Page 87 of The Bond That Burns

I felt the weight of Nyxaris’s attention shift fully to me.And what did this Tanaka have to say?

I repeated some of what Kage had told me—his assurances that House Avari hadn’t been responsible for the enchantment that turned the dragons to stone.

Nyxaris listened in silence. When I finished, he let out an explosive snort that echoed through my mind like distant thunder.You trust the word of this highblood? Scion of the very house that once enslaved me?

I was shocked.They didn’t enslave you. I mean... Did they?I could sense his rising anger.Your riders came from House Avari. Didn’t you choose to fight for them?

Choose?Nyxaris’s voice was sharp.Does a child choose who their parents are? Do you really think dragons had a choice about who they would belong to?

You were the most powerful beings in the kingdom...I started to say.

We were bred by them.He cut me off.We were bound by blood magic to serve their ambitions. The Avaris used us, commanded us, manipulated us. Do not speak to me of choice.

I swallowed hard.I’m sorry. But Kage said you were loyal. That you didn’t give your loyalty freely. So I just thought...

Nyxaris fell silent for a moment.Loyalty is a fragile thing. My loyalty to House Avari was once unbreakable. But time, betrayal, and that cursed state of stone eroded it to nothing.

I hesitated.So...do you feel nothing for them now? No loyalty to Avari at all?

Another long silence.Perhaps a faint ember remains. A shadow of the bond that once tied us. I can hardly remember.His voice faded and for a moment, I thought he was gone.

Then he spoke again.Do not let their honeyed words deceive you. Even those who may seem different.

I’ll be careful,I said quietly.I’ll find the truth for you like I promised. I have another class with Professor Hassan tomorrow. I’ll try to get something out of her. I know she has answers for us.

Though getting them would be another story.

Good,Nyxaris rumbled.See that you make progress. Or you will be standing alone come time for your evaluation.

With that friendly threat, his presence faded, leaving me alone in the silence of my dark room.

CHAPTER 20 - MEDRA

“You must always remember your place,” Professor Hasson said, pacing the front of the room as I sat on a stone bench, obediently scribbling messy notes on the parchment I held precariously on my lap.

The classroom with its open wall to the sea must have originally been used for dragon riders, but it wasn’t particularly conducive to academic lectures. There were no desks to put my things on, for one. Not to mention when the wind picked up, we were both freezing. Not that Hassan would ever show it. She’d probably lecture through a snowstorm.

“Your allegiance belongs to the Tribunal and to the highbloods who have allowed you the privilege of continuing to breathe Sangrathan air. A dragon is a weapon, a tool for power. It is your duty to wield it on behalf of those who govern the realm.” Hassan was nothing if not repetitive. She tapped her cane on the stone floor, the sharp lines of her face set in a look of disapproval. Nothing new.

I studied her. The professor was dressed severely as always, her long hair streaked with silver pulled back into a tight bun, her ink-black gown devoid of embroidery or decorations. How had she gotten this way? Did she have any family of her own? How had she come to teach at Bloodwing? And more importantly, why the hell did she love highbloods so damned much?

The coercion magic may have been wavering but Hassan’s loyalty was unshakable. I doubted anything could change it.

Hassan’s cane slammed down on the stone seat in front of me and I jumped.

“Riders,” she said, when she’d made sure she’d regained my full attention. “Are not partners to dragons. Nor are they equals to the highbloods who command them. Riders are intermediaries.”

I thought it was a little ridiculous that she kept referring to “riders” in the plural, as if I wasn’t the only one. But I wasn’t about to point this out.

“You are a bridge. A necessary tool to channel power from one point to another. That is all. Never forget it.” I felt the weight of her eyes on me. “Highbloods, despite being the rightful rulers of Sangratha, may not speak directly to dragons. That is the role of the rider. The dragon may see you as its rider but never mistake its obedience for loyalty toyou.” Her lips thinned as she glared down at me. “The dragon’s true loyalty, if a beast may be said to have any, belongs to the highblood house which commands it.”

I wondered if Kage would disagree. After all, he’d told me Nyxaris had been loyal to his riders and not merely his house.

She leaned down, punctuating every word with a tap of her infernal cane. “You are an instrument. Your purpose is to convey the will of the highbloods and to ensure that your dragon performs its duty. Nothing more.”

I forced myself to stay silent, swallowing all of the arguments that were threatening to burn a hole in my throat. I knew Nyxaris would hate Hassan.

There was a knock at the door and Hassan’s head snapped towards it, annoyance crossing her face. She glanced at me, then moved to the door.

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