Chapter 16
Harlow
The SUV bounces hard as we hit yet another pothole. I grip the door handle to keep from being thrown into Jordyn’s lap. The dirt road to the bonding site is rough and winding, cutting through dense jungle that seems to close in around us with each passing mile.
“Sorry about that,” Smoke calls from the driver’s seat, not sounding sorry at all. “Road gets a bit rough out here.”
A bit rough is an understatement. I feel like my teeth are going to rattle out of my head.
The atmosphere in the vehicle is thick with nerves. Five of us are crammed into the back seats – me, Jordyn, Dani, Carla, and Georgia – and the silence is deafening. Well, mostly silent. Georgia hasn’t stopped sniffling since we left the Academy twenty minutes ago.
“You know,” Dani says suddenly, her voice cutting through the quiet, “up until recently, I really hoped I’d mind-bond with a dragon. I wanted to stay.”
I look over at her, studying her profile. There’s something wistful in her expression, something that tells me exactly which dragon she’d been hoping to bond with. My heart aches for her.
“I take it you still haven’t heard anything from him?” Jordyn asks gently.
Dani shakes her head, her jaw tightening.
“Nope. Nothing at all. He’s reading my messages, but he hasn’t responded to a single one.” She lets out a bitter laugh. “Now all I want is to go home. Get as far away from this place as possible.”
The pain in her voice is unmistakable. I reach over and squeeze her hand, wishing I could say something comforting, but what is there to say?
Ash broke her heart when he chose his job over their relationship, and now she has to face potentially bonding with a dragon she doesn’t want or dying in the attempt.
The SUV hits another bump, and I catch sight of Carla and Georgia in my peripheral vision.
They’re both pale, staring straight ahead with wide, terrified eyes.
Neither of them touched their breakfast this morning.
Carla managed a few sips of a smoothie before pushing it away, her hands shaking too badly to hold the glass steady.
“You okay?” I ask Carla quietly.
She shakes her head. “I’m terrified,” she whispers. “I don’t want to think about it. I can’t think about it.”
That’s when Georgia starts crying again. Not the quiet sniffling she’s been doing for the past twenty minutes, but full-on sobbing that makes her entire body shake.
Crap. This is bad.
“Hey,” I say, leaning forward to touch Georgia’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get through this.”
But my words seem to have the opposite effect. Georgia’s sobs get louder, more desperate.
“We’ve arrived,” Smoke announces, pulling the SUV to a stop next to a line of identical black vehicles. “Time to go, ladies.”
We all climb out except for Georgia, who remains huddled in her seat, shaking her head, tears running down her cheeks.
“Come on, Tribute,” Smoke says, his gruff voice gentler than usual as he approaches Georgia’s door. “You’re going to be fine. You can do this.”
“I can’t,” Georgia sobs. “I can’t do it. I want to go home. I don’t want to bond a dragon. I definitely don’t want to die today.”
“Look at me,” Smoke says firmly, crouching down so he’s at eye level with her. “You’re stronger than you think. You’ve made it this far, haven’t you?”
The rest of us gather around the SUV, adding our own words of encouragement.
“We’ll stick together,” I tell Georgia, meaning it. “You won’t be alone out there. I promise. It’ll be you and me.”
Something in my voice seems to reach her because her sobbing gradually subsides. After a few more moments, she takes a shaky breath and nods.
“Okay,” she whispers. “Okay.”
Smoke helps her out of the SUV, and we make our way toward where the other Tributes are already gathered. Sweat starts beading on my forehead despite the early hour.
Drake is standing with the other trainers, looking every inch the intimidating Academy leader in his black leather gear. Next to him is Amelia, also dressed in tight black leather with her hair pulled back in a severe ponytail. They both ignore me, which is exactly what I expected.
Behind the gathered group is the largest open space I’ve seen since arriving on the island.
The field stretches out endlessly, bordered on three sides by dense jungle and opening to the ocean in the distance.
Even from here, I can see a group of people standing together in the middle of the field, who are shifters in human form. They’re waiting for us.
The sight makes my stomach clench.
Most of the Tributes are talking at once, their voices creating a nervous buzz that fills the humid air. Some look excited, others terrified. A few, like Becca, appear confident to the point of arrogance.
