Chapter twenty three- The Secrets we keep
A full month had passed since Kael warned her.
Thirty daysof living inside rules she never agreed to but obeyed anyway.
Thirty nights ofslipping through shadows with her heart pounding in her throat.
Thirty morningsof pretending she wasn't unraveling from the inside out.
Liora had obeyed everyword Kael said—not because she trusted him, not because she understood him, butbecause the alternative felt like stepping off a cliff blindfolded.
Outside, she was never without Ashwing. Not for a singlestep.
Not even to cross the courtyard. And everyone noticed.
Ashwing was nolonger the size he had been a month ago.
He had grown—fast. But notunnaturally, not frighteningly.
Just magnificently. Dragons grew quickly intheir first year, but Ashwing was growing like the dragons of the enemykingdom, the massive war?bred beasts that cast shadows like storm clouds.
And in anAcademy where every single student except Liora was noble?born, that kindof strength drew attention like blood in the water.
Whispers followed her everywhere.
"Look at his wings."
"He's going to be huge."
"Bigger than ours."
"Maybe even as big as the northern dragons."
"Imagine him in battle."
"Imagine her in battle."
Liora hated that last one most. The nobles didn't whisperbecause they were afraid.
They whispered because they were calculating.
Becausea dragon like Ashwing—bonded to a girl with no title, no land, no lineage—was athreat to their pride, their politics, their future.
She felt their eyes on herconstantly, measuring her, weighing her, judging her.
Sometimes she wishedAshwing would shrink back to the size he'd been when he hatched—small enough tohide under her bed, small enough to tuck beneath her arm, small enough that noone would care.
But he wasn't small anymore. He was magnificent. And he choseher.
Instructors noticed too, though their reactions weredifferent. They circled Ashwing with scholarly hunger, murmuring to one anotheras if he were a rare artifact.
"Your dragon is exceptionally strong," one said, studyingthe span of his wings.
"He may reach a size we haven't seen in decades," anothermurmured.
"Keep training him. He will be a force."
A force. A weapon. A symbol. And nobles hated when symbolsdidn't belong to them. They whispered behind fans and gloved hands:
"A commoner with a dragon like that?"
"It's wasted potential."
"He'll outgrow our own dragons."
"He'll be a political weapon."
Liora pretended she didn't hear them. But she did. Everyword. Every assumption. Every reminder that she didn't belong here—except forthe dragon who chose her.
Inside buildings, she was never alone, but Ashwing wasalways just outside the window.
If she was in class, he perched on the stoneledge, golden eyes watching her through the glass.
If she studied in thelibrary, he curled beneath the tall windows, feathers pressed against thepanes.
If she slept, he rested on the roof outside her new room, his warmbreath fogging the window in soft, protective clouds.
Sometimes, in the middleof the night, she woke to the faint sound of his humming—a low, steady vibrationthat soothed her bones.
Sometimes she pressed her palm to the cold glass, andhe pressed his beak to the other side.
He was her anchor. Her constant. Heronly certainty.
She had even changed rooms. Her old roommate, Siris—the girlwho hated her for being a commoner, who whispered about her fall, who sneeredat her dragon—was gone from her life.
Permanently. Aiden had made sure of it.He had spoken to the housing director, the dean, and possibly half theAcademy's administrative staff.
And within a day, Liora's belongings were movedinto Mira's room.
Mira pretended to complain, but she hugged Liora so tightlyshe nearly cracked a rib.
Now, every night, Liora fell asleep to Mira's soft snoringand Ashwing's silhouette outside the window—wings folded, eyes glowing faintlyin the dark. She was safe. Or as safe as Kael believed she could be.
But safety came with a price. A heavy one.
Because for the last three nights, Liora had been sneakingout after curfew. Not to wander. Not to escape. Not to breathe. But totrain.
With Kael.
In secret.
At night.
And no one knew. Not Mira. Not Aiden. Not anyone.
