"I'd prefer you stop assuming you're going to be chosen. The odds are?—"
"Hello, ladies," Alar's voice interrupted what was sure to become one of Shovia's tirades.
As I opened both eyes, I found him and Codric standing in front of us, looking like they hadn't slept a wink. "You two look terrible," I said.
"Thanks." Codric dropped his pack on the ground beside Shovia and sat on top of it. "That's exactly what a man wants to hear from a beautiful woman first thing in the morning."
He thought I was beautiful?
It shouldn't make me feel so self-conscious. It was probably a figure of speech, something that Elurian gentlemen said to all ladies.
"Shovia and I didn't get much sleep either," I said without commenting on his compliment. "There wasn't much time left after the funerals."
"We are all drakked," Shovia declared. "How are we going to make it through a whole day of trekking on an empty stomach and with hardly any sleep?"
Alar settled beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. "We'll manage. The tea your grandmother gave us is a miracle brew."
Before I could respond, Morek appeared, forcefully dropping his pack next to us, his usually handsome face twisted into a scowl.
"Let me guess," I said. "You are grumpy because you didn't get any sleep either?"
"Yes, but not just that." He jerked his chin toward a group of pilgrims several yards away. "Look at Erona, being all smiles for that Podanan rich boy."
I followed his gaze to where Erona, who looked like a television star even in standard-issue fatigues, stood close to a tall, dark-haired pilgrim. She laughed at something he said while touching his arm with her long, elegant fingers that were topped with manicured nails.
She was definitely flirting with the guy.
"Oh, for Elu's sake," Shovia muttered. "What makes you think he is rich? Because he's confident? Just go talk to her already. This pining from afar is getting old."
While Morek launched into what was sure to be a lengthy explanation of why he couldn't possibly do that, Alar leaned closer to me. "How did Chicha react to you leaving?"
The question caught me off guard, and I felt a lump form in my throat. "She wasn't happy to see me go, but I'll see her in seven days when I come down the mountain."
"You have so very little faith in yourself," he said with a mock stern look. "What the mind believes, it achieves."
I smiled. "Is that an Elurian proverb?"
"No, but it should be. In plain language, it refers to the power of conviction."
"Conviction is not always a good thing as evidenced by the Shedun."
"True." He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and shifted his gaze to the dragons. "That's why it's so important to always search for truth. Convictions that are based on lies are extremely dangerous."
I wanted to respond that finding the truth was difficult because we all had our prejudices, but a massive beat of wings put a stop to our conversation.
All eyes turned skyward as Saphir's dragon appeared, her scales a beautiful shade of blue. She was enormous—probably the largest dragonia ever to soar over the Elucian Mountains.
I'd only seen Saphir and his dragon on televised events and never in person, and Nyxath was probably the most impressive dragonia on this mountain.
As the crowd burst into applause and cheers, Alar and Codric joined in the applause while gaping.
"By Elurion," Alar breathed. "She's beautiful." He turned to me. "Do you know her name?"
"Nyxath," I said.
In my opinion, all dragon faces were ugly, but their eyes were beautiful and wise, and their scales were their most striking feature.
Nyxath's scales caught the light like perfectly cut sapphires, and she moved not just to traverse space but to leave an impression. Like Saphir, his dragonia was a performer. He sat easily on her back, his white robes whipping in the wind of her wings as she circled once before beginning her descent.
