It used to shimmer violet, a rare shade that pulsed with Kaelith’s magic, her defiance, her fire.
But now…
Now it was almost entirely gold.
The purple was fading.
Like she was pulling away, like the bond itself was unraveling under the weight of what Imightbecome.
I closed my fingers around it tightly, pressing it to my palm.
I’m not the enemy, I whispered in my mind.I didn’t ask for any of this.
But the silence from Kaelith was louder than a roar.
Riven glanced over her shoulder and slowed her pace to match mine. She didn’t say anything. Just bumped her shoulder against mine.
I managed a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes.
Because deep down, I couldn’t help thinking?—
What was the point of winning a war if I lose everything that makes me who I am?
The sun hung low over the Ascension Grounds as Major Ledor stood in front of our formation, his posture ramrod straight, arms clasped behind his back like he was carved from stone. Hisvoice carried with authority, cutting through the crisp morning air.
“Mid-air assault is about precision,” he barked, sweeping his gaze across us. “Not speed. The enemy will use chaos to draw your dragons off course. Your job is to direct, not toreact, and use altitude to your advantage.”
He began sketching diagrams in the air with a small wooden wand. One that left a glittering blue line. Swooping curves, tight turns, broken flight patterns designed to disorient and test reaction times. “This is the V-curve formation. You’ll test it during your next flight trial. It demands a split-second synchronization between rider and dragon. One misstep, and you’ll drop like lead.”
I nodded. Or at least, I pretended to. My eyes were locked on him, but my thoughts were drifting, scattered pieces in a storm I couldn’t escape.
Kaelith hadn’t spoken to me in over a day. Not since the Hatchling Isle.
And worse, she’d cut me off.
You are not to share your magic,she’d said, her voice clipped and colder than I’d ever heard it.Not until I say otherwise.
Like I was a threat to others.
Like I couldn’t be trusted.
My stomach twisted.
I held it together through our instruction, barely speaking, barely blinking. I smiled when I had to. Answered when I was called. But something inside me had gone fragile and raw, like a nerve exposed to the wind.
Later, after training, I escaped to the washroom.
Alone.
I braced my hands on the stone basin and stared at the water pooling in the bowl, until it started to ripple.
No. No, no?—
The surrounding air thickened. My magic, sealed too long, shuddered outward. Windcrackedlike thunder. Sparks flared across the mirror. The water rose, spiraled, froze midair, and shattered against the floor in a burst of ice and steam.
I crumpled to my knees, choking on a sob I couldn’t hold back.
I was losing control.
