Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
This bond only works if we trust each other.
Guess dragons think trust begins with pain.
“I was raised in a crucible,” I force out between my clenched teeth. “Pressure is my playground. I may not be a Sorrengail firstborn, but I’m the eldest daughter. There is no such thing as breaking.”
“Ah yes, a legendary Sorrengail.”
The pain quickly shifts into agony as his talon slices down my thigh. I grit my teeth to avoid crying out and somehow manage to stay on my feet even as my knees threaten to buckle.
“I’m curious. Your brother is your mother’s son, and your sister is your father’s daughter, so to whom do you belong?”
The words strike deeper than bone and hurt far more than the line he’s cut into my thigh. He hasn’t just found my one insecurity; he’s held it up to the light and poked it to watch me bleed. He’s right. Brennan is Mom’s. Violet is Dad’s. I am…no one’s. But they are all mine, and that’s enough.
“I belong to myself.” I breathe into every form of pain he’s inflicting on me. “And maybe to you, but only if you take your fingernail out of my leg. You don’t scare me.”
Teine’s eyes flare for the faintest of seconds, and he lifts the talon, dangling it in front of my face. My blood drips from the sharp point, and my thigh begins to throb.
Fine. That amount of blood is a bit…scary.
“True, I am no one’s favorite.” I look beyond the talon to his eyes to keep from focusing on the crimson substance that used to be in my veins. “But it’s only taught me to work harder at the things I can control.”
“And what will you do with all the power I could give to you?” he asks as he sets his claw on the ground and peers closer at me. “Will you mend the broken things like your brother? Raise the storms like your mother? Control fire like your grandmother? Wield the tides like your great-grandfather—”
“I’m more than familiar with my family’s legacy. I don’t need it recited.” If he insists on continuing, we’ll be here until nightfall, and the throbbing in my leg has escalated to a body-wide pounding that’s making it increasingly difficult to remain on my feet. “I have no way of knowing what signet I will manifest, but I will use it in every way possible to protect those I love. To protect the ones you love. No amount of pain inflicted on me will ever change that.”
Teine draws his head back slowly and blinks. “I will accept you as my first rider, but should you fall on our way to the flight field, I will not mourn before choosing a second.”
“Harsh. I can respect that.” My pulse gallops for an entirely different reason as fear is quickly overtaken by exhilaration. He’s choosing me. Or at least allowing this interview to pass into the flight phase, about which I have no worries. “I suppose if you’ll accept me as your first rider, then I’ll accept you as my first dragon.”
“Riders do not survive the deaths of their dragons.” Teine stands to his full height and digs his claws into the ground, mixing my blood into the dirt.
“No sense of humor. Got it.” I rise up on my toes to test the pain but don’t bother looking down at my leg. I can still bear weight on it, so I’ll handle whatever damage is there when we get to the flight field. Besides, if it were arterial, I’d be dead by now.
“As if I would be so careless as to mortally wound you?” Teine huffs in annoyance. “I am the epitome of control, and I expect the same of you.”
“Excellent. Good to know I’m walking into another relationship founded on unrealistic expectations.” I pull a deep breath into my lungs, then run for Teine, despite the pain encompassing the lower left half of my body. When it’s time to jump, I launch off my right foot and make it up a good portion of his leg before I need to grab hold of his scales and hoist myself the rest of the way.
Once I reach his seat, I position myself as Kaori taught us, keeping my hands on the pommel scales and using my thighs to hold tight in preparation for launch. Only then do I glance to the left, where I see a trail of blood on his green scales. He may have marked me, but I’ve done the same to him in my own way.
“Now let’s see if you can hold on long enough to report my full name to your roll-keeper,” he says as he crouches under me.
“You’ll never shake me.” A smile spreads across my face. “And I can promise you this, Teine. I may not be your last rider, but I’ll be your favorite.”