52 Chapter Fifty-Two

After they all logged off, Edward found himself back in his new apartment. Ikarus teleported onto his bed once more- causing Edward to groan as he was thrown into the air for a moment. The young dragon didn't even seem to notice, instead choosing to immediately jump to the ground. Ikarus ran into the kitchen and raided the freezer. Now that his ice cream was contained in a much more sturdy compartment, he was able to open the freezer without breaking it- though a series of marks had already decorated the outer layer of the handle.

Edward jumped off his bed and walked into the kitchen, as well, before grabbing himself a glass of water. He wasn't hungry, as his hunger stat was far too high to have to worry about food ever again. After he refreshed himself, he took a quick shower and got dressed. The process didn't take long, so ten minutes later he was out of his door, the adolescent dragon at his side.

While Markus and the others were getting ready for bed or scrolling through the forums, Edward chose to talk to Mrs. Snow. He was able to get into the elevator easily- his keycard was useful for that, too- before he pushed the button leading to the top floor.

'Now that I'm living here, I've been dressing a lot better,' Edward realized as he looked down at his new clothes. He was wearing a pair of black suit pants and a gray dress shirt, both of which were too expensive for his office job to afford. He had a simple black watch on his wrist, but from the texture of the leather and the quality of the glass, he knew it was the most expensive thing he wore.

When the elevator opened, revealing the sleek black office belonging to Mrs. Snow, she looked up from her desk. At the moment, the CEO of Desert Industries was hard at work overlooking some files and reports her various employees had given her.

"Hello, Mr. Colt," Mrs. Snow said as Edward and Ikarus walked out of the elevator, "Give me just a moment."

Edward nodded and walked up to the desk. Then, he sat down and waited patiently. Ikarus stayed near the elevator, probably hoping to keep Mrs. Snow from freaking out. After a few minutes, Mrs. Snow finally looked up from her paperwork and turned to Edward. She interlocked her fingers and leaned forward.

"So, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"I know one of the fifteen Blood Origins," Edward told her. Before Mrs. Snow could acknowledge what he said, Edward continued, "She wants to meet you."

"I… I see. Are you talking about The Forgotten Flame? When I saw that you had partied with another Blood Origin, I grew curious, so I looked into her. I was very surprised to learn the two of you have the same Origin," Mrs. Snow said. Edward nodded, "Well, that's good. Mr. Colt, you've surprised me. When does she want to meet?"

"She hasn't told me, but I assume you'd be okay with meeting her at any time?" Edward asked. Mrs. Snow quickly nodded before grabbing a piece of paper and a pen. After a moment, she looked up.

"Do you know her information? I would like to invite her to Desert Industries myself,"

"No, only her name. I can tell her tomorrow that you're willing to meet and relay that information afterward," Edward told her. Mrs. Snow nodded and relaxed. She put the pen and paper back to its corresponding spot on her desk.

"Well, I am glad. Thank you, Mr. Colt. I will be eagerly waiting to meet her."

"She said that. Really?" Leila asked with a wide smile on her face. The two of them were waiting outside the dungeon until Brandon and Markus got on, so they were alone for the time being.

Ikarus had gone hunting near the base of the mountain and wouldn't come back until it was time to head in. Edward would occasionally hear a dragon roar, so he knew Ikarus hadn't gone too far. Edward and Leila were sitting opposite each other as they talked. Leila sat on a boulder on the ground while Edward rested his head against the mountainside. 

"Yes. She wants to know your address so she can personally pick you up and bring you to Desert Industries," Edward told her. Leila smiled once more, "So? Should I give her your number?"

"Please do!" Leila smiled. She opened her chat box and quickly sent Edward her phone number, so he could give it to Mrs. Snow later.

'This might be the first time I've received a girl's phone number just so I can give it to another woman,' Edward thought with a chuckle. After confirming that he received her message, a flash of light erupted from the space next to them.

When it disappeared, they found Markus standing next to the dungeon entrance. He looked around for a moment. Then, he sat down near Edward.

"Brandon's not here, yet?" Markus asked as he relaxed his back against a small boulder.

"He just finished a test, so he'll be here any moment now," Edward answered. Then, right on cue, a flash of light erupted from the space next to him and Brandon stepped out of it. However, as soon as Edward saw him he noticed Brandon's solemn expression.

"What happened?" Edward quickly asked as he stood up. Markus also made his way to his feet while Edward heard a dragon roar in the distance when Ikarus turned back to fly to the dungeon entrance. Brandon sighed and stepped forward.

"Edward, I'm screwed. I arrived too late for the test because my car was out of gas, so I had to walk," Brandon sighed, "When I got there, I didn't have enough time to take it normally, so I had to randomly put answers in just to complete it. I failed for sure."

"You randomly put answers in?" Edward echoed, baffled. Brandon was a very serious student, so it was strange for him to fail a test. He looked back and narrowed his eyes, "Was it multiple choice?"

"Yeah," Brandon answered. Edward stifled a laugh as he put his arm on Brandon's shoulders.

"You'll be fine."