Chapter 4
Tess
The wind beneath Thalon's wings sliced through me. I pressed my palms against his warm scales, anchoring myself to the steady rhythm of his flight as we soared. My chest ached with everything building inside it.
Draven rode his obsidian dragon like they'd been born as one creature, Amrion's midnight scales catching the light like polished stone. Even from this distance, I could see how they moved. No hesitation. No doubt.
Raze whooped with pure joy as his storm-silver dragon spiraled through the clouds, their laughter echoing across the sky. And Mason... God, Mason. He flew with that quiet strength that tightened my throat, his gray-blue dragon's wings cutting the air with measured precision.
Each of them bonded. The thought hit me fresh every few seconds. Each of them chosen.
My friends were Dragon Riders. Actually, impossibly real.
But even as joy flooded through me, cold tugged at the edges. In the distance, barely visible against the horizon, another dragon flew alone. Kane's pristine white dragon moved with impossible grace, heading away from us.
Not with us.
The betrayal sat heavy in my chest. Every breath scraped against it. The memory of his cold dismissal in the arena clenched my hands against Thalon's scales.
"Focus on what you have," Thalon's voice whispered through our bond. "Not what you've lost."
Right. I had this. I had them.
Thalon banked low, leading our small formation toward a shimmering lake nestled between towering pines. The water reflected the sky perfectly, and I could feel the hum in the air. This place felt sacred, untouched by the politics and prejudice we'd left behind.
The dragons began their descent, each with their own style.
Amrion hit the ground prowling, amber eyes scanning the treeline like he expected trouble.
Raze's dragon belly-flopped into the water with a massive splash that sent waves across the entire lake, clearly having the time of her life.
Mason's gray-blue dragon settled beside a moss-covered boulder, wings folded, watching everything.
Thalon touched down with practiced ease, his claws finding purchase on the rocky shore. I slid from his back, my legs wobbling from the flight and everything else coursing through me.
"This is how it should be," Thalon said, satisfaction warming our bond. "Joyful. Free."
I pressed my forehead against his warm snout, breathing in smoke and pine. "Thank you," I whispered. "For all of this."
"Thank you, little one, for being brave enough to break their rules."
Splashing and laughter pulled my attention back.
Raze had apparently decided to join his dragon, clothes and all, while Draven stood at the water's edge shaking his head.
Amusement on his face, maybe. Hard to tell with Draven.
Mason approached more slowly, his expression caught between disbelief and wonder.
"I can't believe this is real," he said, his gruff voice softer than I'd ever heard it. "I keep thinking I'm going to wake up."
"If this is a dream, don't wake me up," Raze called from the water, floating on his back while his dragon circled him playfully. "This is better than—"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Draven warned, though warmth crept into his voice.
"Better than sex!" Raze finished with a grin, then yelped as his dragon sent a small bolt of lightning into the water near him. "Okay, okay! Different from sex! Equally good but different!"
Laughter bubbled up from somewhere deep in my chest. I couldn't stop it. The joy was infectious, spreading through the group. Even Draven's mouth quirked upward, though he tried to hide it.
Mason stepped closer.
His dark eyes softened.
My pulse skipped. The mate bond hummed between us, and I felt his wonder echoing through our connection.
"Tess," he said quietly, just for me. "You did this. You made this possible."
Before I could respond, he cupped my face in his large hands and kissed me. The bond flared.
I could feel his joy, his pride, his overwhelming love flowing through the connection, and I knew he could feel mine in return.
The kiss was gentle.
Deep.
Full of everything we couldn't say.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathless, still lit up with the warmth of our bond.
Movement caught my eye. Draven stood apart from the group.
His hazel eyes fixed on us.
Longing, maybe. Or hunger held carefully in check. But the moment I looked directly at him, he turned away, his attention shifting to Amrion.
"Oi, lovebirds!" Raze's voice cut through the moment. "Come on, we need proper introductions. I want to know everyone's new best friend."
Mason's hand found mine, our fingers intertwining as we rejoined the group. The dragons had arranged themselves in a loose circle, and I marveled again at how different they all were.
