The words were still burned into her mind, even over a decade later. The first phrase had always bothered her, though her father chose to blatantly ignore the warning. Was the ‘darkness’ the war or something else? And what did the ‘last days’ refer to? She had never gotten answers to either question.
The Sisters of the Chamber swung a pot of smoky incense around them. Elaana had closed her eyes, a stupid move in wartime. Any one of them could be spies. If slaves could be dragon riders now, anything was possible.
Oh gods, her father was not going to be happy.
The Sisters finished their circling, and she, Ilav, Elaana, and Soren were each approached. An ancient woman leaned inclose to Cion’s ear and rasped, “A word for the wise, princess. Rumblings of the past are afoot. Keep your head.”
The Sister pulled away, smiling softly, the worn lines of her face crinkling. Unease snaked through Cion at her words. The past was often revered, but so much of it was unknown. The woman could be referring to the gods themselves for all Cion knew.
She glanced at Soren as a Sister stepped away from her. Her eyes were wide, her lips pale with shock. Cion was beginning to understand the reality of what was occurring. Soren had a part to play in all of this, and it made her deeply uneasy.
The girl knew far too much.
Chapter 9
The cloakedfigure watched from behind an outcropping of rock as the girl shielded the others, caring little for her own safety. He watched as she saved the princess, though neither of them knew it, watched as a dragon the shade of the moon chose her.
Rage, hot and violent, stirred in his gut at the sight of the slave shackle on her ankle, the knowledge it would likely remain there compounding his ire.
If only they knew…
But he had to wait.
Patience had never come easily to him, but the years had forced him to practice until it was close to second nature.
Oh, yes.
He would wait.
Chapter 10
After the ceremonyin the Chamber of Whispers, the four of them were taken to quarters to ‘rest’ for the night before they flew out. Soren had already resolved not to shut her eyes. She was sure any of her fellow new dragon riders would be happy to slit her throat and take Thessilnn as their own.
She didn’t even trust Princess Cion. In fact, she might just trust her the least. She had seen the sour envy in her eyes after the Choosing ceremony. Soren couldn’t really blame her. After all, this was what the princess wasfatedfor. For Soren, this was just a fluke, and she was ill-suited to the task. She had never trained with a blade nor bow, and her body was weak from the near-idleness of court life, even as a working servant. Why the dragon had chosen to spare her, she had no idea.
The Sister leading them down the simple, winding hall stopped at a doorway. It led into a wide, airy room full of cots and bed mats. Basins of water and white towels were placed in the center of the room, cups of steaming noodles and fragrant herbal tea on a low table. Soren could smell the Lily of the Moon petals in the drink from where they stood. It was an expensive ingredient, one that spoke to who the Sistersthoughtthey would be serving tonight.
Still, as they filed in, the Sister said softly, “Enjoy these last small comforts. There will be few where you are going.”
The boy snorted once the Sister left, the sound cutting through the quiet. “Was that a warning?”
“Felt like a threat,” the girl said snidely.
Princess Cion rolled her eyes. “Are you two really so naive that you don’t know what you’re getting yourselves into? The Sister spoke true. The camps, even the training ones, are no place for comfort. You’ll be treated like any foot soldier while you’re there.”
The girl laughed, a cold sound. “Except for you, of course,princess.Heir too I hear, now that brother dearest went to the grave.”
Soren bit back words of defense for the princess. They would be useless, and she wasn’t sure the princess even wanted them from her, not anymore. Besides, Cion could defend herself.
“That’s low of you, Elaana,” the princess said. “And you, Ilav? Nothing to say?”
Both their faces pinched, and the princess laughed. “Yes, I know who you two are. Didn’t you do your research before coming here?”
“Would it have mattered?” Ilav sneered, his eyes on Soren. “Given the trash they let in this year.”
The insult hardly stung. After all, she was used to such a thing. Even so, a notion stirred, spinning in her mind. She might still be an enslaved servant, but as far as she knew, she was conscripted as a soldier now too. If she was going to survive, she couldn’t cower and bow her way through.
“I did not ask her to choose me,” she found herself saying.
