
seven hours in the sky.
“You both need to drink and probably eat something,” I tell them as I unbuckle
from the saddle. My thighs are sore and cramping, but it’s not quite as bad as it
was at Montserrat. The extra hours in the saddle this last month have helped.
Tairn pops a talon onto a latch, and Andarna plops to the ground, shaking
her head, body, then tail.
“And you need to sleep,” Tairn replies. “You’ve been up all night.”
“I’ll sleep when you do.” Navigating his spikes carefully, I slide down his
foreleg to the mossy edge of the shore.
“I can go for days without sleep. I’d rather you not fire off lightning bolts out of
sleep deprivation.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to retort that it takes effort to wield lightning,
but after I shattered Xaden’s window last night, I’m not sure I have any expertise
on the subject. Or maybe it’s just Xaden who makes me lose control. Either way,
I’m dangerous to be around. I’m surprised Carr hasn’t given up on me.
“It’s strange to be beyond the wards,” I say, changing the subject.
Tairn’s talons dig into the soil as Liam approaches, stretching his neck high
above his shoulders. From the general agitation of the riot, I wonder if it’s
something they all feel, this
wrongness in the air that has the hairs on the back of
my neck standing on end.
“We’re twenty minutes out from Athebyne, so hydrate! We have no idea
what kind of scenario is waiting for us,” Xaden calls out, his voice carrying over
the squad.
“You doing all right?” Liam asks, coming my way as Tairn and Andarna both
take the few steps they need to access the water.
“Stay with Tairn,” I tell Andarna. She’s a shiny target this far from the
protection of the Vale.
“I will.”
Gods, I should have left her at Basgiath. What the hell was I thinking,
bringing her out here? She’s just a kid, and this flight has been grueling.
“It was never your choice,” Tairn lectures. “Humans, even bonded ones, do not
decide where dragons fly. Even one as young as Andarna knows her own mind.”
His
words bring little comfort. When push comes to shove, I’m responsible for her
safety.
“Violet?” Concern furrows Liam’s brow.
“If I say I’m not sure, will you think less of me?” There are so many ways to
answer that question. Physically, I’m sore but fine, but mentally… Well, I’m a
mess of anxiety and anticipation for what the War Games will bring. We were