Page 6 of The Bond That Burns

“You know more about dragons than all of these people put together,” I blurted out. “Did you know this would happen?”

He shook his head. “Not all of them. One man was there when dragons flew, long before tonight.”

“Viktor?”

He nodded. “He’s the oldest living highblood in Sangratha. Did you know that?”

“I’m not surprised,” I said sourly. “He looks like the epitome of ancient evil.”

Rodriguez smirked. “He’s not particularly likable, is he?”

“He’s a fucking monster,” I spat. “And you don’t have to hide your hate from me, Rodriguez. I know you do. Hatethem, I mean.”

His face tensed up and I knew I’d said too much.

Still, I had so many questions. I wasn’t about to hold back now. “Why did the dragons disappear in the first place?”

“You mean you haven’t learned that already in any of your classes?” Rodriguez said. It was clear he knew the answer.

“No. Or in the books you told me to read.” I frowned. “They were written before the last dragon disappeared. Where are the others?”

“Others?” Rodriguez tilted his head.

“Books that were written about why the dragons disappeared. About how,” I said with frustration. “And what about the four stone dragons? How did they get like that? Obviously Nyxaris was under some sort of curse or enchantment.”

Rodriguez nodded thoughtfully. “That seems like a reasonable conclusion.”

“Oh, come off it,” I demanded. “You knew. You knew all along. You wanted me to wake him. You wanted me to take that book.”

Rodriguez’s eyes were suddenly hawklike. “I never said that, Miss Pendragon. You stole that book from my office, as I recall.”

“I borrowed it,” I countered. “And I don’t think you were really all that upset with me when I did. Maybe you wanted me to.”

“Why would I want that? Why would I want the highbloods to get back their greatest weapons?”

“I don’t know,” I exclaimed. “Tell me. Because clearly there are reasons.”

“Reasons you can’t find in the history books I gave you? How fascinating.”

“So we’re going to dance around this, are we?” I shook my head in frustration. “Fine. Be that way. But there is a fucking dragon out there right now. Flying free. Because of me.”

“So you did do it on purpose?”

“No!” I blurted out. “You know I didn’t.”

He studied me. “Yet you did it. A blood ritual of some sort. Why were you conducting such a ritual in the first place? Why take the book if it wasn’t to awaken a dragon?”

“I had another reason. A good one,” I said reluctantly. “Consider this an accidental side effect.”

Rodriguez sighed. He seemed to be relaxing again a little. He ran a hand over his hair. “Look, there’s too much to tell. So much it’s too risky to share.”

“If you can’t trust me, who can you trust?” I demanded. “He was in my head, Professor. In my damned head.”

Rodriguez looked fascinated. “Nyxaris, you mean?”

I nodded. “He speaks Classical Sangrathan. Did you know that?”

“And you do, too?” He shook his head. “I suppose we should be grateful, however you came to that knowledge.” He looked at me curiously. “What did he say? Where did he go?”

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