Hein touched down on the Ascension Grounds with a soft thud that stirred the grass and scattered dust across the obsidian path. For a heartbeat, he didn’t move—just looked at us as we dismounted. Then, without a sound, he launched back into the sky, his wings splitting the air like thunder. A signal, maybe. Either way, he left us in the hush of dusk.
We stepped to the side, out of the wind kicked up from his departure. My boots crunched lightly over the gravel as Zander fell into step beside me, his brows drawn tight as he glanced back toward the isle.
“She’s a Shiftling,” I said, not as a question but the simple truth of it. “It changes everything, doesn’t it?”
He didn’t answer right away. His hand flexed once at his side before he spoke. “I’m not sure what the guild will do with that kind of information.”
My gaze snapped to him. “Why? They already know she’s different.”
“Different,” he murmured, “isn’t the same as dangerous.” He met my eyes. “She’s far more powerful than anyone realized, Ashe. A dragon that can shift subtypes? Blend traits? If they see her as a threat instead of a miracle?—”
“They’ll try to control her,” I finished, heart sinking. “Or me.”
Zander nodded slowly. “There’s not much known about the first dragon to bond,” he added, his voice subdued. “The legends say he left the kingdom after his rider died. Just… vanished.”
I glanced toward the skies as Hein flew back toward Dragon Isle.
“Some say he was heartbroken,” Zander said quietly. “Others claim he left because he regretted his decision to align with us.”
The thought hollowed out my chest.
“I hate keeping this from the squad,” I admitted, guilt gnawing like frost under my skin. “But I get it. We don’t even know how far this will go, and if Kaelith isn’t even done evolving…”
“It’s for the best,” he agreed. “For now.”
I blew out a breath. “So we keep her secret.”
“But not everything.” His hand brushed mine, a soft, tentative thing. “We don’t have to keep our plans to find the sanctuary from them. We need them.”
I nodded once, shoulders squaring as I turned toward the barracks beyond the training fields.
“Then let’s go talk to our squad.” We walked toward the door, passing several guild members on the way.
The barracks were warm with the scent of steel oil and worn leather, laughter low and lazy as we stepped through the open arch. Boots scuffed against stone, and Kaelith’s distant breath echoed in the back of my mind like a half-forgotten song.
Inside, the squad was sprawled across their bunks and scattered floor mats like a family in quiet reprieve.
Jax and Ferrula sat side by side on Jax’s bed, sharpening their blades in unison, his strokes rhythmic, hers deliberate and fast, like she was daring the steel to talk back.
Naia and Tae were hunched over a small, flat board on the center table, a pile of polished dice between them. Tae’s expression was pure mischief, while Naia looked one heartbeat away from launching one of the dice at his pretty head.
Across the room, the Lowborn Squad clustered in a loose circle playing a card game I didn’t recognize—Kaila was winning, judging by the stack of ivory chips near her elbow and the very smug tilt to her smile.
Riven and Cordelle were tucked into opposite bunks, legs stretched out, similar books open in their laps. Cordelle had a stick of dried fruit between his teeth. Riven didn’t look up until I spoke.
“Hey, gang,” I called softly as Zander and I crossed the threshold.
Riven sat up immediately, brows lifting. “What’s up?”
Zander’s posture beside me tightened just a hair, like he already knew this would change everything.
“We need to find the Fae Sanctuary,” I said. “Soon.”
Everything stopped.
Blades paused mid-stroke. Dice froze in Naia’s palm. Cards hit the ground with a whisper. The air felt heavier, coiled and ready.
“You want to infiltrate Blood Isle?” Cordelle asked gently, setting his book aside.
