15. CHAPTER 15
I made my way back to the courtyard. The party was still going on, although with way fewer people.
Since the first day fell on a Friday, we naturally got the following day off.
I slipped right into the Rider’s stairwell and climbed up to the seventh floor.
I slipped into my room—Thora sat on her bed, but Sadie’s bed was empty.
There was a large pack sitting on my bed.
I raised my eyebrows in confusion as I walked towards it.
“Platoon Leader Beverli came looking for you, but you weren’t here. So, she left it on the bed. She said it was from your dad.”
“Oh… Okay.”
I walked over to the bag to investigate it more. The bag was similar to a medical bag that my mom had. I rubbed my fingers down the side of the bag. Lili came looking for me, but I wasn’t in here, as I said I would be. Shit. I needed to talk to her.
“Hey, I’ll be back in a short bit.”
“I’m not your keeper,” she shrugged.
“Fair.”
I headed out the door and down to the second floor.
I walked down the hall. These rooms were a bit more spaced out than ours.
I found the eighth room and knocked on the door four times, precisely like we used to do when we were younger.
A minute passed, and the door opened. She looked a little disheveled—maybe she was sleeping.
“Hey, sorry I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I wasn’t sleeping… I um have company…”
“Oh… Oh… I can come back.”
“No, that’s silly. Come in.” She motioned towards the room.
“I have some things I needed to talk to you about… without…” I nodded inside the room.
“He will be leaving.”
I entered the room to see a five-foot eleven guy with dark hair, tossing clothes around. He nodded and left the room. I thought I recognized him, but I wasn't sure—too many new faces recently.
“I thought you were going to bed earlier?”
“Yeah… um about that.”
“You keeping someone else company?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Yeah,” I looked down.
“Ohhhh, girl… It’s Zane, huh?”
I looked up at her… “Guilty as charged.”
“Oh… Fuck. I was semi-joking… Alex is going to fucking lose it.” She sucked her teeth, looking at me in that disappointed look she always had when I was bringing questionable guys home.
“I didn’t know he was Alex’s best friend, first off. Secondly, I am not Alex’s possession.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered if he knew him or not. He's always acted jealous and irrational when it came to you.”
“Look, I don’t want to hash us out. You know we were toxic for each other, as a couple, so I don’t know why you are trying to push us.” I gave her a slight smile.
“Sorry. I have always struggled with loving you two but also hating it.”
“So… there’s more to Zane and me.” The words slipped out low, barely above a whisper, my throat tightening as I said them.
“As in, it’s more than a fling,” she said, raising one eyebrow at me.
“As in, we are mates.”
She blinked her eyes at me for what felt like forever. “Fucking, excuse me?”
“Yeah…”
“Like, metaphorically, right?”
“No, like destined to be together. Like when our eyes meet, electricity shoots through us. ”
“Oh… Wow. I don’t know exactly what to say to that,” she scratched her head.
“Did you know about mates? Or Anam Cara? That’s what he calls it.”
“I didn’t, until I came here. It’s briefly discussed in lectures. I didn’t take much stock in it. I guess I do now.”
“We aren’t telling people that we are mated, simply a couple.”
“I’ll always keep your secrets.” She stepped up to me and pulled me into a hug.
“My dad gave you a present for me?” I asked, giving her a look of confusion.
“Oh yeah… He was in the courtyard, looking for you, but he found me instead. I told him you went to bed. He asked if I could pass this to you and tell you it was from your mom.”
“My… Mom?” I raised my eyebrows.
“He didn’t look like he wanted to give details, therefore I didn’t ask.”
“That’s weird… don’t you think?”
“I was caught off guard as well.”
“She’s been gone for six years, and he gives me something from her now.”
“You know I am always here for you, and now that you’re here I am even closer. There are fucked up cadets here, but there are also some amazing ones. Don’t push away the good ones, we need each other.”
“Thank you. I am going to head back up to my room and check it out.” This time, I pulled her into a hug, holding her tight.
I returned to my room. Thora remained on her bed, absorbed in a book, while Sadie lay nearby in her own bed.
I approached my bed and stared at the bag for a moment, uncertain whether I wanted to open it.
My mom had been gone for years, and he had dropped off the bag, claiming it was from her, but he had not waited to hand it to me in person.
I unzipped the bag and looked inside. It was filled with medical supplies.
I slowly removed everything and laid it across the bed.
Most of it consisted of equipment to triage someone during a crisis: gauze, a sturdy belt, elastic wraps, soothing salves, various bandages, a fire starter, and medicinal medications in clearly labeled bottles .
At the bottom of the bag, I found an envelope with my name on it. Maybe it was a letter from my dad. I opened it, then dropped it on the floor, gasping. Sadie and Thora looked at me, puzzled. I silently picked the letter up again.
