Chapter 52
KAILIN
"A secret to guard is a shackle worse than any chain."
—Shaman Saphir Fatewever
As I neared Alar's table, he looked up, and a smile brightened his face. "Good morning, Kailin," he said as I slid onto the bench beside him. "You look refreshed."
It was his polite way of saying that I no longer looked on the verge of death, which was how I'd felt when we'd finished our morning endurance training.
"I am." I reached for the pitcher of water at the center of the table and poured myself a glass. "Is this how it's going to be every day?"
Alar didn't look nearly as exhausted as I felt, and I had a feeling that it wasn't just his good genes or natural strength that had aided him up that accursed trek. He'd gotten some training in Eluria that he was not fessing up to.
I had done some training too, but it had only been summer camp for youth, and we were mainly taught how to shoot so we could defend ourselves in case of an attack.
The emphasis hadn't been on strength or endurance.
I had done that on my own to prepare for the pilgrimage, but it wasn't on par with what we were doing here.
"I'm afraid so. Basic training is always brutal. They want to whip us into shape as fast as possible." Alar pushed a plate of food toward me. "Here. You need to eat to replenish your energy."
The plate held a generous portion of eggs, bread, and some cold cuts of meat that smelled like goat. Not that I cared what it was. I just wanted to fill my stomach.
"Thanks." I picked up a fork. "For this and for keeping me company on the run, but I don't want you to do that anymore."
He lifted a brow. "Why? Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?"
"Are you seriously asking me that after all we have been through together?" I asked before loading a generous portion of eggs into my mouth.
"Then why don't you want me next to you?"
I finished chewing and took a sip of water.
"You shouldn't slow down for me. I don't care what position I attain in the Force.
I don't even care about becoming a rider that much, but you do.
And let's face it, as a guy, you are expected to do better than a small girl like me. We are not all like Shovia."
The smile returned. "So, you are worried about my success on the Force?"
"I know how important things like that are to you. You are a competitive guy."
He tilted his head. "And you are not?"
I chuckled. "I'm not a guy." I stuffed a large piece of cold meat into my mouth and started chewing. Goat meat was flavorful, but it wasn't soft or succulent.
"But you are competitive, right?"
Was I?
Well, in some things. The things I was good at. "I'm competitive in academics, which is done sitting on my butt and not charging up a hill."
Something passed in his eyes, something hot and hungry that had my pulse racing.
He leaned closer to me. "You have a most lovely butt, Kailin, whether it is sitting in a chair or running up a hill."
My eyes widened. "Is that why you always stayed a couple of feet behind me? You were watching my butt?"
Alar feigned innocence. "You wound me. I wanted to catch you if you stumbled. All those small rocks made the trek hazardous."
"Right." I rolled my eyes, wishing Shovia were here with some witty comeback.
For all my academic excellence, I wasn't nearly as good as she was at retorts.
"It's the truth," Alar insisted. "The five of us need to stick together. Morek, Codric, and Shovia were charging ahead, so it was up to me to stay with you."
He might have even meant it.
I nodded. "The idea that we were all chosen together still seems impossible, miraculous even. What are the odds?"
"That's why I believe we need to stick together. Providence must have a task for us in mind. As a group."
I was surprised that Alar believed in fate. Elurians were loose with their religion, and they weren't nearly as superstitious as Elucians. I wondered if he had noticed the number five recurring at every turn.
It was like an omen, like fate was telling me to take note.
Five years ago, I had defended my village against the Shedun. Five days before the pilgrimage, I had met Alar. We were divided into groups of five on the trek, and our quintet was the first one in history to have all of its members selected for the Dragon Flight Academy.
Heck, there were even five sinks and five shower stalls in the girls' bathroom.
"About yesterday," Alar said, breaking my string of thoughts. "I wanted to talk to you about—"
"Cadet Kailin."
We both looked up at Captain Odinah, who had walked up to our table and was standing on its other side with her customary inscrutable expression.
"Captain." I jumped to my feet.
"Commander Ravel has requested your presence," she said. "You're to report to training area six."
I blinked. "Right now?"
He'd said he would arrange for additional testing to see if I could communicate with other dragons, but I didn't expect it to be so soon.
"Immediately, cadet," Captain Odinah said, her gaze flicking briefly to Alar before returning to me.
I glanced at him, catching the way his face darkened, his jaw tightened. But he said nothing, his eyes carefully blank as he looked down at his plate.
"Yes, Captain," I said.
I was still hungry, but it wasn't as if I could refuse or ask to be allowed to finish my breakfast.
Captain Odinah nodded once, then turned on her heel and strode away, clearly expecting me to follow. I cast an apologetic last look at Alar.
"I'll save your plate," he said, his voice controlled but with an undercurrent I couldn't quite identify. "In case you are allowed to return before breakfast is over."
I was pretty sure that my testing would take longer than that, but if I said so, I would reveal that I knew why Commander Ravel was summoning me, and then I would have to admit that something was going on that I was not allowed to reveal, and Alar would get even more suspicious.
"Thanks," I said to save time and explanations I couldn't provide. Captain Odinah was already at the mess hall doors, waiting impatiently.
I hurried after her.
She led me through the academy's long, winding corridor, eventually emerging onto one of the many balconies that jutted from the mountainside. The morning air was still crisp, but the sun had risen fully now, bathing the mountains in warmth.
