Ravel's left eyebrow rose. "What stressed you, Little Warrior?"
I wished he wouldn't use that nickname, which I had first found so endearing. We needed to keep a professional distance, and it would be best if he called me Cadet Strom.
"The communication with dragons that I'm still trying to understand is stressful enough, and then the possibility of me being a shaman is frankly terrifying. I'm really not even a devout follower of Elu. I try to follow the Precepts of Truth to the best of my ability, but I'm not very spiritual."
It was the truth, just not in its entirety.
His eyes softened. "I get how it can be stressful. But to answer your question, I wasn't aware of your communication with Onyx. Our bond allows us to share thoughts when we choose to, but it doesn't mean I'm privy to every conversation Onyx has." A small smile touched his lips. "Which is probably for the best, considering how gossipy dragons are."
I blinked, trying to reconcile the image of a majestic, fearsome predator with the concept of gossip. "Dragons do that?"
"Incessantly," Ravel confirmed, his smile widening briefly before his expression turned serious again. "But this is a significant development. Onyx can sense my emotions when they are very strong, but to sense yours from a distance, without any deliberate attempt at communication on your part, is frankly shocking."
He could have chosen a less punchy word. Shocking didn't help with my stress and anxiety.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"Your gift is still developing, and at this rate, you will soon compete with Nyxath." He chuckled. "I don't think there ever was a human queen of the dragons."
I nearly choked on my own tongue. "Please don't say things like that. I'm not a queen of anything."
His expression indicated that he hadn't been joking. "The first thing you need to learn is to shield your mind. Tonight, after dinner. Meet me at the eastern terrace—the one with the copper statue of Elu. We'll begin with the basics of mental shielding."
I was going to die. "I have so much that I need to study tonight. Can't you just give me some pointers now?"
"Very well." He let out a breath. "Try to visualize a trap door in your mind. We can practice today during flight instruction. I wasn't supposed to be there, but I'll switch with one of the other instructors."
"Thank you." Alar would still be jealous about me flying with Commander Ravel again, but not as badly as if I met him at night for a clandestine engagement.
He examined me with his dark, penetrating eyes. "I know that keeping this a secret stresses you, but it's necessary for now."
"When will it no longer be necessary?"
"When we understand the extent of your gift and you learn how to protect yourself, which might be only after you bond with your dragon."
I swallowed. "That's months away."
"I know it's tough." He put his hand on my shoulder. "But it's necessary."
55
ALAR
"Execution without strategy is aimless; strategy without execution is useless."
—General Soren Bardaky, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Elucian Forces
Ifell into step beside Codric as we headed toward our next class, my thoughts still tangled around Kailin and her reason for talking to Commander Ravel in private. This time, she had been the one to request to speak with him, not the other way around, and that bothered me more than I cared to admit.
"You're doing that thing with your jaw again," Codric said, keeping his voice low.
"What thing?"
"The grinding thing that makes you look like you're contemplating murder."
I consciously relaxed my clenched jaw. "I'm just thinking about our objectives and how best to achieve them."
"Right." He lifted a brow. "We are here, aren't we?"