OnlyAshwing—and even he didn't like it. He followed her reluctantly each night,feathers puffed, humming anxiously as they slipped through the shadows towardthe training hall.
He didn't understand why she was going somewhere Kaelwaited, but he understood enough to stay close.
Kael was always there first. Always waiting. Alwayswatching. Always cold. And always pushing her harder than she thought she couldendure. By the third night, her arms ached, her legs trembled, and her ribsthrobbed—but she was faster. Sharper. More precise.
Kael noticed. He didn't praise her. He simply said,
"You're less useless today."
Which, from Kael, was practically affection.
Liora didn't know whether to be proud or furious. Maybeboth. But she kept coming back. Because she needed to be stronger. Becausesomeone had cut her saddle strap. Because someone wanted her gone. BecauseKael's warning still echoed in her bones.
Don't go anywhere without Ashwing.
Inside buildings, stay with your friend or Aiden.
Many people want you gone.
She didn't know what scared her more: the danger outside... orthe secrets Kael refused to explain.
And somewhere beneath all of it—beneath the fear, the guilt,the exhaustion—was something she refused to name.
Something that tightened inher chest every time Kael stepped closer.
Something that twisted when he lookedat her with those unreadable eyes.
Something that made her feel seen andinvisible at the same time.
She hated it.
She hated him.
She hated herself for not hating him enough.
And she hated how much she needed to be stronger—becauseneeding strength meant she wasn't safe.
Not really.
Not yet.
The morning of her first official training session arrivedfar too quickly.
Liora's muscles still ached from the previous night, but sheforced herself onto the training field anyway.
The sun was bright, the aircrisp, and the courtyard already buzzing with nobles who pretended not to stareat her but absolutely did.
Ashwing settled at the edge of the field, foldinghis wings neatly, though even folded they cast a long shadow across the grass.He was nearly as tall as Liora's shoulder now.
A month ago, he had barelyreached her waist.
Aiden stood across from her, wooden practice blade in hand.He looked relaxed, almost cheerful, as if sparring was just another fun way tostart the day.
His posture was easy, his smile warm, and he twirled the bladeonce in his fingers like he wasn't about to spar with someone who had beensecretly training with Kael.
"Ready?" he asked, his tone light, teasing.
"No," Liora admitted.
He grinned. "Perfect. I like an honest opponent."
Mira stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching them witha mixture of amusement and suspicion. "If he hits you too hard, I'm steppingin."
Aiden laughed. "Mira, I'm not trying to break her."
"You say that," Mira replied, "but you get competitive whenyou're having fun."
Aiden shrugged. "I can't help it if I'm naturally gifted."
Mira rolled her eyes. "There it is."
Liora lifted her blade, trying to steady her breathing.Aiden lunged without warning, but she moved—cleanly, instinctively. She blockedhis strike with a sharp angle Kael had drilled into her until her arms shook.
Aiden froze mid?step.
He blinked once, then again, as if he wasn't sure he'd seencorrectly.
"Okay..." he said slowly. "That was new."
Liora swallowed. "I've been practicing."
Aiden lunged again, faster this time. She dodged, pivoted,and countered with a movement that felt natural now—Kael's movement, Kael'srhythm, Kael's brutal efficiency. Aiden stepped back, lowering his bladeslightly. His carefree expression softened into something more focused.
"Liora," he said quietly, "where did you learn that?"
Her stomach twisted. "I told you. I practiced."
"That wasn't practice," Aiden said. "That was Kael'sfootwork."
Mira's head snapped toward him. "Kael's what?"
Aiden didn't look away from Liora. "That angle. That timing.That pivot. That's him."
Liora's heart pounded so hard she felt it in her throat. Sheforced her grip to stay steady, but her fingers trembled anyway.
Mira stepped closer, suspicion tightening her expression."Liora... are you training with someone?"
Liora's mouth went dry. She couldn't lie. She couldn't tellthe truth. She couldn't breathe.
