“I know so,” I said firmly, though I knew nothing of the kind. I shook my head. “I just wonder what set the dragons off? I mean, what made last night’s Mating Flight so, er, intense?”
“Hell if I know.” He sighed and sank down on the side of the bed. “But I have an idea there’s a lot of cadets who aren’t going to be able to look each other in the eyes today.”
I thought of Jorn-o and Greer and had to agree with him. I hadn’t known my best friend at the Academy had those sorts of proclivities. Not that I liked him any less because of it, but still…last night had laid a lot of things bare that most people probably would have prefered to keep covered.
“You know, several people warned me about the Mating Flights, but nobody would explain what they were or what happened during them,” I said to Ryse.
He grimaced.
“Yeah, the Academy leadership doesn’t like to talk about it, but it’s one reason they only accept cadets who are over the age of consent. It’s just kind of one of those things about living with dragons—they make you crazy every once in a while. Of course, the married professors can all go to their wives but the cadets…only have each other.”
“Or a sleeping draught,” I said.
He nodded.
“Yeah, or that. But I don’t even know if taking one would have helped last night. I’ve never felt anything like that!”
“Do you think many people took something and it didn’t help?” I asked.
“Possibly.” He shrugged. “Of course, if your dragon is rising to the flight, there’s nothing you can take that will dull the need. I’ve just been lucky so far that M’alex doesn’t care to rise.”
“I wonder who he’s waiting for—who his mate is?” I asked.
Ryse shook his head.
“Whoever she is, she isn’t hatched yet. But when she finally comes along…” He made a low whistling sound. “Watch out.”
“Don’t dragons take some time to mature?” I asked.
“Not as much as you’d think. They grow at an astonishing rate.” He sighed and let himself fall back against the pillows. “God and Goddess, I’m so fucking tired.”
“Me too.” I sighed and sat on the bed beside his long legs. “Scoot over, would you?”
Ryse moved over without comment, and I curled on my side beside him. I was careful not to touch him, but I could feel the warmth of his big, muscular body radiating against my back.
“Will they expect us to go to classes today?” I asked and yawned.
“No, not after that.” Ryse sighed. “We should get at least half a day off. They’ll probably expect us for lunch.”
“Good. Then I’m going to sleep until then.”
And I closed my eyes and let myself drift off, grateful that I had survived the Mating Flight.
I dreamed of flying on a dragon with pure golden wings and didn’t wake up until the Great Bell rang for lunch.
43
AURORA
Lunch was a silent affair. Ryse had been right—nobody could look anyone else in the eye.
There were a few exceptions. I saw Jorn-o and Greer casting longing looks at each other across the Mess Hall and was glad that my friend seemed to have made some kind of real connection. But most of the cadets around me kept their eyes down on their trays and almost everyone ate in silence.
About halfway through the meal, the Healer, Professor Zephyr, came to the middle of the room and asked for silence to make an announcement. Since almost no one had been talking anyway, her calm, clear voice was easy to hear.
“I have been searching through my records and last night’s Mating Flight was the most violent and intense that has been felt in this Academy for over a century,” she said. “I want you to know that the way you reacted was not your fault—we all know that dragons have strong emotions. Last night those emotions overcame many of you—there is no shame in that.”
I saw many of the cadets looking around surreptitiously, as though they were wondering if they could really believe her.
