
    Justin shook his head. “There will be two guards on the main floor and one in the stairwell. All you have to do is to raise an alarm if dragons are attacking or if any people from outside our group show up. We don’t expect you to fight anyone right now.”
    One of Justin’s friends—a guy named Miles—stepped forward. He had blond hair that was a couple of inches long, tanned skin, and a stocky build. Trish had told me he served in the Marines for four years and started going to college as soon as he got out. I’d only met him in passing, but he’d always been polite, if a little distant.
    Miles held up a clipboard. “I’m going to bring this around for everyone to fill out their information. We’ll use that to assign duties and rations. Except for children, everyone has to help—or else they’ll need to leave. That’s the one rule if you want to stay here.”
    The guy sounded like a drill instructor or something.
    I resisted letting out a yawn. As long as they let me have a few hours of sleep first, I didn’t care when my guard shift started. Conrad glanced over at me with the same tired expression. We’d both been taxed by the long drive today.
    “Man, they better hurry and get this over with,” he grumbled.
    Over an hour later I discovered I’d evaded guard duty for the night. The library had numerous side rooms set up for study sessions and tutoring. Trish and I found a private one for ourselves on the other side of the stairwell. Justin planned to be up most of the night and had already told her she should stay with me. We fixed it up with some furniture from the learning center and laid our blankets across the couch cushions.
    Her gaze met mine as we bedded down. “Do you think we’re going to survive this?”
    “We’re sure going to try,” I replied.
    She rested her head on her arm and gripped her flashlight close. “I hope tomorrow is better.”
    “You and me both.”

 
     
     
     
    Chapter 8
     
    Bailey
    A crack of thunder woke me the next morning. I sat up, confused by the total darkness around me. It took a moment to remember I was in the library and that the electricity had gone out. I reached down to the floor for my cell phone and turned it on. Good thing I’d thought to charge it in the truck on the way back last night.
    More rumbles of thunder filtered down to the basement and hail pinged off the windows nearby. Using my cell phone as a flashlight, I discovered Trish wasn’t in her makeshift bed. That didn’t surprise me. It was eight in the morning and she was an early riser.
    “Tornado!” someone screamed.
    I rushed to put on my pullover and shoes.
    “Go to the stacks!” Justin shouted from the hall a moment later, telling people to move toward the back where the bookcases were located.
    I hurried out of the room, took one look at the windows down the corridor, and decided to follow his advice. The glass might be below ground level, but the trees in the courtyard were swaying so hard it appeared as if some of the branches could break through it.
    No tornado siren went off, but that wasn’t surprising under the circumstances. With the power grid down across the city and most people staying home to avoid the dragons, there wouldn’t be anyone to sound them. We’d have to make do with our guards.
    Following the crowd through the corridor, I headed toward the stacks. They were on the opposite side of lower level one far away from any windows. Lights bobbed erratically along the walls and floor from people’s flashlights and cell