I didn't want to point out that she used that word a lot around me. My love life just couldn't live up to her expectations.
We reached the mess hall, which thankfully had two bowls of fruit on offer. I grabbed a purple apple. Shovia took a yellow one, which was less sweet.
"I'm sorry I can't tell you more," I said.
"That's okay. It's not your fault." She gave me an accusing sidelong look. "I guess."
"It's not."
Once we entered the classroom and took our places at our designated desks, I checked the syllabus for the name of our next instructor. Commander Tallen would be delivering a lecture about dragon etiquette, and given the stack of textbooks on the desk, there would be another manual for us to study.
I was actually looking forward to reading it. Dylon had never mentioned a special etiquette regarding dragons, but that was probably because it only applied to riders.
"Good afternoon, cadets!" A familiar voice immediately drew my attention, sending an unexpected flutter through my chest.
I lifted my eyes to Commander Ravel as he walked into the classroom, his imposing figure drawing the attention of all my fellow cadets. He still wore his flight uniform—black with silver accents, perfectly tailored to his broad shoulders and tall frame. Unlike this morning, though, when his expression had been all business, there was now a hint of warmth in his dark eyes as they swept over the class, lingering a fraction longer on me than it had on the others.
"Commander Tallen is unavailable to teach Dragon Etiquette today, and I'll be taking over for him."
My heart sank. Of all the commanders who could have substituted for Tallen, why did it have to be Ravel? The universe seemed to conspire against me, determined to fuel Alar's suspicions and Shovia's romantic fantasies.
"Speak of the devil," she whispered, elbowing me none too gently. "The universe is trying to tell you something."
"The universe has a nasty sense of humor," I muttered back, earning a stifled laugh from her.
As Commander Ravel leaned against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest, my artist's eye noted the angles of his face, the confident set of his shoulders, the slight curl at the ends of his dark hair. There was something undeniably alluring about him that drew the eye and commanded attention.
I committed the image to memory, intending to sketch him later tonight after Shovia fell asleep. It wasn't an attraction. It was just appreciation for the perfect male specimen that Commander Ravel was, and I would keep telling myself that until goats flew over the mountains. I would also always refer tohim as Commander Ravel, so I would remember that we were not friends, nor equals.
"Today, we'll be covering the basics of dragon etiquette," the commander said. "Dragons don't have facial expressions, and they don't talk to anyone other than their rider and each other." His gaze swept over me, again pausing a fraction longer than on the other cadets. "As humans, we rely on facial cues, body language, tone of voice, and many other subtle signals to interact with each other. You won't have that feedback with dragons. The best approach is to always be polite and follow the etiquette."
He swept his gaze across the class, prompting everyone to nod in agreement.
"Also, you need to remember that dragons are not pets, not mounts, and certainly not mindless beasts," he continued. "They are intelligent beings with their own complexities, long memories, and, critically for this lesson, their own social codes and expectations."
I sensed Alar shift in his seat behind me, and I knew that he was studying my every reaction to our instructor. The scrutiny made me uncomfortable.
I felt like a bug under a magnifying glass, and suddenly, it was all too much. The excitement and anxiety generated by the interaction with the dragons earlier, my unwanted attraction to Ravel, Alar's jealousy, and my physical exhaustion, the stress of it all had just become so overwhelming that I had to close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing to make sure that air entered my lungs.
"Little Warrior," a familiar rumbling voice suddenly echoed in my mind, making me nearly jump in my seat. "What troubles you?"
“Onyx!”I thought back, startled. “How did you know I was troubled?”
"I felt your distress, Kailin, but since Ravel is with you, I knew it couldn't be a life-threatening situation. I assume it must be emotional?"
I had no choice but to answer truthfully. “I'm a little overwhelmed. That's all.”
His mental chuckle rippled through my mind. "Humans overcomplicate everything with their stormy emotions. Dragons live by simple rules and much less drama."
That hadn't been the impression I'd gotten earlier when he'd waxed poetic about the Citadel, but I wasn't going to point it out unless he plucked the thought from my head.
“I'd love to hear all about these simpler rules,I thought back,but I need to be present at this lecture, or Ravel will be displeased with me.”
"As you wish." Onyx's presence just vanished from my mind, leaving a strange emptiness in its wake.
I blinked, returning my focus to the classroom, where Commander Ravel was now explaining the first principle of dragon etiquette.
"Never approach a dragon from behind," he said. "Their peripheral vision is excellent, but they consider it a threat from another dragon and disrespect from a human." He was making eye contact with each cadet in turn to emphasize the importance of what he was saying. "Never make a dragon feel disrespected. I don't need to spell out what that would entail, right?"
