“Let’s go!” Garric shouted, vaulting onto his dragon.
Darian, face pale but standing, hauled Thaelyn up behind Thorne. Vornokh lay flat on his belly, crouched low, to help with getting Thaelyn up into his saddle. The King of Dragons, respected by all, was lying flat on his belly for a human. His eyes were blazing with fear and rage. Nyxariel shrieked from the air above them as if thanking her mate for helping to save her bonded rider. Once Darian was able to be sure that Thaelyn was secure behind Thorne, he gave the signal. Vornokh shot up into the air with such fury and speed. The other dragons followed. The air was a blaze with dragons and riders. The ground was a blaze with flames. Thedragonfire melted the fortress to the ground. From above, all that could be seen was smoke and ash.
When the dragon battalion and their riders crested over the last ridge of the Asgar Mountain’s rim, the jagged cliffs broke open into the familiar sprawl of the Asgar Training Academy. Bells were ringing from the high towers, signaling that dragons were arriving overhead. Cadets spilled out into the fields below, while instructors rallied at the gates.
“Hold on, we are home,”Nyxariel breathed, her voice echoing down the bond softer than a breath of mist.
The dragons landed in a wide arc along the flight field, their wings kicking up dust and roaring wind as claws struck the ground. Nyxariel folded her wings with force, crouching low as if bowing thanks to her mate. All of the dragons bowed down as Vornokh landed. Thorne lifted Thaelyn’s limp body forward and dismounted Vornokh as fast as he could. Thaelyn’s body was still draped in Darian’s cloak to cover her nakedness. Thorne knew he had to get her to the healers as fast as he could. She still was not breathing and didn’t have a pulse. He ran as fast as his legs would allow. His arms were wrapped fiercely around her waist and back. His chin pressed to the top of her head. His shadows cloaked her in protection. “I’m here,” he whispered. “I’m here, Thaelyn, hold on just a little longer.”
Chapter
Forty-Five
The High Council Chamber was lit with the flicker of rune-lanterns, casting soft gold and blue firelight against the ring of marble columns. Thick banners of crimson velvet hung along the walls, stitched with the Asgar Training Academy’s sigil. The room, built in a perfect circle, exuded a tense atmosphere of authority. This morning, the weight in the air was suffocating.
General Ravaryn Solas stood at the head of the room, her arms crossed over her black-and-silver uniform, silver pauldrons catching the light. Her sharp eyes scanned the gathering of council members. Her facial expression was as hard as carved granite.
Senior General Terrance Morlen was seated near the eastern window with his hands clasped behind his back. The orange stitching of his dragon’s sigil gleamed on his shoulder plate, and the tight line of his mouth said more than words ever could.
Vaelen Solen, Keeper of Forbidden Histories, leaned against the farthest pillar. His hood was drawn low over silver hair. There was the faint glint of an Aether crystal at his hip, pulsing like a heartbeat. He said nothing yet, but his presence crackled with quiet knowing.
The door opened with a thud. Commander Dareth entered, flight cape still dusted with ash; his jaw was tight, and his eyes were storm-shadowed. Behind him strode Thorne. His face was unreadable. His black uniform was scorched at the edges, andshadows still clinging to his boots like smoke that wouldn’t fade. The council fell quiet.
Thorne’s gaze scanned them all, pausing only on General Solas. Her nod was slight, but permission enough. He stepped forward. "She is with the healers," he said somberly. "Dark magic scouts took Thaelyn, along with necromancers and mages cloaked in Rift-ward enchantments. They were hunting for her Aether power."
Vaelen straightened. "Did they confirm her identity? Do they know what she is?"
"They didn’t need to," Thorne replied. "They knew exactly who they were after."
"And Kaen?" General Morlen asked. "He was present on the grounds when the attack occurred."
Commander Dareth stiffened. "He was in the council room when the skies lit up. I don’t believe he was directly involved as of right now. But the timing of his arrival was too convenient. We were busy with his arrival when the cadets were sent up into the sky. We are investigating the matter. His arrival could have been the planned decoy, or maybe it was a coincidence."
A ripple of unease passed through the council. Thorne’s fingers clenched. "When we found Thaelyn, she was in shackles and chained to the wall by her arms and feet. She was beaten to the brink of death. Who knows what toxins they made her ingest. She had no heartbeat when I found her, and she was lifeless the whole way home. Her dragon bond was severed from her. Do you understand what that does to a bonded pair, let alone an ancient one like Nyxariel?"
"And what does it do to you, Thorne?" Vaelen’s voice was low, unreadable. "To be bonded to her while the world begins to turn for her power?"
Thorne didn’t blink. "It was the worst physical pain I have ever experienced. Our bond runs deep, and it was magnified by the response that the dragons felt, too. We are all connected. So, it makes me more dangerously protective of her and more loyal. We have to protect her. Her magic has only begun to reach its potential and has changed the world. She could become the most powerfulsource this world has ever known. She is the only Aether wielder known. The magic was lost and dead until now. The dragons have their own ways of dealing with matters, but we do have to consider how valuable these two ancient dragons are to the realm and to this academy."
Commander Dareth stepped forward now. "We’ve identified several old strongholds where Rift-born wards still linger. One of them matched the pattern Garric and Vornokh tracked. We’ll be scanning the rest. But we need better eyes in the field, and political cover."
"Meaning?" asked General Solas.
"Meaning the King will begin asking questions now that Kaen is circling these events. And we all know Kaen rarely moves without ambition."
The room quieted again. Then Solas nodded. "Then we prepare. We do not make public announcements. We act quietly. Since Aether has returned, and the royal house begins to divide, this Academy must remain a sanctuary, for now."
She turned to Thorne. "You are designated as her personal protection. We are aware of your romantic relationship, and normally, you would not be allowed to be assigned to her, but under the circumstances, we grant a special assignment due to the severity of the matter and the shared bond you two have with the dragons. The council enforces this duty, effective immediately. You are her shield now. You are ordered to remain loyal to your family, the crown, the Academy, and the realm. If and when she recovers, where she goes, you go. We will station additional guards outside of all doors when she is present."
Thorne bowed his head once. "Understood."
As the council began to murmur and argue behind her, Solas turned toward the window, watching the dragons whirl in the skies above. Her voice was a whisper only Vaelen heard.
"The storm is only just beginning. I sense and fear there is much more to come."
Below, in the shadowed halls of the infirmary, Thaelyn slept, unaware that the realm had begun to shift around her name.
Apale hush lay over the Asgar Training Academy healers’ infirmary, broken only by the soft rustle of curtains and the distant caw of a rook perched high on the spire beyond the window. The scent of poultices and burned sage clung to the air, mingling with the faintest hum of wards laced into the stone. Sunlight slanted through the high, arched panes, catching the motes of dust that danced lazily in golden shafts.