"I'm just practicing," she whispered.
Aiden took a step toward her, lowering his blade completely.His expression softened again, returning to the easy warmth she was used to."Hey... it's okay. I'm not mad. I'm just trying to understand."
Before Liora could answer, Mira groaned. "Aiden, you'redoing it again."
Aiden blinked. "Doing what?"
"That face," Mira said, waving her hand at him. "Theconfused puppy one."
Aiden frowned. "I don't have a confused puppy face."
"You absolutely do," Mira said. "You get it every timesomeone surprises you. It's adorable."
Aiden laughed under his breath. "I'm not confused. I'm just...curious."
"Same thing," Mira said.
Aiden rolled his eyes, still smiling. "You two areimpossible."
But the moment of humor didn't last. Aiden's gaze drifted toAshwing, who was watching them with unblinking golden eyes. The dragon's sizewas impossible to ignore. His wings were broader, his chest deeper, hispresence heavier.
Aiden frowned slightly. "He's grown again."
Mira followed his gaze. "He's huge."
"He wasn't this big last week," Aiden murmured. "Liora... areyou feeding him something different?"
"No," she said quickly. "He's just... strong."
Aiden didn't look convinced, but he didn't push. "Strong isgood. Strong suits him."
Mira nudged him lightly. "Strong suits her too."
Liora felt her cheeks warm. She didn't know what to do withthat.
Aiden smiled at her, easy and bright. "Whoever's helpingyou... they're doing a good job. You're getting better."
Liora's chest tightened. She didn't deserve his kindness.She didn't deserve Mira's trust. She didn't deserve Ashwing's loyalty. She waslying to all of them.
And tonight, she would lie again.
Kael would be waiting for her in the shadows.
Waiting with that unreadable expression.
Waiting with demands she didn't understand.
Waiting with secrets he refused to explain.
And she would go.
Because she needed answers.
Because she needed strength.
Because she needed him.
Even if she hated that she did.
Liora waited until Mira's breathing softened into the slow,steady rhythm of sleep.
Only then did she slip out from under her blanket,careful not to let the mattress creak.
The room was dark, lit only by the faintglow of moonlight spilling through the window.
Her heart hammered against herribs, loud enough she feared it would wake the entire dormitory.
She hated this.
Hated sneaking.
Hated lying.
Hated the cold knot of dread that had lived in her stomachever since she overheard the conversation about experiments two months ago.
But she still pulled on her boots.
She still opened the door.
She still stepped into the hallway.
Ashwing was already awake.
He lifted his head from the windowsill, golden eyes glowingfaintly in the dark. He simply stared at her, feathers puffed in quietdisapproval. He knew where she was going. He knew who she was going to meet.And he hated it.
"I'll be careful," she whispered.
Ashwing pressed his beak to her shoulder, a soft, worriedsound rumbling in his chest. She rested her hand against his warm feathers fora moment, letting the contact steady her. Then she started walking. Ashwinggliding silently behind her.
Ashwing followed close, wings tucked tight, tail brushingher leg every few steps as if reminding her he was there.
They reached the training hall.
Kael was waiting.
He always was.
He stood in the center of the room, arms crossed, expressionunreadable. His dragon — the massive golden beast that made even nobles stepback — lay coiled behind him, eyes half?lidded but alert.
Kael didn't greet her.
He didn't ask how she was.
He didn't acknowledge the exhaustion in her bones or theache in her muscles.
He simply tilted his head slightly, as if assessing her theway one might assess a blade.
"You're late," he said.
"I'm early," Liora replied.
Kael's mouth twitched — not quite a smile, not quiteannoyance.
"Then you're late for being early."
She hated him.
She stepped onto the mat anyway.
Training began immediately. Kael moved like a shadow, fastand precise, forcing her to react, to adapt, to think before she had time tothink. He struck at angles she didn't expect, pushed her balance, tested herreflexes. Every time she faltered, he corrected her with a sharp word or acolder look.
