The crowd erupted into hushed murmurs.
“What?” Theron snapped, spinning around. “That’s—he’s not?—”
The wind howled suddenly overhead, and a massive blue Striker dragon, sleek, powerful, and recognizable, circled once before diving low and landing at the edge of the grounds.
Foran.
Dorian dismounted in one smooth motion, his silver-and-charcoal armor catching the light as he strode forward, a figure born for command.
He passed the stunned crowd without hesitation and walked straight up to the podium, stopping in front of Theron.
“This trial is a disgrace,” Dorian said, voice calm but cutting like ice over glass. “You’ve gone too far.”
And for the first time since this began…
Theron looked unsure.
Dorian stepped up to the edge of the podium, his voice calm but carrying over the assembled riders like the first crack of thunder before a storm. “Riders,” he called, “connect with your dragons. The truth will be shared.”
A pulse rolled through the Ascension Grounds like magic awakening. I felt it tug at my chest, reflexive, instinctive, but Kaelith was still silent in my mind. Hein too. Zander and I locked eyes, the same understanding flashing between us.
We were the only two without a dragon response.
All around us, riders went still, eyes closing, expressions shifting into awe, anger, or revelation. The bond poured truth into their minds. I watched the tension snap like old rope as disbelief fell away.
Riders’ heads lifted, many turning toward Theron with fury simmering behind their eyes.
And one by one, they moved, not toward him, but toward Dorian’s banner.
All except Iron Fang.
Even still, the shift was devastating. While Iron Fang remained the largest, Theron had just lost the support of every other squad.His ploy had collapsed under the weight of truth, and the dragons had done what no court ever could.
They exonerated Zander.
“What happened?” I whispered, my voice tight.
“They obviously saw something,” Zander muttered, stunned. “Something that proved I never betrayed them.”
Major Ledor stepped forward, his face carved from stone. “Your accusations were false,” he said to Theron, loud enough for everyone to hear. “The dragons showed Zander’s movements—every step over the last few months. There were no meetings with the Sigil. No messages to the Varnari. And he’s never seen the vial of poison you claimed he used to attempt to assassinate the king.”
Theron’s mouth twitched, and his eyes slid to Inderia.
“She intercepted the missives,” he said calmly. “If they were falsified… we’ll find the perpetrator.”
Major Ledor’s eyes narrowed. “You sentenced your own brother to death without proof. What kind of king does that?”
Theron turned then, slow and deliberate, until he stood face to face with Ledor.
“One that values the safety of this continent over blood ties,” he said coldly.
But the silence that followed… wasn’t one of agreement.
It was judgment. Heavy and sharp.
And Theron finally looked like a man surrounded by enemies.
Major Ledor’s expression twisted into something close to revulsion as he turned toward Theron. “I assume this means Zander is cleared of all charges?”
