Commander Ravel was an attractive man, very much so, and I had eyes. It was impossible not to notice all those rippling muscles, and not to respond to that aura of authority and confidence that he wielded with such ease. Despite having feelings for Alar, I couldn't ignore the stirrings of desire Ravel ignited, and I felt a little guilty about the attraction even though I wasn't going to act on it.
The truth was that the connection wasn't strictly physical. It was something else that I couldn't define.
I had to find out why I was so drawn to him.
What could pull me to Ravel with such a force if it wasn't infatuation?
Disturbed by my strange response to the commander, I did the unthinkable and opened my eyes to distract myself.
That was a big mistake, and I immediately regretted it.
The Circle of Fate was already far below us, the massive standing stones reduced to tiny dots in a ring of light. My stomach lurched, and I clamped my lips and eyes shut simultaneously to stop myself from throwing up on Obsidian's neck.
"Come now," Ravel said in my ear. "After facing down Shedun at sixteen, this is nothing. You know better than most that bravery is a decision, a skill, not something you are born with. It's a necessity for a rider, and I know you can summon it because you've done it before." When I still kept my eyes shut, he leaned closer again. "If you can't do this, perhaps I should turn back."
Despite the panic flooding my veins, irritation flared at his mocking tone. "How do you even know that my eyes are closed? I just had them open a moment ago."
He chuckled. "Your body telegraphs what you're feeling, and I can easily detect the flares of panic. Now, what will it be? Do we fly forward to the Citadel and you start your training, or do I take you back to the circle so you can go down the mountain with all the other pilgrims who are not destined to ride dragons?"
I'd never backed down from a challenge, and his goading struck a nerve.
"The Citadel." Taking a deep breath, I forced both eyes open.
The world spread out before me in a panorama of breathtaking beauty. From a dragon's back, the auroras were more than a visual spectacle. The space we were flying through seemed to vibrate with the shifting colors.
The obsidian dragon—I still didn't know his name—banked into a turn, and I caught my first glimpse of what lay ahead.
"That's the Citadel," Ravel said, his arm tightening around my waist as he pointed toward a massive structure embedded in the side of the mountain.
The Dragon Force stronghold was nothing like I'd imagined. From this distance, it appeared to be a natural extension of the mountain itself, and as we drew closer, I could see terraces jutting out from the sheer cliff face at various levels. I assumed they were meant as landing pads, but I had to wonder how those protrusions could hold the great weight of the dragons.
Above the Citadel was the aviary, with large archways that were carved directly into the mountain, creating what looked like hundreds of cave-like openings with similar floating ledges in front of them.
My fear was momentarily forgotten in the face of such astonishing architecture. "How was this built?" I asked.
"You can present your question to your instructors tomorrow at orientation, but I suspect they'll tell you what every cadet is told—Elucian ingenuity, dragon strength, and Elu's blessing. The Citadel and the aviary above it are supposedly ancient, built when Elu still walked among us."
The obsidian dragon let out a rumble that vibrated through my body.
"Onyx disagrees with the official explanation," Ravel said. "He says that it's an ancient place that existed before Elucia was even a dream in Elu's mind, but since Elu created all of Aurorys, that's just dragon boasting. They think that they are the masters of the universe."
The dragon released a chuff that smelled of sulfur and sounded a lot like a chuckle.
"Is Onyx his name?" I asked. "Or is it a nickname?"
"It's my nickname." A voice thundered in my head. "My true name is too difficult for humans to pronounce, as most dragon names are."
My breath caught.
"Onyx has just spoken to me in my head." I turned to look at Ravel over my shoulder. "How is that possible? I'm noteven a rider yet, and even if I were, dragons are supposed to communicate only with their own riders. Not all of them."
Ravel seemed just as surprised as I was, and for a long moment, he didn't respond. "That's correct," he finally said. "You heard Nyxath's call because the brew made your mind receptive, but you shouldn't be able to hear Onyx or any other dragon in your head until you are chosen by the one you will bond with." He chuckled softly in my ear, his breath fanning over it. "I knew there was something special about you."
That couldn't be.
I was not special, not unless being the only Elucian who feared heights qualified me as such.
"I'm surprised as well, Little Warrior," Onyx said. "Although not as much as Ravel. I sensed you were different when we first met five years ago."
