“Who?”
“Your dragon. Her name is Prophyria. Last of her kind.”
“How do you know her name?”
“It’s only been recorded in every history book for the last two thousand years.”
“I’m going to ride adragon,” I try out the words in my mouth. They sound ridiculous. “I’ve never even seen one in the flesh.”
“No one has in a very long time.”
“Yeah, but it’s like saying you’re going to ride a dinosaur. It sounds so fantastical. Impossible. What if I can’t do it?” I plop down on a bale of hay and glance up at Zadyn. His hands still on the horse’s side as he glances at me over his shoulder.
“The Blackbloods that came before you did it. You’ve just begun to tap into your power, but your strength has been there all along. You won’t fail.”
“She will if she’s unprepared.”
Jace’s throaty voice makes me snap my head around. Clad in all black, he leans against the stall door with sensual grace. My heart rate ticks up.
“I thought you had business at the border,” I say to him.
A muscle in his jaw tightens and then relaxes. “Finished early.”
“Is that what you tell your many lovers?” I ask innocently, batting my eyelashes. He slides me a slow glare, but there is no malice in his eyes. I chuckle internally.
“She’ll be prepared. It’s best she starts with something low risk,” Zadyn interrupts our banter, impatience lacing his voice.
“Oh, I agree.” Jace straightens off the wall and comes to stand beside me, eyes fixed on Zadyn. “Learning to ride horseback is essential. But just to state the obvious, a Stygian horse has nothing on a dragon. The only similarity is that both have backs for her to ride on.”
“How else can I prepare?” I look up at him as he angles his head slightly.
“No,” Zadyn says flatly, apparently reading his mind. He takes the horse’s reins and leads it from the stall as we follow behind.
“Oh, come on,” Jace drawls lazily.
“What?” I ask.
“She needs to get airborne,” he insists.
“Airborne?” I all but screech.
“She hasn’t even attempted to fly,” Zadyn tosses over his shoulder, stepping out into the blinding sunlight.
“Fly?” My voice lifts. “You want me to try to fly?”
“It’s not what it sounds like,” Zadyn explains through his exasperation. “It’s more like hovering.”
“Look, skilled witches can spell anything to fly, though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that. Nothing draws attention like a floating cow. But if you fall, hovering is your only other defense,” Jace explains.
Zadyn says nothing as he motions for me to join him beside the massive horse.
“She needs to have every skill in her arsenal before attempting to bond the dragon. Too many things can go wrong. She should be prepared for every scenario. It’s her best chance at survival,” Jace calls to him. Zadyn shoots him a glare.
“He’s right,” I say. Zadyn slides his heated brown eyes to mine. “This will be the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done. I have to know how to save myself.”
Zadyn holds my gaze, and as he does, the ice in it thaws. He swallows and nods once. Turning to Jace, he asks incredulously, “And how do you suppose you’re going to teach her?”
“I have ways,” he answers smugly.
