I studied his profile. "When did you get so smart?"
He laughed, but there was an edge to it. "I had plenty of practice growing up as a wealthy Elurian. When you have more than others, you become aware of envy."
There was more to that statement than he was admitting. I could hear it in the careful way he chose his words, see it in the tension around his eyes. But I'd stopped pressuring him to tellme about his life back home. Every time I asked, he gave me evasive answers wrapped in humor and deflection.
He was hiding something, and so was Alar.
Whatever it was, they weren't ready to tell me. And today wasn't the day to push.
We emerged onto the roof of the Citadel, and all thoughts of secrets and jealousy fled my mind.
This was it.
The day we all had been waiting for was here, and it was glorious.
The entire expanse of the roof stretched open beneath the morning sky, the aurora still visible even in daylight. The mountains rose in the distance, their peaks dusted with snow, and the wind carried a clean, fresh scent.
Saphir was waiting for us with Moki perched on his shoulder, and Nyxath crouched beside him. The shaman wore blue ceremonial robes that were embroidered with silver thread.
The remaining first-year cadets filed onto the roof and arranged themselves in a long line as instructed during yesterday's briefing. We stood with our backs to the mountain wall, several arm-lengths between each person, facing the open sky where the dragons would appear.
I ended up near the middle of the line, with Codric to my left. Morek was further down, and Kailin and Alar stood together near the far end.
Saphir raised his arms. "Good morning, Cadets. You have trained, you have studied, and you have proven yourselves worthy of this moment. Today, you stand before the unbonded dragons of Elucia and offer yourselves for the sacred bond."
The words washed over me, familiar from our studies but somehow different when spoken aloud in this place, at this moment.
"The bond cannot be forced or demanded. It is a gift freely given, a connection of souls that transcends mere partnership. When a dragon chooses you, they choose you for life. When you accept that choice, you accept a destiny intertwined with theirs."
I thought of Nyxath's words during my evaluation.Open yourself completely. No dragon will accept anything less.
I knew how to do it, but it wasn't easy, and if I allowed fear to enter my mind, it would be impossible. My shields were there to protect me, and the only way I could lower them was if I felt completely safe.
"You shall remain silent throughout the ceremony," the shaman reminded us. "Your only communication will be with the dragon who speaks to you in your mind, and you will answer telepathically as well. May Elu grant you the right partner."
He lowered his arms and stepped aside.
For a long moment, nothing happened. The wind whispered across the roof. The auroras danced overhead. Twenty-six cadets stood in perfect stillness, barely breathing.
Then the first group of dragons appeared.
Five magnificent creatures flew in loose formation. Their scales caught the light as they banked and descended, colors ranging from deep emerald to burnished bronze to pale silver. Some were smaller than Nyxath, some larger, all powerful and breathtaking.
They landed on the roof with surprising grace, their clawed feet finding purchase on the stone. For a moment, they simply stood there, regarding us with those unnerving eyes that seemed to burrow deep into our souls.
Then they began to move, lumbering down the line of cadets. Each step was deliberate and ponderous, their massive bodies swaying with the effort of ground movement. Claws scraped against stone as they shifted their weight, wings half-furled for balance.
In the air, they were grace incarnate. On land, they were creatures forced to tolerate an indignity.
The dragons prowled the line of cadets, pausing before each one, their great heads swaying as if scenting the air. I watched them approach, my heart hammering against my ribs, and forced myself to lower my mental shields.
It was harder than I'd expected. The barriers I'd built over a lifetime didn't want to come down. They were part of me, as natural as breathing, and asking them to open felt like asking my lungs to stop working.
Open, I told myself.Let them in.
A dragon paused before me. Bronze scales, golden eyes, a ridge of darker spines running down his neck. It studied me for what felt like an eternity.
I reached out with my mind, trying to project openness, welcome, availability.
