“What the hell,” I whisper. The door is built into a stack of boulders on the eastern side of the field.
“It’s camouflaged.” Xaden waves a hand and the door closes, blending into the rock as if it’s a part of it.
There’s a sound I now recognize as the steady beat of wings, and I look up to see the three dragons block out the stars as they descend. The earth shudders as they land in front of us.
“I’m guessing the wingleader wants a word?” Tairn steps forward and Sgaeyl follows, her wings tucked in tight, her golden eyes narrowing on me.
Andarna scurries between Sgaeyl’s claws, galloping toward us. She skids the last dozen feet, paws digging into the ground to stop just in front of me, bringing her nose to my ribs as an urgent sense of anxiety fills my head, swamping me with feelings I know aren’t mine.
“No broken bones,” I promise, stroking my hand over the bumpy ridges of her head. “They’re just bruised.”
“You’re sure?” she asks, worry widening her eyes.
“As sure as I can be.” I force a smile. Trudging out here in the middle of the night is worth it to alleviate her anxiety.
“Yes, I want a word. What the hell kind of powers are you channeling to her?” Xaden demands, staring up at Tairn like he isn’t…Tairn.
Yep. Ballsy. Every muscle in my body locks, sure that Tairn is about to torch Xaden for impudence.
“None of your business what I choose or do not choose to channel toward my rider,” Tairn answers with a growl.
This is going well.
“He says—” I start.
“I heard him,” Xaden counters, not sparing me a glance.
“You what?” My eyebrows hit my hairline, and Andarna retreats to stand with the others. Dragons only talk to their riders. That’s what I’ve always been taught.
“It’s absolutely my business when you expect me to protect her,” Xaden retorts, his voice rising.
“I got the message to you just fine, human.” Tairn’s head swivels in that snakelike motion that puts me on alert. He’s more than agitated.
“And I barely made it.” The words come out clipped through clenched teeth. “She would have been dead if I’d been thirty seconds later.”
“Seems like you had thirty seconds gifted to you.” Tairn’s chest rumbles with a growl.
“And I’d like to know what the fuck happened in there!”
I inhale sharply.
“Don’t hurt him,” I beg Tairn. “He saved me.” I’ve never seen someone so much as dare to speak to another rider’s dragon, yet alone yell at one, especially not one as powerful as Tairn.
He grumbles in response.
“We need to know what happened in that room.” Xaden’s dark gaze cuts through me like a knife for a millisecond before he glares back at Tairn.
“Do not dare to try and read me, human, or you’ll regret it.” Tairn’s mouth opens, his tongue curling in a motion I know all too well.
I move between the two and tilt my chin at Tairn. “He’s just a little freaked out. Don’t scorch him.”
“At least we agree on something.” A feminine voice sounds through my head.
Sgaeyl.
In awe, I blink up at the navy-blue daggertail as Xaden moves to my side. “She talked to me.”
“I know. I heard.” He folds his arms across his chest. “It’s because they’re mates. It’s the same reason I’m chained to you.”
“You make it sound so pleasant.”
“It’s not.” He turns to face me. “But you and I are exactly that, Violence. We’re chained. Tethered. You die, I die, so I damn well deserve to know how the hell you were under Seifert’s knife one second and across the room in another. Is that the signet power you’ve manifested with Tairn? Come clean. Now.” His eyes bore into me.
“I don’t know what happened,” I answer honestly.
“Nature likes all things in balance,” Andarna says like she’s reciting facts, just like I do when I’m nervous. “That’s the first thing we’re taught.”
I pivot to face the golden dragon, repeating what she said to Xaden.
“What is that supposed to mean?” he asks me, not her.
Guess that means he can hear Tairn, but not Andarna.
“Well, not the first thing.” Andarna sits, flicking her feathertail along the frost-laden grass. “The first thing is we shouldn’t bond until we’re full-grown.” She cocks her head to the side. “Or maybe the first is where the sheep are? I like goats better, though.”
“This is why feathertails don’t bond.” Tairn sighs with a hefty dose of exasperation.
“Let her explain,” Sgaeyl urges, clicking her talons like nails on the ground.
