Page 88 of The Bond That Burns

She opened it, spoke to someone, then turned back to me. “Stay here,” she ordered, before stepping out into the corridor.

The moment the door closed behind her, I sprang to my feet. Hassan was never going to give me the answers I needed. I’d be a fool if I thought I’d ever win her over.

I moved quickly to her desk, scanning the array of books and papers that covered it.

Then I saw it. A thin leather dossier with a name emblazoned on the front:Nyxaris, Avari Duskdrake.

My pulse racing, I grabbed it and began flipping through the pages.

The first sections were detailed and clinical. Descriptions of Nyxaris’s physical capabilities: his wingspan, flight endurance, and firepower. I didn’t know where the information had even come from or if it was accurate. Had someone from Avari put the dossier together based on their historical records? Or were these simply educated guesses based on what they’d seen of Nyxaris so far?

I flipped through the dossier and the content changed to something more harrowing.

Historically designated as an enforcer. Nyxaris exhibited unparalleled efficiency in subduing rogue dragons and riders.

My heart flew into my mouth. Rogue dragons? Rogue riders?

Known for instilling terror among noncompliant factions. Deployment successful in 97% of cases.

Someone from House Avari must have written this. That, or the information had been stolen from them somehow.

My stomach churned as I absorbed the details. Why hadn’t Kage shared any of this with me? Nyxaris had been used as anenforcer. When other dragons or riders faltered or rebelled, he’d been sent to remind them of their place. The language was vague and militaristic, but the implications were horrifying. I read the term “punishment” more times than I could count.

Why hadn’t Nyxaris told me this himself? Did he even remember the details of his brutal past?

The next page contained a dire summary of his capabilities, alongside cryptic notes about “strategic utility” and “emergency measures.” It was clear that the Tribunal considered Nyxaris a weapon above all else, but that was no surprise.

I flipped a few pages and saw a heading that made my blood run cold.

Assessment of Rider Compatibility.My name was scrawled across the top and below it was a list of traits and observations, clearly made by Hassan.

Temperament: Stubborn. Questionable loyalty to highbloods. Willful and lacking in discipline. Challenges authority at every turn.

Connection to Nyxaris: Unknown. Rider is disrespectful and evasive.

Psychological Resilience: Moderate. Displays reckless tendencies.

Potential for Soul Binding: Cannot be determined. More sessions needed.

I read the last line twice, my blood turning to ice.

Potential for Soul Binding.

We learned about the ritual of soul binding last year when I’d attended one of Florence’s Magical Foundations classes with Professor Wispwood. She’d told us about the practice in which highbloods would perform the ritual on blightborn. The blightborn was supposed to willingly accept the vampire’s soul, allowing them to live on through them. But it hadn’t always been done willingly. And sometimes the blightborn had been riders. By binding their soul to a rider, the highblood could control a dragon directly. That is, if the ritual even worked. If it didn’t, the highblood could die.

I wracked my mind, trying to remember what else Professor Wispwood had said about the ritual. But I couldn’t remember everything.

Still, the price was obviously steep. Who would want to risk their own death?

And yet, the potential pay-out must have been worth it for some. A highblood could keep all of their vampire abilities–plus gain something incredibly elusive: the ability to control a dragon through their bond with their rider.

Meanwhile, the rider lost everything. Their soul was either destroyed or overridden by the highblood. I wasn’t sure what would be worse. Their body was invaded, taken from them.

My head was spinning. The checklist wasn’t just about evaluating my performance in the class. It was about determining whether I could be sacrificed.

My eyes darted to the bottom of the page, searching for a name, for any clue as to who had ordered this. This couldn’t be the Tribunal’s doing. Someone specific must have arranged for thisclass. Someone who wanted Nyxaris all to themselves. Someone willing to risk dying for the chance to fly a dragon.

Viktor Drakharrow was the obvious suspect. But I couldn’t be sure. Hassan didn’t belong to any house, did she? She was supposed to be neutral as an instructor. But some instructors clearly did have house affinities. I thought of Professor Allenvale who taught at a House Orphos school and wore their colors with pride. She was a highblood though. Maybe that made a difference.

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