“Oh? What do they talk about?” I asked, curious to know what our dragons were saying to each other behind our backs.
“Strangely enough, M’alex says her favorite topic is flight formations,” Ryse told me. “She’s been begging to come see one of our Battle Signaling classes in person and I think she ought to be allowed soon—she’s almost big enough for you to fly with her now.”
I loved the idea of flying my Golden Queen in the class, but I knew I would miss flying with Ryse. I loved the way he held me close as M’alex soared through the air.
“They’re going to be fitting her with a saddle soon,” I told him. “Only she’s growing so fast I’m afraid they’ll have to remake it every few days.”
“They can adjust it if they have to, but I don’t want you flying before I check it,” he said sternly. “I need to be sure you’re going to be secure on her back.”
“You don’t always have to be so protective of me, you know,” I said, though I secretly loved it. “I mean, what will the other cadets say if you’re always checking what they think is another male cadet’s saddle before he flies?”
“They’ll say what they’re already saying—that we’re a couple.” He shrugged. “Which is true, even if it’s not like they think it is.”
I was surprised by this.
“You really think everyone in your Wing thinks we’re together?”
He rolled his eyes.
“Please—they’ve been saying so ever since I moved you into my room.”
“But…so you don’t mind other cadets thinking you’re…you know…”
“A lover of other men? No, I don’t care.” He stroked my cheek. “I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks as long as you’re mine, Auri.”
I felt myself blushing with pleasure and I wished that he would kiss me…but he didn’t. I couldn’t understand why. My monthly courses were over and yet all he would do was hold me at night when we slept and kiss me on the cheek or the forehead. Why wouldn’t he give me what I was certain we both wanted?
I went to bed that night, wondering why…
And woke up in the most agonizing pain of my life.
56
AURORA
“HELP! HELP! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!” L’eesha blared in my head like an alarm klaxon and at the same time, my body was wracked with pain.
“Oh…Oh God and Goddess!” I cried out. It felt like when you get a terrible cramp or a knot in your calf or thigh, but it was all over my body all at once.
“What? What is it?” Ryse was awake at once. He stared down at me in fear and concern. “What’s wrong, little one?”
“Hurts…so…bad,” I managed to get out. “But I think…pain is…coming from…L’eesha!”
His face lost some of the fear, though none of the concern.
“She’s having growing pains,” he told me. “Come on—we’ll go to her.”
“Don’t know…if I can move…” I panted. The pain was coming in waves and though I was trying to send reassurance to my dragon, it was hard when I was so wracked with agony. Even the cramps from my monthly courses weren’t this bad!
“I’ll help you,” Ryse said. “Here—just be sure you have your pendant on…”
He got into a robe and helped me into one as well and then put slippers on my feet since I couldn’t bend over. There was no time to get dressed, he explained—we needed to get to her quickly.
Climbing the stairs from Level Two to Level Five was too much for me, though, so Ryse put me on his back and carried me up, taking the stairs two at a time with his long legs.
“I’m coming! I’m coming, sweetheart!” I sent to L’eesha, even as my body ached with her pain.
“It hurts, my Auri!” She moaned in my head. “Why does it hurt so bad?”
