The pain came first.It tore through Caleb's body like a lit fuse, starting at the center of his chest and racing down his arms and legs until every nerve screamed. He bit down on his pillow to keep from waking the neighbors. His back arched. His fingers dug into the mattress hard enough to tear the sheet.The red and gold window hung in the air above him, calm as a judge.[Installation: 12 percent.] [Reforging muscle tissue.] [Installation: 31 percent.] [Reinforcing bone density.] [Installation: 58 percent.] [Awakening dormant bloodline. Please do not die. This would be inconvenient.]"Funny," Caleb croaked through clenched teeth. "Very funny."[Installation: 100 percent.]The pain vanished all at once, as if somebody had flipped a switch. Caleb lay there gasping, sweat soaking through his hoodie, staring at the ceiling and the glowing words that now floated there.[Welcome, Host. I am the Dragon Sovereign System. Most Systems are given. I was inherited.]Caleb sat up slowly. His han

The Crown Games began with a parade, a speech, and a very serious amount of glitter.Ridgemont's front lawn had been transformed into a stadium overnight. Four great banners hung from steel poles, each one bearing the crest of a House: the Ashford Stag in green, the Sterling Lion in gold, the Blackwood Raven in black, and the Hawthorne Fox in orange. Hundreds of students crowded the stands, painted in their House colors, waving flags and shouting rivalries that had been brewing for decades.Caleb stood in the Ashford line wearing a green jersey two sizes too big. Marcus was beside him in the alternates' row, holding a clipboard he had no reason to hold."Official duty," Marcus whispered. "I'm the team strategist." "Since when?""Since right now."On the main stage, Principal Pierce stepped up to the microphone. She was dressed in a navy suit, her silver hair pinned back, her voice as calm as a river."Students of Ridgemont. For one hundred and twelve years, this school has held the C

The summons arrived on Wednesday morning, printed on thick cream paper and delivered by a hall monitor who looked sorry about it.Caleb Turner. Principal's office. Immediately."This is it," Marcus whispered at his locker. "They know. Somebody told them. Brandon told them. We're going to jail.""We are not going to jail." "You don't know that.""I'm fairly sure it's a school, Marcus." "Schools have jails. They call them detention."Caleb walked to the main building alone, his stomach twisting. The Dragon Sovereign System hummed quietly in the back of his mind.[Remain calm. Say little. Reveal nothing.]"That's your whole strategy?"[It has worked for dragons for ten thousand years.]Principal Pierce's office sat at the top of the administration tower, a wide round room with tall windows and shelves full of old trophies. A mahogany desk sat in the center, and behind it, the principal sat with her hands folded. Beside her stood a man Caleb had never seen before.He was tall and thin,

The fourth day of the Crown Games belonged to the duels.It was the oldest tradition at Ridgemont, an event that dated back to the school's founding. Each House sent its three best fighters into the arena, and a bracket decided who advanced. The arena itself was a circular pit of packed earth ringed with steel barriers, surrounded by stands holding two thousand screaming students.Ashford went into the day in second place overall, one point behind Sterling and three ahead of Blackwood. A strong showing in the duels could push them into first."Here's the situation," Coach Whitaker said, pacing in front of the huddle. "Our three duelists are Sophie, Jason, and Rachel. Turner, you are the alternate. If anyone is injured, you take their place.""Great," Caleb said weakly. "Nothing makes me happier than hoping for my teammates to get hurt.""I did not say hoping. I said being ready." "Right. Ready."The first round began at noon. Sophie Grant faced a boy from Hawthorne, and her shield s