Page 55 of Tempest Awakening

"Golden light?" Instructor Aelar interrupted, his ageless face betraying a flicker of intrigue. "That's consistent with ancient accounts of Soul Resonance."

I furrowed my brow, confused. "Soul Resonance? What's that?"

Kane stepped forward, his voice cool and measured. "If I may, sir. I witnessed the event. The golden light was visible to all present. It enveloped both Tess and Thalon. Though I didn’t realize it was Tess at the time."

Master Burke's scarred face remained impassive, but his eyes betrayed a hint of concern. "Soul Resonance hasn't been recorded in centuries. How can we be certain that's what occurred here?"

"I don't know what Soul Resonance is," I said, "but I can feel him now. Thalon, I mean. In my mind. We're... connected."

As the others continued to debate, I felt Thalon's presence in my mind grow stronger.

“Soul Resonance, little one,”his deep voice resonated in my thoughts, “is an extremely rare phenomenon in dragon-rider bonding. It occurs when a dragon feels a deep, intrinsic connection to the soul of a potential rider.”

I listened, fascinated, as Thalon continued. “Normally, dragons and riders form bonds through a Binding Spell, which requires mutual consent and involves combining elements from bothparties—typically the dragon's fire and the rider's blood. It's a formal process, often followed by ceremonial rituals.”

"But that's not what happened with us, right?" I whispered, barely aware I was speaking aloud.

“Correct,”Thalon confirmed. “Soul Resonance bonding is different. It forms spontaneously, without the need for a formal Binding Spell. When we touched, with our emotions aligned perfectly, it triggered the bond. That's why there was no need for rituals or blood exchange. That's why everyone is so shocked, Tess. Soul Resonance is so rare that it hasn't been recorded in hundreds of years. It's considered almost mythical in dragon rider lore. No one expected to see it happen... especially not with a human.”

As I processed this information, a sudden wave of insecurity washed over me. “Thalon,”I thought, hoping he could hear me, “are you... are you okay with this? I mean, I'm just a human. Surely you would have preferred a more powerful or experienced rider?”

I felt a wave of warmth and reassurance flow through our bond, so strong it nearly took my breath away.

“Little one,”Thalon's voice was filled with amusement and affection, “I am more than satisfied with our bond. You are not 'just' a human. You are my rider, chosen by the very essence of who we are. Our souls resonate in perfect harmony—a connection so rare and precious that it transcends species or experience.”

His conviction was unwavering as he continued, “Your humanity is not a weakness, Tess. It is part of what makes you uniquely suited to be my rider. Our bond will bring strengths that neither of us could have imagined alone.”

I felt a lump form in my throat, touched by the depth of Thalon's acceptance and faith in me.

"This is unprecedented," Instructor Alvarez said, drawing my attention. "A dragon forming a Soul Resonance bond with a human? It raises serious questions about the nature of our bonding process."

Instructor Aelar nodded, his piercing blue eyes never leaving me. "Indeed. If a human with no formal training can achieve such a bond, what does that mean for our carefully cultivated selection process?"

As the instructors debated amongst themselves, the beating of powerful wings filled the air. All heads turned to see a magnificent dragon descending, its rust-colored scales glinting in the sunlight. My heart leapt as I recognized the dragon from the night of the car accident.

“That's Yrdren,”Thalon's voice resonated in my mind.

Which meant the rider was... My eyes moved to the figure astride Yrdren's back, confirming my suspicion.

“That's Theron Blackwell,”Thalon supplied. “He's a Dragon Rider Instructor.”

So that was his name…

As Theron approached, I couldn't help but notice that he was just as devastatingly handsome as I remembered from that evening only a few weeks ago. His thick black hair was tousled from the flight, and his emerald green eyes seemed to pierce right through me. The way he moved, with the grace and power of a seasoned warrior, made my breath catch in my throat.

I found myself acutely aware of his presence, the way his muscular frame filled out his riding leathers, the strong line ofhis jaw now set in a grim expression. For a moment, I felt a wave of relief at seeing a familiar face.

"What in the name of all that's sacred is going on here?" Theron demanded, his deep voice sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. "Why was the challenge halted?"

Master Burke squared his shoulders. "Instructor Blackwell, we have an... unexpected development. It seems Ms. Whittaker here has formed a bond with Thalon during the Compatibility Challenge."

At the mention of my name, Theron's gaze snapped to me. His eyes widened in recognition, and for a split second, I saw a flicker of the kindness I remembered from that night. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a storm of emotions—shock, disbelief, and then, unmistakably, anger.

"You," he said, his voice low and taut with barely contained fury. His emerald eyes blazed with an intensity that made me want to take a step back. "Of course it would be you."

I flinched. What had happened to the man who had comforted me after the accident? Why was he looking at me like I was his worst nightmare come to life?

Theron's jaw clenched as he turned back to Master Burke. "This is impossible. She's human. She shouldn't even be here, let alone bonding with one of our most powerful dragons."

---