My Dearest Auriella,
If you are reading this, it means I am not there for your first day in the Rider’s branch, assuming you stayed in that course.
Either way, I packed this bag for you regardless of which path you chose.
I am sorry I am not there for you, my dearest baby.
I want you to know that I love you more than the moon, stars, and galaxies.
I hope that when you look at the stars, you remember our nights lying under them.
Your father and I spent years trying for you, and gods, I wanted you so badly—you are everything I dreamed of.
You are courageous, intelligent, and beautiful.
Please don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.
I need to share some essential things that I never had the chance to teach you.
When you were born, we took you to be blessed by a priestess, as is the custom for most families.
The priestess told me that when she touched you, she saw a vision that you had a fated mate, one who was a year older than you and born of nobility.
I don’t know who it is, of course, but over the years, I’ve learned as much as I could about mates to prepare you.
When you meet him, you will feel something inside you that you’ve never felt when looking at someone.
It’s believed that if you accept the bond and it is consummated, the two of you will have a direct line of communication—the more prolonged and more intense the bond, the more distance it allows.
Make sure it’s a bond you want before you consummate it.
That really seals the mating bond. It’s believed that if you and your mate are separated for a long time, your magical abilities will start to diminish until you’re reunited.
Your father is considered one of the most powerful Riders, which means you will also be a powerful Rider when you are allowed to channel and bond with a flier.
If you find him before you’re bonded and haven’t learned how to shield your mind, you will need to learn how to do so.
The emotions of your mate and a dragon can become overwhelming.
You have always felt deeper than most. Once you find him, don’t fight it or run away.
And no, it’s not Alexander. Hopefully, you find each other before it’s too late, like some others.
Some secrets aren’t mine to share, and I hope, my dear, they won’t crush you when you learn them.
Another thing, and this is the most important part.
Don’t trust anyone, not even your father.
Things are happening in the military that aren’t as they should be.
Magic is being twisted in unnatural ways.
Experiments are occurring that shouldn’t be.
Don’t dig too deep and get yourself into trouble.
Stay to yourself, but don’t join any elite squads doing special missions.
Please, my sweet girl, don’t be the hero.
I love you so very much. I am so sorry I can’t be there to tell you everything you need to know.
Love,
Your mama
Tears were streaming down my face as I moved to the side of my bed and sat down, holding the letter close to my chest. The tears started coming even faster. I didn’t know what to make of this letter. She knew about mates, and not only that, she knew I had a mate.
“Hey, does this work?” My head tingled a little, and I heard him.
“It does, Roarke,” I said . According to my mom, we could talk over distances.
“I am going to ignore that. I was sleeping, but this overwhelming sadness awoke me, and it’s not me. So, are you okay?” He sounded slightly worried.
“I got a package and a letter from my mom… she passed away when I was fourteen.”
“Oh, I am sorry, love. Do you want me to come snatch you up and make things better?”
“I do, but I am going to sleep. I am tired, and there was a lot to process in the letter. Are you busy in the morning?”
“I am hoping to be busy making you see stars…” Then I heard him laugh.
“Are you always this infatuated with sex?” If only he could see the smile it gave me when I said that.
“Ummm… sorry… I,” he stuttered.
“I left you speechless, exactly how I like you,” I teased back.
“You can leave me speechless anytime. And I am only infatuated with you, and you are the only one I have been infatuated with, for the record. ”
“I’ll be there in the morning.”
“Just come in. Sweet dreams, my love.”
I was still clutching my mom’s letter. Thora and Sadie were both reading their own books.
It was as if they knew I needed to cry alone, without interruption.
I folded my mom’s letter back up, placed it in the envelope, and then placed it back in the bottom of the bag.
I put all the med supplies back on top. I would hide it a little better later.
I climbed into bed and pulled the blankets over me. My mind was overwhelmed with a thousand thoughts. It had been a tiring day, and I was completely drained. My thoughts just wouldn’t settle down enough for me to drift off to sleep.
Two show-stopping dragons, one young and one older. One beautiful phoenix.
I had this dreamy, perfect mate.
She surely couldn’t mean I couldn’t trust my dad, right?
My mom wrote me a letter.
I could talk to my mate without speaking a word. I had a mate.
I thought I wanted that gorgeous silver dragon. Something about her drew me to her, spoke to me.
My best friend was my Platoon Leader. Alex would feel betrayed by both of us.
I was mated to a winged Fae, and according to my mom, there was no going back.
Gods, I missed her.
Fuck.
I needed to shut my thoughts down.
As I had learned, I took slow, deep breaths through my nose, concentrating on expanding my diaphragm with each inhale, then gently exhaling through my mouth. I repeated this, allowing my muscles to relax. Soon, my eyes felt extremely heavy, and I sensed sleep approaching.