“I…gathered that,” Soren said before she could stop herself. Cion glanced sidelong at her, unused to Soren speaking in such a way. Soren ignored her.
The girl laughed. “I might be able to tolerate you after all. My name is Yella.”
Soren dipped her head. “Soren.”
Yella glanced at Ilav and Cion. “If you three are done with the meal, we should begin.”
“We are,” Cion replied.
Soren could feel the princess’ eyes on her.
Yella jumped to her feet. “Good.” She gestured behind her to the others. “The five of us are Aren’s newest riders, from twoseasons ago. The rule is that the newest train the newest, so for the next moon cycle, you’ll be with us for half your days. After that, the real fun begins. Come—the dragons are waiting in the field.”
She and the other four began walking, and Soren, Cion, and Ilav followed. All Soren wanted to do was lay down and sleep after her training session with Vane, but she couldn’t afford to show weakness here, not ever.
“So, what’s with the hair?” Yella asked as they walked.
Soren bit her cheek. “Just a birth defect, I was told.”
“Not an omen?”
“Not at all.”
The practiced lie slipped easily off her tongue.
Chapter 13
Thessa waitedfor her in the field with eight other dragons. Now that hers stood beside so many others, Soren truly understood the reason Vemon dragons were whispered about in folktales. Thessa was enormous, far larger than even the next largest, the dragon Yella bounded over to.
“Mount your dragons!” she called over a cold wind that swept through the field.
Ilav glanced at Cion, who merely shrugged.
“Just like that?” he called to Yella.
One of the other riders, a stocky man with a shaved head, rolled his eyes and muttered something to his companion, who laughed. “My bet is still on the Misean girl. She’ll be the first to drop, and you’ll owe me ten gala.”
Soren tamped down the anger that kept trying to rise, instead walking with her chin up towards Thessa. It felt odd not to curl her shoulders in and keep her eyes down, but she was determined to survive. Kelshie might be out there somewhere in Aren’s endless ranks. If she could just find her, maybe together, they could somehow escape.
A fool’s dream.
Soren stiffened, finding Thessa’s silvery gaze inches from her own. She had been so lost in her own head, she had not thought of the dragon’s ability to see into her mind, nor had she noticed the dragon, large as she was, creeping closer.
Do not fret. My loyalty is to you alone, which is why I am counseling you.
Soren set her jaw.She could be alive.
Perhaps. But you have more dire issues to attend to at the moment.
“What in the gods’ names is she doing?” Soren heard Ilav say.
She turned to find him and Cion looking at her, their expressions puzzled. Behind them, Yella was already atop her dragon.
“What’s the issue, you three?” she called.
Cion took a step closer. “Soren, what were you doing?”
Soren stiffened. Had she done something wrong without realizing it? She cleared her throat softly. “Thessa was scolding me about something. It doesn’t matter. I was just being silly, and she?—”