Commander Ravel stood at the edge of the balcony, his back to us as he gazed out at the view. Beside him, Onyx lay sprawled across the stone, bathing in the early morning sunlight like some enormous dog, his massive form somehow managing to look both relaxed and alert at the same time.
As he lifted his head and swiveled it toward me, I could swear that his snout seemed to smile, but that was impossible. Dragons didn't have facial expressions like humans, but maybe it was his smart golden eyes that were giving the impression of a smile.
"Good morning, Little Warrior," his gruff voice rumbled in my mind, the familiarity of it still startling.
"Good morning," I answered automatically.
Ravel saved me by echoing my greeting. "Good morning, Cadet Kailin Strom." He turned to Captain Odinah. "Thank you, Captain. That will be all."
She nodded, turned around, and walked back inside, leaving me alone with Ravel and his dragon.
"Did I interrupt your breakfast?" Ravel asked, gesturing for me to join him at the balcony's edge.
I approached cautiously, keeping a respectful distance from both him and the precipitous drop. "Yes," I answered truthfully because, as an Elucian, I didn't have the option of providing a polite lie.
Ravel smiled. "This won't take long. You might still get back in time to finish your meal."
"What will not take long?" I asked.
"I've spoken with my commander about your ability to communicate with Onyx and the need to check if that's an anomaly or if you can communicate with other dragons as well.
He told me to do so expeditiously, so I arranged for several dragons to fly past and get close to you.
I want you to tell me if you can hear their voices. "
Before I could respond, a shadow passed overhead, and as I looked up, I saw a copper-scaled dragon soaring above us, its wings spread wide as it caught an updraft.
"Greetings, Little Warrior," a distinctly feminine voice echoed in my mind, musical and light compared to Onyx's rumbling bass. "Onyx has talked about nothing else since yesterday."
I gasped. "I heard her. She called me 'Little Warrior' and said that Onyx has been talking about me."
For a moment, Ravel's expression remained neutral, and then I saw a spark of excitement in his eyes. "Onyx confirmed that was what Veridia said to you."
Another shadow passed overhead, this one larger, the dragon's scales a deep emerald green that glinted in the sunlight.
"Human," a gruff, almost grudging voice acknowledged in my head. "Hmph. Small. Smaller than I expected."
I swallowed. "He's not impressed with me. Says I'm smaller than expected."
Ravel's lips twitched. "That's Tharion. He doesn't like anyone."
Two more dragons flew overhead, speaking to me as they passed over the balcony, and I repeated what I'd heard to Ravel, watching as his expression grew increasingly intense.
"This is remarkable," he said. "You must be a shaman."
The words hit me like a kick to the gut. Staring at him, I tried to process the significance of what he was saying. "There hasn't been any shaman other than Saphir since the return."
"I know." Ravel rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "Saphir can also communicate with any dragon, not just Nyxath."
I didn't want to be a shaman. I couldn't be.
"We need to test your gift further and see how far it goes. Saphir can only communicate with other dragons when they are close because he needs to direct his thoughts at them. Only bonded dragons and riders can talk to each other over distances."
I was so confused. "Perhaps it would be best for me to talk to Saphir. He can sort it out, right?"
Commander Ravel nodded. "He's still sorting out the fates of the other pilgrims. He'll arrive at the Citadel tomorrow afternoon. I'll try to get you an audience with him."
"Thank you." My throat was so dry that I could barely talk.
I couldn't be a shaman. There hadn't been any other than Saphir for over a thousand years.
"Don't tell anyone about your ability," Ravel said. "We don't yet understand the full implications of your gift, but it's incredibly valuable, and that makes you a target for Elucia's enemies."
A chill ran down my spine at his words. "The Shedun will want to kill me."
Ravel nodded. "That is why I must ask you to tell no one about this. Not your instructors, your friends, or even your brother."
"But surely the instructors should know?" I protested. "What about Captain Odinah?"
"For now, don't talk about it with anyone. The Dragon Force commander will decide who needs to know." He placed a hand on my shoulder, the weight of it both reassuring and commanding. "I need your word, Kailin."
I hesitated, thinking of Alar and the secrets already growing between us. Of Shovia, who was my best friend and confidante. Of my brother.
Not that I had a choice in the matter. The only ones who could override Ravel's command were his superiors and Saphir, and I didn't have access to them. Besides, I didn't want a target painted on my back that would potentially endanger everyone around me.
"You have my word, Commander," I said, the weight of my vow settling on my shoulders like a boulder.
Ravel nodded. "Good. You can go and finish your breakfast now."
"Thank you, Commander. Have a lovely rest of your day." The words tumbled out automatically, and it was only after I'd said them that I wondered if it was appropriate to talk like that in a military setting.
When he smiled, I was relieved and turned to leave, feeling lightheaded and dizzy from the weight of what the future might hold for me.
A shaman? That couldn't be.
"Kailin," Ravel called, causing me to pause and look back. "This gift is a blessing from Elu. It's a good thing."
I nodded again, not because I was sure that he was right but because I didn't want to open a new discussion. I just wanted to return to the mess hall, finish my breakfast, and forget about the burden of secrets I was forced to keep and Elu's gifts that I didn't want but had no choice but to accept.