23. Annalise #2
“No,” she pouts, looking genuinely miserable.
Matt and I exchange a glance, but she doesn’t catch it.
“Are either of you bringing dates?”
“Nope,” I say.
“Absolutely not,” Matt says.
Sasha's eyebrows rise, “Why?”
Matt stuffs his hands into his pockets. “I'm over girls trying to demand my attention.”
I choke on a laugh, “Demand your attention?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I really don't.”
He looks at me expectantly. “They want to be my only focus, and I’m not willing to give them that. I have you guys and classes, and soon I’ll have Zest…that alone will require more than enough attention if Lee’s experience is anything to go off of.”
Sasha laughs as I smack his arm.
“I'm serious though, I'm enjoying the freedom.”
“Freedom from women?”
“Freedom from needy women.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Bold statement from the man who spent weeks sitting beside my bed.”
“That’s different. You were unconscious, so you couldn't actually demand anything.”
I smack his arm harder, and before I know it, I’m over his shoulder and he’s yelling our goodbyes to Sasha as he charges for the Riding Grounds. Our laughter is enough to draw the eyes of everyone we pass.
The moment Tyr senses me getting close to the field, his excitement floods through our bond.
“Officially cleared.”
I grin, “Finally,” I mutter.
“You two are together every single day. How could you possibly miss each other already?”
“You’ll know as soon as you’re bonded with Zest.”
As if summoned by his name, Zest lands nearby with a tremendous beat of his wings.
Matt's soon-to-be dragon lowers his head toward him, Matt scratching between his horns lovingly.
“You hear that?”
Zest snorts.
“I know. She's jealous.”
I roll my eyes as Tyr nudges me hard enough to make me stumble.
“You don’t scratch my face like that!”
“Ohhh, I’m so sorry! Do you need your scrubs and scratches too?” I tease in the puppy voice I know drives him crazy.
Before he can answer, Lorenson steps onto the field, looking far too pleased with herself for any of us to feel comfort.
“Those of you who are planning to bond,” she calls, “can begin with the basics of battle flight training today.”
Several recruits stare at her, only one brave enough to raise a hand.
“Ma’am, isn't battle flight supposed to come after bonding?”
Lorenson grins. “Technically, yes. Which is why we're doing it before you're technically supposed to. Remember, dragons don’t follow our rules.”
“Gods I love how much of a rule breaker she is,” Matt whispers.
“I heard that,” Lorenson laughs, pointing at him. “And you're definitely correct.”
A few recruits laugh.
“Dragons,” she calls, “are not horses. They are not machines. And they are absolutely not interested in dying because you have terrible judgment.”
Tyr snorts.
“Today you'll start to work on evasive maneuvers, aerial formations, rapid descent, and coordinated attack patterns. Lock in your runes, and be prepared for anything.”
My pulse kicks as I carefully climb up Tyr’s leg. It’s not smooth, and it’s not pretty, but the second my hands close around his scales, everything inside of me settles.
Tyr launches almost instantly, his pride pushing through the bond so strong, I’m practically high from the endorphins.
Wind tears across my face, and I laugh so hard I can barely breathe. I can't help it.
We climb hard, breaking through the first layer of clouds before Tyr banks sharply left as we spot our first illusion.
“Enemy.”
My heart pounds as I lean with Tyr, and then a second dragon comes screaming toward us.
“Hold on tight and secure your anchor rune.” Tyr says seconds before rolling and dropping us beneath them.
The other dragon passes overhead so close I can feel the heat coming off his underside.
“Again!” Lorenson's voice carries through the communication rune.
Tyr dives, and the ground comes rushing toward us. I don't stop him.
Thirty feet. Twenty. Ten—
Tyr snaps his wings open, shooting us up toward the clouds as I scream from pure exhilaration.
“Again!” I cheer, and Tyr doesn't need to be told twice.
Climbing, I’m distracted by Matt and Zest off to our right, already moving through their next maneuver.
They're perfect! Matt barely has to move, and Zest anticipates him. They bank together, dropping into a steep spiral before leveling out beneath another dragon.
Matt gives the tiniest signal, and Zest twists. They are mesmerizing to watch—working in tandem this well before they’ve even bonded.
Matt looks over and catches me watching.
His shit-eating grin should have been enough of a warning...but then Zest is surging forward with a playful flick of his tail at us as they pass.
“Oh, absolutely not!”
Tyr practically vibrates with amusement. “If they want a race, we’ll show them.”
“You are not—”
Tyr launches, the wind catching me fully in the face as we chase them across the sky.
For the first time in months, there’s nothing behind me. My laughs come as easy as my love for the people and dragons that have carried me through these last couple of months.
Right now, I’m not thinking about the attack, or my dad. Not missing a baby I don’t know if I ever would have been good enough for. There’s no war outside these walls or fear in my heart. Just Tyr, Mattey, Zest, and a freedom I forgot existed.
Leaning over Tyr’s neck, I grip lower and smile as I say the only two words left in my mind.
“Beat them.”