Chapter 65 Alar
ALAR
"A battle is often decided before the first shot is fired. Intelligence, preparation, and flawless execution pave the path to victory."
—Commander Darius Hawke, Elite Forces' Vedona Academy
Ilanded with Lieutenant Shorban's gray-scaled dragon, managing to dismount gracefully. My muscles had memorized the proper sequence of movements from my previous flight, even though this one was very different.
At first, I'd attributed the differences to the genders of the dragons, but according to Lieutenant Shorban, each dragon had their own style and personality, and that was why cadets trained with a variety of dragons and riders instead of having the same instructor each lesson.
Every cadet, except Kailin.
Commander Ravel had once again taken on the role of her instructor, and I resigned myself to the fact that she would be riding with him exclusively.
Not many cadets remained on the roof of the Citadel after their flight practice ended, but as I scanned the remaining cadets in the hope of recognizing Kailin's familiar figure, I found the rest of our quintet but not her.
She'd been the first one to depart with Commander Ravel today, so I expected her to be back by now, and since the others in our group were still there, it wasn't likely that she'd gone to the mess hall without them.
Shovia walked over to me. "She's not back yet."
"I can see that." I tried to keep the edge from my voice.
"Maybe they are taking longer because Kailin is getting special training. Commander Tall, Dark, and Brooding seems particularly interested in her progress, and given her mysterious summons to the shaman earlier today, he's not the only one."
I didn't mind Kailin having conferences with Saphir Fatewever, but as much as I tried, I couldn't just calmly accept the attention Commander Ravel was lavishing on her.
I trusted Kailin completely, and even if Ravel had some inappropriate ideas, I was certain that she wouldn't reciprocate. But my uneasiness about the situation couldn't be rationalized away. It was instinctive, primal, and it didn't make me feel too good about myself.
I wasn't supposed to be the type of guy who got territorial over a woman he cared about. That was the domain of uneducated, boorish males.
I was better than that.
"Let's head to the mess hall," Codric suggested as he sidled up to Shovia. "I'm starving, and Kailin can meet us there when she gets back."
"Let's give her five more minutes," Shovia said. "I don't want her to have to go down eleven floors by herself."
"What's going to happen to her?" Codric protested.
I tuned them out, turning with my back to them and watching the sky for the dark dragon.
"Are you coming over tonight?" I heard Codric murmur behind me.
"I'll be there," Shovia whispered back. "Don't fall asleep this time."
My mind immediately jumped to the possibilities their rendezvous presented. I could ask Codric to keep Shovia in our room overnight, which I was sure both of them would love to do.
It was a great opportunity to continue with Kailin what we had started the evening before.
The thought sent a surge of blood down to my groin, and I was thankful for the discretion provided by the thick material of the uniform.
Naturally, I would let Kailin set the boundaries, but even if all she was ready for was to be held through the night, it would be enough. I'd take any morsel she was willing to give and be thankful for it.
I didn't think that Kailin had a lot of experience, and unlike Shovia, she was reserved and hesitant. Still, the few kisses we'd shared hinted at the fire burning inside of her, and I couldn't wait to get burned by it.
It would be exquisite.
"You're looking pleased with yourself," Codric murmured. "Did you have a good flight lesson?"
"Excellent." I smiled at him. "My instructor told me that I was progressing faster than most."
Codric grimaced. "Of course, he did. You always do."
"That's because I always give it all I have."
He clapped me on my back. "Yes, you do. My super overachieving cousin, who always needed to prove himself to his four older brothers."
"You have only brothers?" Shovia asked.
I nodded.
"No sisters?"
I shook my head. "The only reason I was born at all was that my mother wanted a girl and kept trying. If her second child were a daughter, she wouldn't have had the rest of us."
Shovia nodded sagely. "I've heard that many Elurians choose to have just one child and sometimes none. What's the deal with that?"
I shrugged. "People enjoy their easy lifestyle, and kids are a lot of work."
"Yeah, but your population is shrinking. The mighty Elurian Federation will be ripe for conquest by the backwater Sitorian Union."
Wasn't it amazing that even a small-town girl like Shovia recognized the danger for what it was while my father and brothers didn't?
I groaned. "Tell me something I don't know."
