Chapter 44 Kailin
KAILIN
"First flight, first light."
—Dragon Rider's Verse
Irecognized my brother's dragonia before I saw him. Unlike most dragons whose eyes were gold or amber, Jagura's were a striking shade of sapphire that matched her scales. She remembered me. I could feel it in the way she regarded me with what seemed like fond recognition.
Dylon must have sensed something through their bond because he turned to look in my direction, and when he saw me, his face broke into the same boyish grin that I remembered so well.
"Kailin!" He abandoned all pretense of dignity, sliding down Jagura's side and crossing the distance between us in several long strides.
His bear hug knocked the breath out of me.
"I knew you'd make it. I told everyone my little sister would be chosen, but in my wildest dreams I couldn't have imagined that Shovia would get selected as well. "
"It's a miracle." I laughed into his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of leather and dragon that had clung to him ever since he'd become a rider.
He set me down but kept his hands on my shoulders, studying my face. Seven months had passed since his last visit home, and his grin was as bright and as infectious as ever. He pulled back, holding me at arm's length to look me over. "You look terrible."
"Three days without food will do that." I punched his arm lightly. "Have you forgotten your own pilgrimage already? I'm sure you didn't look any better."
His expression sobered. "The pilgrimage is as much about the journey as the destination. But now..." His eyes sparkled with excitement. "Now you get to experience what it's really all about. Want to fly with me?"
The offer made my stomach clench.
Even knowing this moment would come, even after everything we'd been through on the mountain, the thought of being that high up with nothing but air beneath me...
Dylon saw the fear in my eyes. "Next round," he said quickly. "It will give you time to prepare."
I nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I'd rather not embarrass myself by throwing up on your dragonia."
"As if she'd let you," he grinned. "Jagura is quite particular about keeping her scales pristine." He glanced up as another dragon landed nearby. "I need to help get this first group delivered to the Citadel. But I'll be back for you."
"Take Shovia," I suggested.
"Sure thing." He turned to my friend, who still seemed in a state of shock over being chosen. "Come." He offered her his hand. "It's going to be fun."
She nodded, then looked at me with unsure eyes that lacked her usual confidence.
"Go ahead," I encouraged. "Dylon won't let anything happen to you. He'll come back for me."
I watched him and Shovia walk over to Jagura, my heart full. Having him here made everything seem more real somehow, but also easier. I was really going to be a rider, like him, and my best friend was going to be there with me.
I just hoped I could overcome my fear of heights.
Morek seemed to have gotten over his initial shock and was flirting with a rider who was leading him to her dragon.
I waved at him, and as he waved back, a big grin split his face. "We are all going to be riders, Kailin. Who would have thought?"
Not me, that's for sure.
As the first group began mounting up, helped by the experienced riders who showed them where to hold on and how to position their legs, I tried to study their movements, knowing I'd need to replicate them soon, but my attention kept drifting to the sky.
Looking for something I sensed was coming but couldn't begin to guess what it was.
When a shadow passed over the circle, deep and dark, my heart seemed to stop and then restart with painful force as an enormous obsidian dragon descended from the auroras like a piece of night given form.
His scales absorbed their light rather than reflecting it, creating an effect that was both beautiful and terrifying.
But it wasn't just the dragon that made my breath catch in my throat.
It was its rider.
Five years had passed since that night when he'd landed in front of our watchtower, but I would never forget those eyes, dark as midnight with flecks of molten gold swimming in their depths. The same eyes that had haunted my dreams and appeared in my visions during the trek up Mount Hope.
The memory crashed over me with stunning clarity—the acrid smell of gunpowder and dragfire, the ground trembling beneath those massive taloned feet, the way he'd studied me before offering that two-fingered salute.
I was sixteen, terrified and exhilarated in equal measure, and something about him had seared itself into my soul.
The obsidian dragon landed with surprising grace for its size, and the rider dismounted in one fluid motion. His eyes found mine instantly, as if he'd known exactly where to look. Recognition flickered across his features, followed by something else I couldn't quite decipher.
"Little warrior," he said, crossing the space between us.
My mouth went dry.
Up close, he was even more impressive than memory had painted him. Tall and lean, with chiseled features that seemed carved from stone. But it was his eyes that were the most striking feature. They held mysteries in their dark depths that I wanted to uncover.
The connection I'd felt five years ago was as potent now as it had been then, tickling at the edges of my consciousness as if trying to unlock it and gain access.
"I remember you," I managed to say, though my voice didn't sound quite like my own. "Thank you for eliminating the remaining Shedun that night."
"You are most welcome, Little Warrior." He tilted his head as if he too couldn't understand this thing between us. "Not so little anymore."
"Kailin." I swallowed. "My name is Kailin."
"I know who you are." He extended his hand. "Would you care to fly with me?"
Yes. No. I couldn't. How could I put my arms around him and press against him? I'd combust from the combination of terror and other feelings that I wasn't ready to examine.
"I'm waiting for my brother," I said quickly. "Dylon. He's coming back for me in the next round."
Amusement flickered in his dark eyes. "I'm Dylon's commander, Ravel." He extended his hand.
Taking his hand automatically, I blinked in surprise. "What is a commander doing collecting new cadets?"
"Not cadets, as in plural." His gaze held mine.
"Just you. When I heard Dylon's little sister was among the chosen, I had to come.
I wanted to see if you were still as fierce as I remembered.
" He leaned down so his mouth was close to my ear.
"I'm always on the lookout for new recruits for my squadron. "
My knees wobbled, but not because of Ravel's masculine beauty.
The thought of becoming part of his squadron was terrifying.
I forced a smile. "Let's see if I make it. I'm not as brave as you think."
Laughing as if I'd told him a joke, Ravel extended his hand once again. "Come," he said softly. "Let me take you on your virgin flight."
I placed my hand in his, feeling awkward about the way he led me by the hand to his dragon as if I were his little sister or girlfriend.
Once he was done explaining how to use the handholds and foot positions to climb up. I took a deep breath and gave it a try.
The obsidian dragon's scales were surprisingly warm beneath my hands and as smooth as polished glass. I managed to swing my leg over, settling into position with only minimal awkwardness. Looking back at my friends, I caught Alar's hurt expression.
My stomach twisted, and guilt lanced through me. I'd completely forgotten about him, about our moment in the blizzard, about everything we'd shared. I tried to send him a reassuring smile, but then Ravel was mounting behind me, and all other thoughts fled.
"Wait," I said, my voice embarrassingly breathless. "Shouldn't you be in front? The other riders..."
The idea was to ride behind him and hide my face in his broad back.
"I want you to have the full experience of your first flight.
" His arms came around me, reaching for the safety straps.
"You won't get it while sitting behind me.
I would block your view, and what fun is that?
" His chest pressed against my back as he secured the bindings, and I struggled to remember how to breathe.
"I want you to watch," he said in my ear and handed me a pair of goggles. "Put them on."
After I did as Commander Ravel commanded, the obsidian dragon, whose name I still didn't know, took several long steps forward, and as its muscles bunched beneath us, I swallowed hard, and when those massive wings spread wide, terror and excitement warred in my chest.
The launch knocked the breath from my lungs, and I slammed my eyes shut, my stomach dropping.
We were flying.
Actually flying.
The wind whipped past us, and I was going to be sick, or faint, or both.
"Open your eyes, Little Warrior." Ravel's voice was soft in my ear, his arms secure around me. "I won't let you fall."