Page 3 of The Bond That Burns

Kage’s mother looked at me calmly, ignoring the other board members and Headmaster Kim. “Let us not forget that. The dragon belongs to House Avari.”

I opened my mouth to tell her that I was fairly certain the dragon believed he belonged only to himself.

But in a flash, Viktor was beside her, his face close to hers. “The dragon belongs to its rider,” he hissed. “And the rider belongs to House Drakharrow.”

To her credit, Natsumi didn’t retreat. She held her position, gazing boldly back into Viktor's venomous red orbs.

“I know you may be used to making decisions unilaterally within your own house, Lord Drakharrow. But this is a matter thatmust be settled by a tribunal,” she said coolly. “In the meantime, make no mistake. House Avari stakes its claim. Nyxaris was and remains ours.”

Viktor scoffed. “You may stake all the claims you wish. The rider is ours. She is mated to my own kin, my nephew. She rides for House Drakharrow. Good luck controlling a riderless dragon, Natsumi.”

“Let’s remember where we are. Who we are,” Headmaster Kim interjected. “Let us maintain order. Lady Natsumi is correct, Viktor. This is a matter for a tribunal now. The other regents must be informed of what has occurred here tonight immediately.”

“And just whatdidoccur here tonight?”

A tall highblood man stood off to one side, looking more shaken than the others. He stared at me from pale blue eyes, as if trying to conceal his fear from his more powerful peers.

“The tribunal will establish that, Lord Sylvain,” Headmaster Kim assured him.

Sylvain. This must be Evander’s father. Visha’s future father-in-law.

Lord Sylvain clasped his hands together, twisting the rings on his fingers nervously. Lean and elegantly-dressed, he wore a flowing tunic, embroidered with white and red flowers.

He took a deep breath. “That’s not good enough. We all know the tribunal will take weeks to convene. If not months. Why, Lord Mortis is nowhere near Veilmar right now. He’s visiting his family’s estates, of which there are many. Who knows how long it will take to track him down?’

“We will find him,” Headmaster Kim replied. “The tribunal will settle the matter.”

“What are you really afraid of?” Viktor stepped towards Lord Sylvain, a sneer on his lined pale face. “For itisfear that I see on your sniveling features, is it not, Sylvain?”

Lord Sylvain flushed. “How dare you.”

“Perhaps Lord Sylvain simply requires reassurance,” Natsumi Avari said smoothly, stepping further into the little circle that had formed around us.

Headmaster Kim frowned. “What sort of reassurance?”

“I want the matter dealt with at once,” Lord Sylvain snapped, looking at me. “Not weeks or months from now. The dragon is gone. But this girl.” He looked at me and frowned. “At least she may be contained.”

“Me?” I burst out. “I’m not a threat to anyone.”

Lord Sylvain glared at me. “Not a threat? Do you know what you have done, girl? Do you have even the faintest notion of what you have brought back?”

I opened my mouth to start to protest that I hadn’t even meant to bring a dragon back. Then I closed it again. Would it really benefit me to tell the truth? To say it had all been an accident?

Right now, Lord Sylvain was afraid of me. If I said I’d done all of this unwittingly I’d look like a fool. Worse, I’d lose whatever edge I had. Better that they fear me than know the truth. That I was as powerless as they were when it came to controlling Nyxaris.

“I want her confined.” Lord Sylvain was finally finding his confidence. “Chained. We cannot risk her doing it again.”

“You really are a greater idiot than I took you for, Sylvain,” Viktor snapped. “A great bungling coward.”

For once, I agreed with Blake’s uncle. I took a risk. “I don’t understand. Isn’t this what you wanted?” I asked the question of all of them, but my eyes were on Viktor.

His eyes narrowed as he looked back at me.

“Lord Drakharrow, you wanted this to happen, didn’t you?” I prompted. “Aren’t the highbloods more powerful with dragons?”

“Dragons, yes,” he snapped. “Plural. And you woke the wrong fucking one, girl.”

I flinched.

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