My mother was being deliberately vague because there was nothing specific to name.
"So, you think it's fake," I said.
"I think it's suspicious." Codric met my eyes. "What do you want to do?"
"Stay. Bond with a dragon. Stay with Kailin." The words came out more forcefully than I'd intended, but they were true. "What if he's really sick, though? What if I stay here and he dies, and I never get to say goodbye?"
Codric was quiet for a moment. "Can you even get a leave if you ask?"
"Maybe. There must be exceptions for family emergencies. But travel time is two weeks minimum each way." I ran a hand through my hair. "I'd miss bonding and would have to wait for the next round, if I can even return. I might not be allowed back."
"That's the real trap, isn't it? If you go home, the Council might pressure you to stay."
"Exactly. The Elucians might not allow me back either."
Codric smiled. "They will allow you back because Saphir will demand it. You are part of the prophesied seven. But that also means they won't let you leave. Not without real pressure. I don't think anything less than an official letter from your father demanding your release will do the trick."
He had a point.
We sat in silence, both of us contemplating the impossible position I was in. Would Codric come with me if I were forced to go? Or would he stay here without me?
And what about the prophecy?
We were needed in Elucia. We were supposed to save the world. After the pilgrimage, the explosions, fighting off attackers, and discovering we were part of the prophesied seven, could I just abandon it all?
"Write back," Codric suggested. "Ask for more information."
"The response would take two weeks to get there and two weeks back. I'd be past the Day of Volition by the time I hear anything. I won't know if it's the right choice until it's too late."
Codric let out a breath. “You could ask to make a call, but that would expose you and who you are. Saphir knows, as does the top brass of the Dragon Force, but given the situation with the assassins,I doubt Saphir or General Lesten wants the information to spread to every cadet and rider, which will be unavoidable because security monitors all outgoing and incoming calls. Your identity becoming common knowledge would paint a target on your back.”
“Right.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “By the same token, my mother could have called and demanded to speak with me, which would have exposed me. The fact that she didn’t also speaks volumes.”
Codric arched a brow. “Saying what?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps the letter didn’t come from her but is a trap.”
“No one knows we are here.”
I wasn’t sure about that. “We covered our tracks well and traveled under assumed names, but we might have been followed.”
Codric looked doubtful. “We would have noticed a tail. Anyway, I think you should consult Kailin. After all, she's at the center of the prophecy. She might have a feeling about what you should do."
I nodded, even though the thought of relying on intuition was foreign to me.
When I showed the letter to Kailin later in our room, she read it carefully, frowning even more than Codric.
"Is your father really sick?"
"Maybe. I don't know. This is my mother's handwriting, which lends some credibility to the claim, but it wouldn't be the first time she's done things like this for him. It could also be a forgery.”
I explained my suspicions about the timing, the vague wording, and my father's history of manipulation, but I didn’t mention the phone call my mother could have made and hadn’t. As long as I didn’t mention it, Kailin wouldn’t think of suggesting that I request to call home.
I couldn’t do that. The moment my identity became common knowledge, I would be kicked out of the academy and sent home for sure.
"Why would they fake your father’s illness?" Kailin asked.
"To get me home. Away from here."
