Three weeks in that place. Three weeks of chains and blood and a voice in the darkness promising worse to come.
“Then we deal with it.” Drayke’s jaw tightens. “Selene and Aisling are our best chance at understanding what we’re facing. Their fire can sense things ours can’t.”
Rurik’s fingers find mine under the table. He squeezes once, solid and steadying.
I squeeze back.
We leave at dawn.
The air is cold and thin, mist rising from the valleys below as ten dragons launch from the fortress ramparts. Drayke leads in bronze splendor, Selene perched between his shoulder blades with her hair whipping in the wind. Behind him, eight youngerguards fan out in formation—scales of copper and amber and burnished gold catching the early light.
I settle onto Rurik’s back, finding my grip on the ridges of his neck. His scales radiate warmth beneath my thighs, familiar now after weeks of training flights and midnight adventures.
Just reconnaissance. In and out. Simple.
The formation tightens as we climb above the clouds. The younger guards move with practiced precision, each one taking their assigned position without instruction. I recognize a few from training sessions—Marcus with his copper scales, Theron whose wingspan rivals Drayke’s, young Kael who once asked me to explain how human surgery worked and listened with genuine fascination.
They’re not just escorts. They’re believers. Dragons who chose to follow the Brotherhood’s vision of protection rather than domination.
The first hour passes without incident. Mountains give way to forests, forests to rolling plains, plains to more mountains. The world spreads beneath us in shades of green and gold, beautiful in a way that feels almost offensive given what waits at the end of this journey.
Selene catches my attention from Drayke’s back. She makes a gesture—hand flat, tilting side to side—that I don’t recognize.
I shake my head.What?
She points at Drayke, then makes claws with her fingers and snaps them together. Then she rolls her eyes dramatically.
He’s being overprotective.
I snort. Point at Rurik, make the same claw-snapping gesture, then pretend to tear my hair out.
Her laugh carries across the gap between our mounts. Drayke’s head swings around, confused. Rurik rumbles beneath me—a questioning sound.
“Nothing,” I call over the wind. “Girl talk.”
The rumble turns suspicious. I pat his scales and say nothing.
By midday, we’ve developed an entire vocabulary. Hand signals forhe’s being ridiculousandmine won’t stop checking on meandif he asks one more time if I’m okay, I’m going to set something on fire.Selene adds gestures forhungry,need to stop,andpretty sure they’re having a telepathic conversation about us right now.
The last one comes with a pointed look at both dragons, whose heads have tilted toward each other in a way that suggests exactly that.
I make the sign fordefinitely talking about usand add a new one—finger to my temple, then a dismissive wave.They think they’re subtle.
Selene’s grin is visible even from this distance.
Behind us, I catch Marcus watching our exchange with poorly hidden amusement. When I raise an eyebrow at him, he ducks his head and pretends to study the landscape below.
We makecamp as the sun sinks toward the horizon.
The clearing is large enough to accommodate our group, surrounded by ancient pines that block the wind. The younger guards fan out immediately—some setting perimeter watches, others gathering firewood, still others unpacking supplies with military efficiency.
Drayke and Rurik shift to human form near the center of camp, already deep in conversation about tomorrow’s approach. Selene and I are left to organize bedrolls and rations, which suits me fine.
“They’ve been strategizing the whole flight.” Selene’s voice is low, amused. “Rurik keeps asking Drayke if you seem okay.Drayke keeps telling him to stop hovering. Neither of them is listening to the other.”
“Shocking.” I sort through the travel rations, organizing them by type. Old habits. “Rurik? Not listening? I’m stunned.”
“To be fair, Drayke’s just as bad.” She passes me a water flask. “He asked me three times if I thought you were handling the trip well. As if I have some Fire-Bringer telepathy that lets me read your mind.”