Drake raises his hands, and the group immediately falls silent.
“The time has come to attempt to mind-bond with the dragons,” he says, his deep voice carrying easily across the group.
I’m going to be sick.
“You need to stay here until all the dragons have shifted,” Drake continues. “There will be dragons like me, who already have riders. They will remain on the periphery to help keep the unbonded dragons under control. I am merely here to observe, as is tradition.”
He pauses, his gaze sweeping across our faces.
“I need you all to remember that these dragons are almost completely feral. When we shift, we lose most of our humanity. We become animals, driven by instinct.”
Several Tributes cry out in horror, even though we’ve all heard this before. Hearing it again, minutes before we’re supposed to face these creatures, makes it feel infinitely more real and terrifying.
Becca and her usual group of followers look thrilled, practically bouncing with excitement. Others, like Georgia, have gone even paler than before.
“Once the dragons have shifted,” Drake continues, “you’ll need to walk up to the unbonded dragons and pass in front of them. You need to get close enough for a bond attempt to work.”
“How do we actually attempt to mind-bond?” Becca calls out. “Do we project our thoughts? What exactly should we be doing? I really want to bond with a dragon.”
“You don’t need to do anything,” Drake replies. “You can’t force it. Either you’ll mind-bond with a dragon, or you won’t. If it happens, you’ll know.”
Drake’s expression darkens. His eyes narrow on us.
“Leave a good ten to fifteen feet between yourself and the person in front of you, and no closer than twenty feet to the dragons themselves. Do not run. Do not give them your back. If you do, you run the risk of triggering their hunt mode, and you will die. Try not to show fear. Do not provoke them.” His eyes scan the group.
“Every year, there’s at least one person who does something stupid.
Don’t be that person.” He shakes his head.
A Tribute near the back raises his hand; his eyes are wide. “But we can do everything right and still die, can’t we?”
Drake nods. “I’m afraid that’s true. But don’t think like that. Focus on following the rules.”
By now, several Tributes are crying openly. Georgia is among them, tears streaming down her cheeks as she wraps her arms around herself. Carla looks like she might be sick.
“Do not fight a mind-bond,” Drake warns.
“If a dragon picks you and enters your mind, you have to let it happen. Fighting it will only cause you pain.” He pauses.
“And even if you do bond with a dragon, that doesn’t mean you can enter their personal space.
It can take weeks, sometimes months, to form a solid connection. Until then, you’re still in danger.”
The irony isn’t lost on me. I never felt threatened by Drake, not even for a second, when he was in his dragon form. Maybe I should have.
“I have every faith in each and every one of you,” Drake says, his voice growing more encouraging. “You can do this. The whole process will only take ten to fifteen minutes. I know that seems like a long time to hold your nerve, but you’re all strong enough.”
He looks directly at our group, his eyes meeting mine for just a moment. He gives an almost imperceptible nod.
I nod back, just as subtly.
“Be brave, be strong, and be true,” Drake finishes. “You may walk to the edge of the field and observe the shift. Once the dragons stand before you, you may proceed with your attempt. Good luck to each and every one of you.” He looks at each of us in turn and then walks away.
Several of the trainers start jogging toward the crowd of shifters in the center of the field as we head toward the edge to wait for them to shift.
“What was that?” Jordyn whispers, giving me a shoulder bump.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“That look between you and our Academy leader.” She lifts her brows.
I force myself to shrug. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What look?”
“I saw it. What’s going on?”
“Nothing, I swear. Listen, Jords, we’d better concentrate on the task at hand. You’re seeing things that aren’t there.”
She gives a tight nod. “If you say so.” She doesn’t look convinced, but thankfully, drops it.
The trainers turn and walk toward the open field to join the waiting group of shifters. We watch as they spread out into a long line, positioning themselves with plenty of space between each person.
The Tributes around us have gone unusually quiet.
Then the shifters begin to undress. Even from this distance, I can make out men and women removing their clothing and placing it in neat piles at their feet.
A screech overhead makes several of us jump. Dragons with riders on their backs fly in formation above us, circling before taking positions around the perimeter of the field. I scan them, looking for Drake, but I can’t make him out from here.
One of the Tributes drops to his knees and begins praying, his lips moving silently as he clutches something around his neck.