"I'll start," Raze announced, climbing out of the lake and dripping everywhere.
"This magnificent beast is Talven." His storm-silver dragon lifted her head proudly, electricity crackling faintly along her scales.
"She's got a sense of humor almost as good as mine and a lightning bolt that could fry a Harbinger at fifty paces. "
"Talven." I tested the name on my tongue. The air around her hummed. "Storm-bringer."
"Exactly! She likes you already." Raze grinned and scratched behind one of her horns. "Your turn, Mason."
Mason stepped forward, his hand still warm in mine.
"This is Rundel." His gray-blue dragon rumbled low in his throat—a sound that vibrated through the ground beneath my feet. "He's steady. Strong. He chose me because he said I understand what it means to protect."
The quiet pride in his voice tightened my chest. Rundel's dark eyes fixed on me with an intelligence that was both ancient and kind, and I had the distinct feeling he approved.
Draven approached more slowly, Amrion moving with predatory grace beside him. "Amrion," he said. "He's... selective about who he trusts."
Amrion regarded us all with amber eyes that were sharp and still. He was beautiful in a dangerous way, all sleek lines and coiled power. When his gaze met mine, I felt a brief touch of his consciousness. My breath caught. Held.
"And you already know Thalon," I said, reaching back to touch his snout.
We settled into the grass in a loose circle, the dragons arranging themselves around us. The afternoon sun warmed my shoulders, and for the first time in days, I could almost pretend everything was normal.
"I still can't believe what you did back there," Raze said, admiration and disbelief mixing in his voice.
He'd finally dried off and was sprawling on the grass beside Talven, who was preening her wings.
"Going against the entire system like that.
Following your heart instead of their precious rules. "
"And look what happened," Mason added, his gruff voice gone soft again. "The dragons backed you up in a way that's never happened before. Unprecedented doesn't even cover it."
Pride and anxiety twisted together in my stomach. The memory of that moment—standing in the arena, defying Silvius, watching as every dragon in the place chose to support me—still felt like something that had happened to someone else.
"Silvius tried to expel you," Raze continued, shaking his head. "The Lord Protector himself, and the dragons just... said no. I've never seen anything like it."
"She really caused an upset," Draven said quietly. Pride, yes, but also concern. "We're all proud of you, love. But actions like that have consequences. What Tess did today... it's going to make enemies."
I felt Thalon shift behind me, his protective instincts stirring.
"What kind of enemies?" I asked, though part of me already knew I didn't want to hear the answer.
Draven's expression darkened. "You probably saw him in the arena. Standing behind Silvius."
"Who?" Mason stepped closer, his own protective instincts flaring.
"Malrec Beaumont."
My lungs forgot how to work.
Raze stopped grinning. Mason's hand tightened on mine. Even the dragons went still, as if the very mention carried weight.
"Who's Malrec Beaumont?" I asked.
Draven moved closer. His voice dropped to that low, controlled tone that meant he was containing something dangerous.
"Lord Malrec Beaumont. Patriarch of the Beaumont vampire line.
One of the most powerful traditionalists in the supernatural community.
He's the right hand of Lucien Voss, the vampire representative on the Omnium Council. "
"And?" I prompted when he paused.
"And he believes that bloodlines matter above all else.
That demons are a corruption to be cleansed.
That humans are useful servants at best, dangerous aberrations at worst." Draven's eyes met mine, and I saw fear move through them.
"He's spent centuries building a quiet war against change, against progress, against anything that threatens his vision of the 'natural order. '"
My skin prickled cold.
"A human Dragon Rider," Mason said grimly. "Bonded to a legendary dragon. It goes against everything he believes."
"It's not just about you," Draven continued. "It's about what you represent. Change. Evolution. The possibility that the old ways, the old hierarchies, might not be absolute."
I felt Thalon's presence in my mind, but even he couldn't completely banish the chill settling in my bones.
"So what does that mean?" I asked. "What does he do now?"
Draven's smile was sharp. "Now, love, he tries to destroy you before you can destroy his world."