Page 8 of The Bond That Burns

I groaned. “All of Summerfell? Really? Two months of waiting?”

Two months of lying and bluffing.

“Eventually, that dragon is going to need to make an actual appearance.” He ran a hand over his face. “Have you tried begging?”

“I begged. Believe me, I begged.” And now Nyxaris was gone. I couldn’t hear him in my mind. Did that mean I had no way of reaching him again?

“Best case scenario, they’ll agree you need to continue at Bloodwing and intensify your rider training. There might be pressure on you to repeat what you did before and try to wake another dragon.”

“Absolutely fucking not,” I said automatically. I could just imagine having to lie abouttwodragons.

“Good. I wouldn’t suggest that. At least, not unless you get a tight control on Nyxaris.” His concerned expression told me just how worried he really was.

“It was an accident,” I reminded him. I thought of what he’d just said. “What’s the worst case scenario?”

“They decide to destroy you. Both of you.”

I gaped at him. “What?”

Rodriguez’s face was stony.

“That’s insane. They just got a dragon back. Why would they want to destroy it?” I asked, feeling stunned.

“So that the entire kingdom doesn’t devolve into infighting and civil war resulting in the loss of countless lives, especially blightborn ones? I’d say that’s a pretty good reason,” Rodriguez replied with discouraging coolness.

“Or they could just agree to... let bygones be bygones.”

Rodriguez’s lips twitched. “To let dragons be dragons, you mean?”

I nodded.

“You need to remember where you are, Miss Pendragon,” he said, not unkindly. “In the heart of the lion’s den.”

“You mean the vampire’s den,” I muttered. “Which is so much worse.”

He gestured ahead of us. “Speaking of highbloods, someone’s waiting for you.”

I turned to where he pointed and frowned.

Blake leaned against the wall next to the entrance to the House Drakharrow Tower.

“Damn vampire speed,” I muttered under my breath. He’d beaten us there, so he must have gone another route.

“I’ll see her the rest of the way from here,” Blake said, stepping forward.

Rodriguez nodded. “No Viktor?”

Blake shook his head. “But he’ll be back.”

“Of course he will.” Rodriguez whistled. “Well, good luck, Miss Pendragon. Goodnight.”

“I’ll show you to your room,” Blake said, as Rodriguez walked away.

Before I could reply, he’d turned and I had to follow.

Vampire speed... and very long legs. I picked up my pace.

I didn’t want to be there, and yet I couldn’t help but feel a prick of curiosity as we entered House Drakharrow's privileged space. Come Autumntide, this was supposed to be my new home. Before the events of the evening, I’d even looked forward to moving into the tower.

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