Page 119 of Kingdom of Shadows and Wings

Helene glares before tossing her hands in the air. “Whatever. At least my conscience is clear, knowing I tried. You wanna thumb your nose at death, be my guest.”

Ah. There’s the Helene I know and love.

I call out as she storms toward the door. “Do you think she’s still alive?”

She bows her head, her hand stilling on the doorknob. “I don’t know. All she told me was that the king was asking a lot of questions about you. I think she kept me in the dark at first to protect me, and later, because I was no longer someone she took in her confidence. I pray every night, though.”

With that, she sweeps from the room, leaving me to wrap my brain around this new information in silence.

“Leesa, what did you uncover?” I whisper while pressing my palm over my heart. “And why didn’t you tell someone?”

More determined than ever, I scan the book Leesa left with Royce.

Three-quarters of the way in, I flip a page and squint, tilting the book toward the window. It’s a section with information on dragoncallers. In the sunlight, I swear I spot a faint groove beneath the word. As if someone underlined it using an ink tip without ink.

Excitement skitters down my spine.

Time has erased how and why the dragoncallers came into existence. Records indicate the first sighting of the winged people with these incredible powers was centuries ago.

The passage continues.

Those in Kamor and Aclaris envy and fear the Tirenese dragoncallers for their power over dragons, the most powerful creatures on Earth.

As I read more of the passage, I realize what struck me as odd about the narrator. Unlike other books I’ve read about kingdoms outside Aclaris, this book favors a Tirenese perspective. I noticed when reading about past skirmishes. I notice again now. The author was almost certainly Tirenese and possibly slanting this so-called history in their favor.

Connected to dragons through a mental bond, a dragoncaller can read the feelings and emotions of their namesake. A lesser-known fact is that, while not as strong, they were often believed to possess empathetic connections to other magical creatures too.

Though the Tirenese people in general require no use of outside herbal or other supplemental enhancements to perform magic, it’s believed that due to the strength of their magic, a dragoncaller’s use of such a supplement could lead to deadly consequences. In fact, according to legend, when first manifesting, even non-enhanced magic can result in disaster.

I stare at the words, my mind returning to the moment my magic first manifested at our castle.

That morning, I was on the shared balcony outside Leesa’s and my rooms, enjoying the way the sun eased the morning chill. To my surprise, the bright glow stopped warming my skin and began to sting to the point where I feared I’d blister.

Not understanding, I stepped into a shadow. The burning got worse. Reddish patches on my pale arms swirled then coalesced into five thick lines that streaked to my fingertips. They burned and smoked. Next, sparks flew from them.

In the distance, flames burst from the stable. The horses—that I was afraid of—screamed. Servants yelled. The stable boy lost his legs. Our stallions and mares died.

When my mother found out what I did, without me meaning to, she came to a horrible realization. I could make fire without trying or using eyril, which no one in this kingdom had ever done before.

Panicked, she paid an alchemist to concoct a remedy to tamp down my magic and warned me to never tell anyone about my unexpectedtalent.Not even Leesa.

To hide my magic from everyone.

Shuddering, I read on.

Young, untrained dragoncallersare susceptible to the beasts’ emotions, the first several onslaughts confusing and easily overwhelming until they gain experience and control. Headaches and nausea typically accompany unexpected images, sounds, and ever-changing feelings that emerge from the dragons to settle in the dragoncaller’s mind.

Stunned, déjà vu floods through me as I recall the day I faced Flighthaven’s black dragon.

My pulse races, and my hands tremble.

With time and practice, those physical and mental issues fade, leaving the dragoncaller to bond with the beasts and own the sky.

I lower the book, my heart plummeting into my stomach. The idea solidifying in my mind can’t possibly be true, and yet, it must be. The details line up…even the grave marker bearing my name. Because if I’m right, then the couple I believe to be my parents did not sire or give birth to me. If I’m right, my kingdom of origin isn’t Aclaris.

I’m Tirenese. And I’m a dragoncaller.

Chapter Forty-One

---