“I. Said. No.” She punctuates each word as she drops her feet from the table and stands up. “I’m not doing any training right now and Idon’ttake orders from Merrin.” Slipping her blade away, she angles away and strides for the exit, her purple dragon lifting from her hair to glide at her side.
Ahria drifts down a second later, landing on the now-empty table and yawns in my direction.
Shit.
If I go after her, I could seem desperate. Weak. But if I don’t—and I never get past this fear of fire—then what? The bond fails, and Ahria burns me alive?
Yeah. Not an option.
Spinning around, I take off after Reya, my lungs working hard as I gain on her. “No—I need this.”
“Not my problem.” She throws the tent flap open and storms out.
Determined to change her mind, I follow, already opening my mouth to push again when a skinny recruit—no more than seventeen—rushes up beside her, all long limbs and breathless energy.
“Sorry I’m late,” he pants, doubling over. “But I’m here for thefiretraining.” He lifts both hands and crooks two fingers on each as he says the word fire.
Reya pinches the bridge of her nose, eyes squeezing shut. “For fuck’s sake.”
“So youaretraining?” I push. “Let me tag along. You’re already doing it—I’ll watch.”
“I said no.” She doesn’t look at me as she huffs and addresses the young recruit. “I’ve got a killer hangover, so we’re walking. If I fly, I’m definitely going to throw up.” Then, without another word, she strides off, the boy hurrying after her.
A flash of green slips into the edge of my vision as Ahria drops from the tent and hovers at my side.
Screw this.
I need this training. I’m not letting this go. Setting off after them, I follow as they leave the camp and take a worn path around the lake.
Reya walks ahead, setting a pace just fast enough to be annoying. Every so often she glares at us—first at the recruit, then at me—her expression hardening each time.
But I pretend not to notice and keep going.
No one says a word. The only sound is the constant buzz of crickets in the midday heat and the occasional growl from my stomach. And the longer we walk, the longer the silence stretches, thick and awkward.
Ahria, on the other hand, couldn't seem to care less.
She loops through the air beside us, chasing after Reya’s purple dragon like it’s all a game. The two of them weave through the long grass, diving low, vanishing, then bursting back up again with a scatter of startled crickets. Squinting against the blazing sun, I wipe away the sweat gathering at my hairline as Ahria snatches one mid-flight, crushes it in her jaws triumphantly, before taking off after another.
Goddamn, it's hot. I should’ve brought my flask, or at least drank more water before we left.
The midday heat presses down relentlessly, baking my skin and the ground beneath my boots. I’ve no idea where we are going or how long it will take to get there and I almost consider returning to the camp when Reya finally veers off from the lake and starts heading inwards, following a smaller path toward the foothills of the Southern Peaks.
At first, I don’t notice anything unusual—only more rock and scrub gathered at the base of the mountain. But as we get closer, the details start to separate from the stone: narrow windows cut into the cliffs, doorways shadowed beneath overhangs, roofs tucked so close against the rock they almost disappear. Only when the outer wall comes into view do I realise it’s a full settlement built into the mountainside, hidden in plain sight.
The path widens as we approach, then ends at a gate where a short, round guard stands waiting.
“Got two new volunteers for us today?” he grunts, as Ahria and Reya’s purple dragon settle onto the gate above him, their claws clicking against the metal.
“No.” Reya declares as we stop in front of him. “Just the one.She’snot entering.”
“Yes, I am.” I step forward, moving past the young recruit. Above us, Ahria peers down, her violet eyes pinned on me.
The guard’s mouth twitches, his creepy gaze rakes over both of us before settling back on Reya. “Freckles here would make you more money… the odds would be good. Plenty would pay to watch her.”
Reya mutters something under her breath, but doesn't move.
“Come on,” I protest before she can shut it down again. “I can do this. Let me do this.”