"People." Codric lifted a hand. "We can talk politics on the way down to the mess hall. The five minutes are up, and my stomach is growling."
I wanted to remind him that this wasn't about politics, but the very survival of our people, but we'd had this discussion many times before, so he knew my stance on the issue.
Casting another glance at the clear sky, I nodded. "Let's go."
As we took the stairs down, Shovia, Codric, and Morek chatted about their flight experience while my thoughts wandered to Kailin and what was keeping her and Ravel.
Hopefully, nothing bad had happened.
I'd never heard about the Shedun attacking the Citadel, which would have been stupid and suicidal even for them, but there was a first time for everything, and my stomach churned with worry.
In the mess hall we collected our dinner trays and sat at our usual table, but I barely touched my food, frequently glancing toward the entrance.
"She'll be here," Shovia said. "Ravel wouldn't keep her past dinner."
"I know, which is why I'm worried. What if there was a Shedun attack?" I finally gave voice to my concerns. "Or she made the wrong move and crashed them against the mountainside?"
Shovia nearly choked on a piece of bread. "Don't say things like that. They would have told us if something like that happened."
"How would they know?" I asked.
She looked at me as if I were dimwitted. "Commander Ravel's dragon would have informed Nyxath that they were under attack or that he was injured, and we would have seen multiple dragons flying out of the aviary to help them."
I should have known that. I did know that.
My brain was just not functioning well when I was worried about Kailin.
I had been right to think that she would be a distraction, but I no longer cared.
I would do whatever I could to compensate for my preoccupation with her, but I wasn't willing to give her up, no matter what.
A few minutes later, Kailin walked into the mess hall, looking unharmed, and I finally took my first full breath in a while. All my earlier unease evaporated, replaced by a rush of anticipation for the evening ahead. I didn't even care about her extended time with Commander Ravel anymore.
She spotted us, waved, and joined the food line.
After collecting her tray, she walked over and slid onto the bench beside me with a smile that warmed me from the inside out.
"Sorry, I'm late," she said. "We were practicing…some special maneuvers."
The hesitation in her voice told me this was related to whatever special ability she possessed, the one she wasn't allowed to talk about.
"Did you enjoy the flight?" I asked to help her change the subject.
The truth was that all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and kiss her, but that would be grossly inappropriate.
According to the rulebook, public displays of affection were discouraged at all times.
Even the kiss on the cheek I'd given her earlier might have been too much, though no one had commented on it.
Anything that could make the other cadets uncomfortable and was not related to our training was strongly discouraged.
"Very much so," Kailin said. "Onyx is amazing, but he's making things too easy for me. How was yours?"
It was interesting how she talked about the dragon as if he was a person.
"I had a different dragon and rider this time, which is essential in my opinion. Commander Ravel should let you train with other riders from time to time."
"True." She tore off a piece of bread and dunked it in the soup. "I wonder if I should suggest that or wait for him to do so. After all, he's a commander, and I'm just a cadet. He knows what he's doing."
Was that her polite way to tell me to back off?
Probably.
"What's the deal with that?" Shovia asked. "Why is a commander giving lessons to a first-year at all, and why does he pick you each time?"
Kailin lifted her finger to her lips. "Don't say that so loudly," she whispered. "I can't talk about it. I'm not allowed."
Codric and Shovia exchanged glances as if they had talked about it before, and Shovia had just confirmed something.
"Will you ever be allowed to tell us?" Codric asked quietly.
Kailin nodded. "Hopefully, after the bonding, but it's not guaranteed. It's up to the shaman." She looked up, scanning the room. "There is Morek. I was wondering where he was."
It was an obvious attempt to change the subject.
Morek had opted to sit at another table this time, next to Vessa, and given how they were looking at each other, Shovia and Codric were not the only ones with plans for tonight.
I waited impatiently for a moment when the others were distracted, and when it finally came, I leaned closer to Kailin, my lips nearly brushing her ear. "Shovia has made plans with Codric for tonight," I murmured, keeping my voice low.
Kailin's cheeks immediately flushed pink, a reaction I found incredibly sexy. Well, everything about Kailin was alluring. Even the way she was holding her fork and lifting small bites of roast to her beautiful mouth was sexy.
"When?" she whispered back, her voice catching slightly.