As the land dies in darkness.”
“That sounds really grim,” I said, when Ryse finished.
“Yes, I know.” His face looked almost gray in the dim light of our room. “But I’m afraid it fits the situation we have here.”
“When the Golden Voice falls silent,” I whispered.
“Meaning, when all the Golden Queens are gone,” he said, nodding. “And the part about men forgetting—that’s exactly what’s happened. Oh, we still go out on Wide Sweeps to check for Madlings, but no one really believes they’re there.”
“We’d better start believing soon,” I said, feeling a spike of anxiety. “L’eesha told me that Chud’s dragon said he’d been bitten three days ago. If the Madlings really are coming, we don’t have much time to prepare.”
“We don’t have nearly enough dragons either,” Ryse said, looking worried. “Back during the Madling Wars, the Academy had four times as many Wings as we do now.”
“What can we do?” I asked, trying not to panic. “No one’s even ever seen a Madling in person. How do we know how to fight them?”
“The dragons know,” he said with certainty. “But I think we need to alert the Head Master and let him know what’s about to happen.”
My heart fisted in my chest with fear, and I felt cold all over.
“So you really think the Madlings are coming?” I whispered. “You think they’re following Chud’s trail—coming right for us?”
“I think it’s entirely possible,” Ryse said grimly. “It might be nothing, but after what happened to Larson, we can’t afford to take a chance.”
He shucked out of his sleep trousers and began putting his uniform back on.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m taking this to the Head Master—right now,” he told me. “If this warning is right, we don’t have any time to lose.”
“Wait for me—I’ll come with you,” I said quickly.
“All right.” Ryse nodded and started gathering his notes and books. “I’m not going to say anything about the Golden Queens bonding only with women,” he said, turning to me. “I think we should be able to keep that secret if we’re careful. I’m not bringing Elleena’s journal.”
I nodded as I pulled on my uniform. I certainly hoped he was right. But I knew that if keeping my own secret put the whole Academy—and the whole kingdom—at risk, then I couldn’t afford to hold on to it.
But for now, hopefully, the threat of the Madlings could be kept separate from the rest of the history we’d learned together.
We needed to prepare for the coming attack.
64
AURORA
But the Head Master refused to believe us.
Even after Ryse read him the translation and showed him the ancient book written in the Root Tongue, he brushed us off.
“Ridiculous,” he growled. “Absolutely ridiculous.”
We’d gone directly to his rooms since it was after hours, and it was clear he’d been getting ready for bed. He was wearing his bathrobe and he’d been either drinking or crying or both. At any rate, his eyes were red, and his words were slightly slurred.
“But, Sir,” Ryse said earnestly. “This book warns of what happens when the Academy forgets the Golden Queens and lets the number of dragons and riders dwindle!” He pointed at the warning at the back of the crumbling book again. “The Madlings may have been gone for over a hundred years, but we can see they’re clearly coming back. Look at what happened to Chud Larson.”
“I know what happened to him!” The Head Master nearly shouted, making both of us jump. “What happened was blood poisoning. Or maybe a spider bite, while he was out on Wide Patrol. Where I was forced to send him because of you two,” he added, giving us a venomous look. “He’s gone because the two of you couldn’t leave him alone!”
I felt myself wanting to shrink away to nothing. I supposed, in a way, the Head Master was right. Chud Larson had been sent on Wide Patrol after he’d tried to rape me during the Mating Flight. Ryse had gone and made a personal complaint against him. Add that to the fact that he’d been Wingless and there was no place else for him in the Academy structure than Wide Patrol.
But Ryse lifted his chin, unwilling to give in.
