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Unless he’s hunting.

Today, he’s restless, shifting his weight from one clawed foot to the other, his clubbed tail sweeping arcs through the paddock’s crushed stone.

I run my hand along the smooth scales of his neck. “What’s got you so fidgety?”

He doesn’t use words—dragons rarely do—but his emotions brush my mind.

Anticipation, excitement, urgency.

Images flash between us as well. The open sky, clouds, the rushing wind. He wants to fly, and not just a casual patrol around the palace grounds.

In the corner of the paddock, Mygist regards us with hooded golden eyes. His midnight scales absorb the sunlight, granting him the appearance of a shadow given mass and form. The dark frill around his neck twitches when our eyes meet, but he makes no attempt to join us.

I gesture to Ryu. “You’re insistent on taking me somewhere.”

Bastian frowns, pushing off from the wall and striding toward us. His boots leave neat imprints in the sand. “Not alone, I hope. The Aclarian ambassador is still in the city, and we’ve received reports of suspicious movement along the Eastern border.”

I sigh, itching to climb the massive dragon’s extended foreleg. “I’m not going to hide in the palace forever, Bastian.”

From anyone else, being told I shouldn’t go somewhere alone would irk me. Though I’ve only known my brother for less than a year, I understand that his protective streak is born of love, not the need to control me.

“It’s not hiding. It’s using caution.” While he keeps his tone light, I recognize the worry beneath it. The scene in town is probably still haunting him. “Let me come with you. Mygist and I could use the exercise.”

As if hearing his name, Mygist releases a low rumble from across the paddock. The feeling that washes over me is clear.

I interpret the dragon’s emotions as, Absolutely fucking not.

Ryu echoes the sentiment, more firmly.

This offer is for me alone.

“The dragons disagree.” I scale Ryu’s foreleg, the maneuver lasting a matter of seconds. Much faster than the first few times I did this. “They want me to go solo.”

Bastian’s frown deepens into a scowl. “Very reassuring, Lark.”

Okay, maybe big brother is being just a teeny bit overprotective.

“I won’t be alone.” I climb onto Ryu’s back, settling into the familiar spot at the base of his neck. “I’m safer with the dragons than I am anywhere else. You know it’s true.”

“All right.” Recognizing the futility of arguing, he raises his hands in surrender and steps back. “Just be careful. Knox would have my head if anything happened to you.”

My chest flutters with warmth at the mention of the crown prince. “I should be back before dinner.” I then lean forward to whisper to Ryu. “Ready when you are.”

Needing no further encouragement, the dragon launches skyward with a powerful thrust of his legs, wings unfurling with a snap that echoes through the paddock. My stomach drops as we rise. The palace shrinks beneath us faster than it ever does under the might of my own wings.

The wind whips my loose hair into a frenzy, and I feel my wings stirring beneath my skin, aching to join the dragon’s flight. To soar alongside him. I resist the urge. Ryu wanted to carry me to our destination, so I’ll follow his lead.

We soar higher, the landscape of Tirene spreading below us like an expertly crafted tapestry. The palace with its sprawling wings and royal gardens, the city with its bustling streets, the forests and fields beyond.

My kingdom. My responsibility.

Ryu banks sharply northeast, in the direction of the mountains. I recognize our destination long before we reach it.

A sheer cliff face with a narrow ledge that’s barely wide enough for a dragon to land. Dame showed me this place months ago. The cave has a hot spring inside that’s perfect for incubating eggs, regardless of the season.

Worry and hope bubble up inside me. Ryu keeps his mind blank, but I still catch traces of his smugness about keeping this a secret from me.

He lands with surprising delicacy, folding his wings tight against his body.