As if Tairn is hard to miss.
“Major Varrish.” I leave my hands at my thighs, where I can grab hold of my daggers easily, wondering what his signet might be. I’ve never seen a signet patch on him. Either he’s cocky like Xaden and thinks his reputation precedes him or he’s part of the classified-signet club.
“Quite the necklace you have there.” He points to the greenish bruises on my throat.
“Thank you. It was expensive.” I lift my chin. “Cost someone their life.”
“Ah, that’s right. I recall hearing you were nearly done in by a first-year. Good to see that the embarrassment didn’t finish the job he started. But I guess you’re probably used to barely squeaking by alive, seeing how frail you’re rumored to be.”
I officially loathe this man, but at least I know Tairn will eat him whole if he tries to attack me on the field.
He leans left, making a show of looking around me. “I thought you were bonded to two dragons?”
“I am.” Sweat slides down my spine.
“And yet, I only see one.” He looks up at Tairn. “Where’s your little gold one? The feathertail I’ve heard so much about? I was hoping to see her for myself.”
A growl rumbles up Tairn’s throat, and he angles his head over me. Saliva drips in giant globs, hitting the ground in front of Varrish.
The major tenses but maintains a perfect mask of amusement as he steps back. “Always has had a temper, this one.”
“He likes his space.”
“I’ve noticed he likes you to have yours, too,” he comments. “Tell me, Sorrengail, how do you feel about the way he gives you…oh, shall we say, an easier path to take than your fellow cadets?”
“If you mean to ask how I feel about how he stopped the needless execution of bonded riders by your dragon after Parapet, then I’d have to say that I feel pretty good about it. I guess it takes one bad-tempered dragon to keep another civil.”
“Remind him that I threatened to digest him alive.”
“I don’t think that would go well for me,” I reply.
“It would be fun to watch him eat the pompous one.” Andarna’s voice is groggy.
“Go back to sleep,” I lecture. She’s not due to wake for another month, Tairn said.
Varrish’s eyes narrow momentarily on mine, and then he smiles, but there’s nothing kind or happy about it. “About your little feathertail—”
“She can’t bear a rider.” Not lying, since she hasn’t flown since waking in Aretia. “I fly with Tairn, but she’ll go through maneuvers on the easier days.”
“Well, see to it that she flies with you next week, and you can consider that an order.”
Another growl sounds from Tairn.
“Dragons don’t take orders from humans.” Power rises within me, humming beneath my skin and making my fingers buzz.
“Of course not.” His grin widens like I’ve said something funny. “But you do, don’t you?”
“Impudent human,” Tairn seethes.
I lift my chin, knowing there’s nothing more I can say about this without disciplinary action.
“It’s ironic, don’t you think?” Varrish asks, retreating one step at a time. “From what Colonel Aetos told me, your father was writing a book on feathertails— dragons which hadn’t been seen in hundreds of years—and then you ended up bonded to one.”
“Coincidental,” I correct him. “The word you meant to say is ‘coincidental.’”
“Is it?” He seems to ponder, backing away and passing by Bodhi.
My stomach turns. “Is it?”
“I know nothing of your father’s research,” Tairn promises.
But Andarna has gone silent.
“Riders!” Kaori projects his voice across the field as Bodhi reaches my side. “Third-years have joined us today for a very special reason. They’ll be demonstrating a running landing.” He gestures to the sky.
Cath is on approach from the west, the Red Swordtail blocking out the sun for a second as he dives for the field.
“He’s not slowing down,” I murmur. Part of me hopes Dain falls off.
“He will,” Bodhi promises. “Just not by much.”
My jaw slackens. Dain rides crouched on Cath’s shoulder, his arms out for balance as Cath drops to fly level with the field. The beats of Cath’s wings slow only slightly the closer he gets, and I hold my breath when Dain slides down Cath’s leg to perch on his claw while his dragon is still flying.
Holy. Shit.
“This is unadvisable for you,” Tairn says.
“For anyone with a heartbeat,” I counter.