Her arms burned.
Her legs shook.
Her lungs felt too small.
But she kept going.
Because she had to.
Because she needed to be stronger.
Because she didn't know what danger was coming — only thatKael believed it was real.
By the time he finally stepped back, Liora was trembling,sweat dripping down her spine, breath coming in ragged gasps. Ashwing pressedclose to her side, feathers puffed in worry, his warm breath brushing hercheek.
Kael watched her silently.
Then he said, "Bring him forward."
Liora froze.
"What? Why?"
Kael didn't answer.
He simply extended his hand toward Ashwing, palm up, as ifthe command itself should be enough.
Liora's pulse spiked.
"No."
Kael didn't blink.
"I need his blood."
Ashwing hissed, feathers flaring. Liora stepped in front ofhim instinctively, her heart pounding so hard she felt it in her throat.
"No," she repeated. "Kael, no. Not until you tell me why."
Kael's voice was calm. Too calm.
"I need it tonight."
Her stomach dropped.
"Tonight? Why?"
"Because I'm out of time."
Liora shook her head. "Kael, I asked you for answers aboutthe experiments. You refused. And now you want his blood? Why?"
Kael didn't move.
He didn't soften.
He didn't explain.
He didn't even pretend to consider telling her.
He simply watched her, steady and unyielding.
"Bring him," he said.
"No."
Kael stepped closer, close enough that she could see thefaint gold flecks in his eyes.
"You will."
"I won't."
"Yes," he said, voice low and terrifyingly certain. "Becauseyou want him safe."
Ashwing growled, a low, vibrating sound that made the airtremble. Liora placed a hand on his neck, trying to calm him, but her own handwas shaking.
Kael continued, softer now — but the softness made it worse.
"And I need something to buy more time."
Liora's throat tightened.
"Time from who?"
Kael didn't answer.
Ashwing hissed again, louder this time, wings lifting in adefensive flare. Kael's dragon rose halfway, muscles coiling, but Kael liftedone hand slightly — a silent command — and the beast stilled.
Kael's eyes never left Liora.
"I saved him once," he said quietly. "I can't do it againempty?handed."
Liora's breath stuttered.
"Kael... what danger is he in?"
Kael's jaw tightened.
"The kind I can't stop without something to give them."
"Give who?" she whispered.
Kael didn't answer.
He simply held her gaze, steady and unyielding.
Liora's voice cracked.
"You want his blood tonight?"
"Yes."
"No."
Kael didn't move.
"Liora. If you want him alive, you will let me take it.Now."
Her chest tightened painfully.
"Kael... please. Just tell me—"
"No."
"Why not?"
Kael's voice dropped to a whisper, cold and final.
"Because if I tell you, I lose the time I'm trying to buy."
Ashwing growled again, louder, angrier, wings spreading in awarning arc. Liora grabbed his feathers, trying to hold him back.
Kael stepped closer, lowering his voice even further.
"You love him," he said. "That's why you'll do it."
Liora's breath shattered.
Kael extended his hand again — steady, unshaking, merciless.
"Bring him forward."
Ashwing's growl vibrated through the floor, low and furious,his wings half?spread in a protective arc around her.
Liora clutched hisfeathers, her fingers trembling.
She could feel his heartbeat under her palm —fast, frightened, ready to fight Kael's dragon even though he was smaller,younger, hopelessly outmatched.
Kael stood perfectly still.
His dragon stood perfectly still.
Only Liora shook.
Her throat felt tight, her breath uneven. She couldn't lookat Kael anymore — not with that cold certainty in his eyes, not with the weightof his demand pressing down on her like a hand around her lungs.
She looked at Ashwing instead.
His golden eyes were wide, pupils thin slits of fear andfury. He pressed his head against her shoulder, feathers brushing her cheek, asoft whimper escaping him — a sound she had never heard before.