Georgia has stopped crying, straightening her shoulders with a look of determination on her face.
The shifters in the distance begin their transformation.
I watch, mesmerized, as bones crack and reshape, as wings unfurl and scales ripple across expanding forms. Within moments, sixteen humongous dragons stand before us in a neat line.
They’re magnificent and terrifying – various shades of green, blue, white, black, and gray.
Even though this isn’t the first time I’m seeing one, my jaw drops open.
Whimpers and cries rise from some of the Tributes behind me. Others yell and whoop in excitement, adrenaline overriding their fear.
The dragons paw at the ground and breathe fire into the air. One or two attempt to take flight, but the mounted dragons swoop down to contain them, forcing them back into line.
“This is it,” someone whispers from nearby.
“Let’s go!” Becca yells, heading off in the direction of the beasts.
We advance as a group. A couple of Tributes drop back, but most of us move forward. We don’t have a choice – we need to get this over with.
As we get closer, the dragons become more agitated. Their long, barbed tails swish from side to side as they rake the earth with massive claws. Smoke plumes from their nostrils as they roar and screech, growing more restless with our approach.
Carla is sobbing, but she keeps her head held high and doesn’t back down. I’m proud of her.
Becca and two of her followers stride ahead, looking like they’re heading to a party rather than potentially to their deaths.
I turn my head and suck in a breath when I see Drake in his dragon form. He’s airborne, hovering at a safe distance, with Amelia visible on his back in her black leather gear. Even from here, I can see the copper tinge to his dark scales.
He’s beautiful. The most magnificent beast here. For a moment, I feel a pang that I can’t see our mind-bond through. The thought of having to deal with Amelia quickly squashes that thought.
No, I need to return home. I need to go back to Miles, where I belong. I might be able to get my old job back.
I replay the plan once more: Walk the length of the dragons and back. Keep cool. Don’t do anything stupid. Go home. Easy.
Becca and her two friends reach the dragons first, beginning their slow walk while maintaining the proper distance.
Suddenly, Becca shrieks in excitement, her hands flying to her temples. She falls to her knees facing a massive white dragon, her eyes wide and her breathing rapid.
“Did she bond with one already?” Jordyn whispers.
“I think so,” I murmur back.
Georgia is just ahead of me. She’s trembling as we reach the required distance from the dragon line. There’s a long row of them, and a few other Tributes are already ahead of us. Dani and Carla follow behind.
Jordyn and I start our walk down the gauntlet.
I move ahead slightly to stay close to Georgia as promised, making sure to leave adequate space between us Tributes.
I know why that spacing is important, though I try not to think about it – if a dragon decides to kill one of us, anyone too close could get caught in the crossfire.
A shiver runs down the length of my body.
We approach Becca, who’s still on her knees with a dazed look on her face. I’m certain she’s bonded with the white dragon. I don’t particularly care either way – by the end of today, I will be going home. I don’t care what Becca does or doesn’t do.
I force myself to keep walking, putting one foot in front of the other. As I move past each dragon, my skin prickles with awareness. I’m half expecting to be incinerated at any moment. The dragons are still agitated, their reptilian eyes tracking our movements.
Out of nowhere, one of the dragons rears up on its hind legs. As it lands, it sends a massive plume of fire directly at one of Becca’s friends.
Brianna.
The fire hits her dead-on, and she’s gone in an instant. There’s a bright flame, a puff of smoke, and then nothing. Not even ash remains. There’s just a black spot where she used to be.
Brianna didn’t run. She didn’t do anything wrong. All of us have stopped walking. I make a whimpering noise.
Georgia starts screaming. So does Ellie, but Ellie stops almost as soon as she starts. Whereas Georgia’s shrieks get louder.
I can’t blame her, but she’s going to get herself killed if she doesn’t stop.
“No,” I say in a raised voice, trying to stay as calm as possible despite my racing heart. “Georgia…please…don’t—”
But before I can finish my warning, Georgia turns and runs. She runs with her back to the dragons, still screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Stop!” I yell after her, watching in horror as several reptilian eyes track her movement. If I don’t get her to stop and turn around in the next few seconds, she’ll be dead. It’s a given.
I have to do something.