MOREK
"Eat first. Celebrate second. You cannot toast the future on an empty stomach."
—Morek's father, on every occasion
Iwas the first of our group to arrive at the celebration, which surprised no one who knew me. The others were probably still fussing over their hair and their uniforms and having deep, meaningful conversations about their feelings. I'd gotten dressed in four minutes, spent another two trying to flatten a cowlick that refused to cooperate, gave up, and headed straight for the food.
My father would have approved. The man believed that every problem in life could be solved, or at least improved, with a proper meal. Bad news? Eat first, then deal with it. Good news? Eat first, then celebrate. Funeral? Eat first, then grieve. He'd fed half the village after the last Shedun scare, standing behind the counter of our shop and handing out sausages to anyone whowalked through the door, because in his view, a fed community was a strong community.
I missed him. I missed my mother, the way she charmed customers into buying more than they had come in for.
They'd be so proud of me tonight. I'd written them a letter, but it would be a long time before they got it. I told them about Korthax and how magnificent my dragon was.
I could feel him in the back of my mind even now, a steady thrum of restless energy that matched mine. He was in the aviary, probably annoying other dragons the same way I annoyed my friends by getting overexcited and talking their heads off.
We were going to get along great.
The dining hall looked incredible. White tablecloths, crystal glasses, garlands of mountain flowers on the stone walls. I'd never seen it dressed up like this, and the contrast with the utilitarian space where we'd choked down countless bowls of porridge in the morning was disorienting.
In a good way.
I wouldn't mind if the dining hall looked like this every day. But I knew it wouldn't. Tomorrow, it would go back to being boring.
I loaded a plate with everything within reach. First with the roasted mountain fowl, then some herb-crusted potatoes, and then a tiny portion of grilled vegetables just because everyone kept telling me that I had to eat more of them. I knew I probably wouldn't eat them, so I topped them with three promising kinds of pastry. I saw a spot at one of the long tables where I could see both the entrance and the food stations, which was strategic planning at its finest, and headed that way.
Other cadets filtered in, all of them looking polished and uncomfortable in their starched dress uniforms. Conversations buzzed with the same energy I felt, that post-bonding glow thatmade everything seem brighter and more important. People who'd barely spoken to each other during training were now swapping stories about their dragons, comparing notes on first flights, and laughing too loudly at jokes that weren't that funny.
Bonding seemed to crack people open and unite them in a way that all the grueling training that had come before hadn't.
I spotted Commander Ravel near the far wall, holding a glass of wine and looking bored. But that was just for show. I saw the way his eyes scanned the room, drifted to the entrance, lingered there for a moment, pulled away, and drifted back again.
He was waiting for someone, and I had a pretty good idea who that someone was.
I decided to change directions and walked over to him with my overloaded plate. "Great evening, isn't it, Commander?"
"It is. Congratulations on your bond, Morek." He sounded distracted, his eyes flicking to the doorway again before settling on me.
"Thank you, sir. Korthax is incredible. During our first flight, we did this dive where he tucked in his wings completely, and we dropped straight down, and I swear we broke some kind of speed record. He says there's no official record for a vertical dive, but he's pretty sure we'd hold it if there was. And then we pulled up so hard that?—"
"Impressive," Ravel cut me off, but I knew that he hadn't intended to be rude.
He was distracted and probably hadn't been listening to what I'd been saying. I wasn't offended. I was used to people's eyes glazing over when I got overexcited and talkative. My mouth moved faster than most people's attention spans.
Then again, I did everything faster than everyone else. I just lived in an accelerated state. Well, aside from learning from books. In that, I was slower than most, but I wasn't complaining.It was a small price to pay for all the other gifts Elu had bestowed upon me.
Ravel's gaze returned to the entrance, and I recognized the expectant expression on his face because it reflected how I used to feel whenever Erona walked into a room. Thankfully, I'd gotten past Erona, but Ravel still seemed to be gripped in the clutches of unrequited desire despite how ruthlessly he tried to suppress it.
"Anyway," I said, putting down the pastry I'd eaten half of. "The food is great. You should try some."
"I will," Ravel agreed without sparing the feast even a cursory glance.
"I'm going to find a table and save places for my friends," I told him. "See you later, Commander."
He nodded and returned to his vigil.
I walked over to the spot I'd had my eyes on with an uncomfortable feeling in my gut. Commander Ravel had a thing for Kailin, and even though he had never made an improper move, it was disturbing on so many levels. First, Kailin was with Alar. Second, cadets and commanders were forbidden from forming intimate relationships. And third, he was much too old for her.
I didn't know if others had picked up on the subtle intensification of the vibrations whenever these two were together, or if it was just me.