It broke her.
Completely.
Liora swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper.
"Kael... I can't."
"You can," he said.
"I shouldn't."
"You must."
She shook her head, tears burning behind her eyes. "He'sscared."
"So are you," Kael replied. "And you're still standing."
Ashwing hissed again, louder, angrier. Liora tightened hergrip on him.
"Kael," she said, her voice cracking, "I don't trust you."
Kael didn't flinch. "I know."
"Then how can you ask me to—"
"Because trust isn't the point," he said quietly. "Survivalis."
Liora's breath hitched.
Kael stepped closer, slow, deliberate, careful not toprovoke Ashwing.
"You want him safe," he said. "That's why you'll do it."
Liora's chest tightened painfully. "You keep saying that,but you won't tell me why he's in danger."
"Because if I tell you," Kael said, "I lose the time I'mtrying to buy."
Her knees nearly buckled under the weight of Kael's words,but before she could fall, Ashwing stepped in.
He pressed his head firmlyagainst her hip, grounding her with the solid strength of his body.
Hisfeathers rose along his spine, wings lifting in a half?spread that made him look larger,more dangerous.
A low, rolling growl vibrated through his chest — a warning,not a plea.
He wasn't afraid.
He wasn't confused.
He was ready to defend her, even against Kael.
Kael extended his hand again, calm and unshaken.
"Liora."
She squeezed her eyes shut, breath shuddering.
"Please," she whispered. "Don't make me choose like this."
"I'm not making you choose," Kael said. "The world alreadydid."
Her eyes snapped open at that — the cold truth of it slicingthrough her.
Kael's voice softened then, not gentle, not comforting, buthonest in a way that hurt more than cruelty.
"I saved him once," he said. "I can't do it again empty?handed."
Liora's heart twisted painfully.
Ashwing nudged her cheek — not in fear, but in defiance, asif telling her, I'm strong. I can take this. I'm with you.
She broke.
Completely.
Her voice came out thin, barely audible.
"Will it hurt him?"
"No," Kael said. "I swear it won't."
She hesitated, torn between instinct and terror.
Kael held her gaze, steady and unyielding.
"Liora... if you want him alive, you have to let me take it."
Her breath trembled.
Her hand slid from Ashwing's feathers.
Slowly, painfully, she stepped aside.
Ashwing let out a sharp, indignant chirp, wings twitching inprotest. His feathers flared, his tail lashed once against the floor — a clearsign he hated this. But Liora placed both hands on his neck and whispered:
"It's okay. It's okay. I'm here."
Ashwing lowered his head, not in submission, but inobedience to her alone. His muscles stayed coiled, ready to strike if she gaveeven the slightest signal.
Kael approached.
Ashwing tensed, a deep growl rumbling through him, but Lioraheld him, whispering to him, grounding him even as her own heart shattered.
Kael knelt beside them.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a small silver blade— thin as a needle, sharp as a whisper.
Liora's breath caught.
"Kael..."
"It won't hurt him," he repeated.
She nodded, though her entire body trembled.
Kael touched Ashwing's scales gently, almost reverently.Ashwing stiffened, wings lifting a fraction, but he didn't pull away — not withLiora's hands steadying him.
Kael pressed the blade to Ashwing's skin.
Liora held her breath.
A single drop of blood welled up.
Ashwing didn't flinch.
He didn't whine.
He simply growled — low, powerful, a sound that made Kael'sdragon lift its head in response.
Kael caught the drop in a small glass vial, sealed itinstantly, and stepped back.
It was done.
Liora collapsed forward, wrapping her arms around Ashwing'sneck, burying her face in his warm feathers. Ashwing curled his wings aroundher, protective and fierce, shielding her from everything — even from Kael.
Kael watched them silently.
Then he said, voice low:
"You did the right thing."
Liora didn't look at him.
She couldn't.
Because she wasn't sure if she had saved Ashwing...
...or doomed him.