And that’s when I hear it—yelling. Laughing. The unmistakable sound of boots pounding across stone. I turn just in time to see Nessa, Darius, Fenric, and Taila barreling toward us—faces lit, eyes wide, entirelytoodelighted.
Oh no. No no no.They saw everything.
And that’s when Lyra steps beside me. Smug. Unhurried. Already pulling a pouch from her belt.
“Alright, pay up,” she announces, snapping her fingers.
Darius groans. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope. Kiss before the end of the week. Honestly, I was generous.” She holds out her hand—and one by one, they cough up coin.
Taila mutters something under her breath and passes a few silvers. Nessa shrugs and forks over a gold. Fenric groans theloudestand drops his coin in with a dramatic flourish.
“I really thought it would beherthat snapped first.”
Lyra snorts. “Shedidkiss him first, genius.”
“Yeah, but he went full warlord about it,” Darius says, crossing his arms. “That counts for extra.”
Lyra divvies up coin with the speed of a black-market dealer. “Half to me. Quarter to Nessa—she guessed the location would be the outpost. And Taila gets the rest for calling the ‘in front of everyone’ part. Nicely done.”
“Thanks,” Taila beams. “I pay attention to tension.”
I stand there, stunned, my mouth open, my face burning. “You were allbettingon this?”
Lyra just grins. “What else were we supposed to do? It was unbearable.”
The days blur into sweat, sore muscles, and the constant weight of expectation. Training begins at dawn. Ends when we can barely stand.
The outpost sits below a small mountain range, a forward stronghold for warriors preparing for battle. No grandeur. No excess.
The air is sharp, laced with the scent of damp earth, sweat, and the lingering burn of fire magics from daily training.
There are few breaks. Only the cycle of training. And for the first time—Ithrivein it.
Each day is merciless and my entire body aches as I climb into bed each night. Magics with Valen in the mornings. Combat drills with Thane, Garrick, or Jarek in the afternoons. Squadron formation training after that.
I’m now training with my friends. Then flight lessons with Calryx—my favorite part of the day. Being with her is so natural and easy. And fun.
I’m learning to fight from a dragon’s back—performing aerial moves that once felt impossible.
It’s chaos. It’s exhausting. It’s bananas.
There’s no time to dwell on the kiss. No time to overthink the way his hands gripped me, the way his mouth moved against mine like he’d beenstarvingfor it.
Because the moment we return, training consumes my world. Like we’re running out of time.
The goal isn’t just control anymore—it’s mastery. Elemental Merging.
I can’t just call fire, then shift to air. I have to wield them all at once. Fire and air can create—or destroy. Water and earth offer balance—or collapse.
Balance. Adaptation. Power.
Aerial combat is an entirely new mindset. Not just dexterity and strength—but intuition. Connection. Timing.
Flying with Calryx is one thing. Fighting from her back? Something else entirely. I have to dodge, weave, strike—all while making sure I don’t get thrown from the sky.
I’m deeply grateful for the magical locks that secure me to the saddle—now fastened to the base of her neck for flight. Without them, I’d already be a smear on the canyon floor.
