9. CHAPTER 9 #2
The next morning came sooner than I expected.
Zane slept soundly in the chair beside me, his messy, tousled hair framing his handsome face.
I felt a strong pull toward him. I didn’t believe our destiny influenced it, or at least I didn’t think so.
I wasn’t sure what to think—being destined to be together didn’t mean we had to be.
I was only twenty years old, with four years of college and training still ahead of me.
As a Rider, I knew I had to commit to the military as long as my dragon lived, assuming I bonded with a dragon.
Zane’s eyes opened, and he jolted slightly. “Good morning.”
“Morning, don’t you have cadet stuff to do?”
“Nope, I’m on summer leave. I’m rotating through the watch towers in exchange for staying here instead of leaving. Otherwise, I’m free to do as I please. Would you like me to go?”
“No, I didn’t say that. Sorry, I’m just confused.”
“Anything I can clarify?”
“I don’t know. What branch are you in?”
“I’m a Drusearon Warrior. I don’t like to call it a branch.”
My eyes probably showed everything I thought—the fear that overwhelmed me.
“Does that change things?”
“I um…um. I have some biases I haven’t fully sorted out. You’ve been amazing to me, so I’m just trying to separate the two. ”
“I see. I’m sorry for whatever happened to you. I promise I’ll never hurt you.”
“So, you have wings? But I haven’t seen them?”
“Yes, I use magic to hide them.”
“Why?”
“My village is near the border, and we’re often treated differently and shamed for our wings—so I hide them. I hide them so I don’t get the look you gave me when I told you.”
“I was never afraid before, but something happened—can I see them?”
He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then, peeking over his shoulders behind him, were his black wings all tucked in close to his body.
“Open them?”
He shook his head. "Not in here, but if you were willing to walk to the infirmary Watchtower?"
My eyebrow arched up. “Bribery for me to exercise?”
“Yes.”
"You didn’t have to bribe me. I wanted to walk anyway. I need to get out of here sooner rather than later."
“This wouldn’t be an issue if there were a mender here,” he grumbled.
“I didn’t realize we didn’t have menders on staff. I actually didn’t think of them.”
“Well, we do, during the school year, but almost all of them went home, and the others went to the battlefields where they were needed. If you had been mended, you would be fully healed, just a little sore.”
I pushed my feet to the side of the bed. My legs buckled, trembling under me, the floor tilting for a breath before I steadied. Zane rose fast, ready to catch me. His presence hovered, tense, until I held my balance. He eased back a step, though his eyes stayed fixed on me.
Pain tugged at my calf with each shift of weight, not the sharp blaze of yesterday but a stubborn throb that dragged with every movement.
I rolled my shoulders, stretched my arms—fire lanced down one, raw and biting.
My breath hissed between my teeth. The ache clung deep in the muscle, refusing to let go, reminding me how far I still was from being whole .
I thought he was trying to fucking kill me. Climbing the watch tower from the seventh floor of the infirmary involved way too many steps. When we finally arrived, I leaned against the wall, needing a moment to catch my breath.
“Are you ready for this?” He vaulted up the rugged ledge and unfurled his wings—enormous, solid black, dragon-like in their stretch. The sight punched the air from my lungs.
He winked, then let himself fall backward. My chest seized, panic clawing up my throat—until he surged skyward, soaring with impossible strength. He rolled high in the air, wings cutting the wind, before sweeping down to land on the ledge in a single, fluid motion.
My pulse thundered, rattling in my ears.
My skin buzzed like it carried static. He had revealed something wild, something untouchable, and the shock of it left me reeling.
Then the wings vanished, gone in an instant, leaving me trembling, the image seared into my vision, etched so deep it felt carved into me.
“Do you like flying?”
“Yeah. It gives me peace and joy. I feel free.”
“How are we going to navigate this?”
“Navigate what exactly?”
“The whole mate thing…”
"Before our eyes met in the courtyard, I had seen you upon your arrival and on a few other occasions. I immediately realized you were the most beautiful female I had ever seen. I was on overwatch when dragons flew overhead to scare the cadets, and you stood there so brave. I knew I wanted to get to know you. Later, standing in that courtyard and watching you, when you looked at me, I felt something I’ve never experienced or could even put into words.
It was as if half of me was on the field, observing myself.
I don’t want to impose anything on you or rush this—this is all new for me too. "
I nodded, “I am going to miss so much in weapons yielding.”
"Deflection. Nice. The first week is about learning more about daggers, swords, and when to use each. For what it’s worth, walking here means you should be able to return to courses tomorrow with some physical restrictions. You would need to get the senior Healer to agree, of course."
“I would like that.” I pushed off the wall, stood up, and made my way down the stairs. Going down felt a little harder than going up, but I did it without any help other than using the wall.