Page 24 of Tempest Rising

The heat pouring off him was immense, dancing along my skin like a faint burn. Yet there she stood—fragile as glass but unwavering as steel. Steady. Defiant.

And driving me out of my damned mind.

"She feels fear,"Yrden’s mental voice was softer now, with the faintest trace of satisfaction."But she does not let it rule her. That is rare."

"Or reckless," I shot back at him silently. "You don’t know her like I do."

"Then perhaps you should do more than watch from your walls, Rider,"Yrden countered, his tone tinged with disapproval."You fear what she inspires in you. Admit it."

Damned dragon. He knew me too well, and worse, he wasn’t wrong. I hated that I couldn’t put distance between myself and whatever Tess was kindling inside me.

Yrden chose that moment to huff, releasing a cloud of steam from his nostrils, the sound a deep, rumbling chuckle. He was amused. Amused by this human who didn’t know any better.

I, however, wasn’t amused at all.

“Enough,” I barked, stepping forward. Tess flinched slightly at my tone but didn’t back down. “We’re not here for you to make friends with my dragon, Tess. You’re here to prove that you can handle this life. That you can survive.”

Her gaze snapped to me, narrowing ever so slightly. “I know why I’m here, Theron.”

“Do you?” I crossed my arms over my chest, my eyes boring into hers. “Because so far, all I’ve seen is someone playing at being a Dragon Rider.”

Before Tess could respond, the air around us thickened, and I felt the unmistakable shift of power. Another shadow passed over the arena, and a rush of wind hit me square in the chest as the unmistakable shape of wings descended from the sky.

Thalon landed in a whirlwind of sand and heat, the force of his descent so great that Yrden’s earlier landing felt like a mere echo in comparison. His massive body shimmered with a surreal, liquid grace—his scales, obsidian shot through with veins of gold, rippled like molten metal. His amber eyes glowed as they locked onto Tess, and then, with infuriating ease, he lowered his head until he was level with her, his massive snout mere inches from her.

I clenched my fists. Of course he would do this—swoop in at exactly the right moment, as if he could sense the tension from miles away. And Tess... She didn’t even flinch. Instead, a faint smile tugged at her lips, her golden-brown eyes softening as she gazed at him.

Sherelaxedaround him, the tension that had been building between us bleeding out of her like it was nothing.

The knot in my chest tightened.

Tess turned her head, her expression distant—that look a new rider got whenever they were communicating mentally with their dragon. Her lips moved ever so slightly, but her words were lost to me. She was talking to him, and I had no way of knowing what was being said. I knew that silence—that damnable silence where she went somewhere I could never follow. I felt it like a sharp pull inside my chest.

“Focus, Tess!” I snapped, my voice cutting through the air. Her eyes snapped back to me, startled, but there was something different in her gaze now—calmer, more assured. What the hell had Thalon told her?

Thalon let out a soft, low sound—a rumbling chuckle that made the sand beneath us tremble. He wasn’t just amused; he wasmockingme. I knew it without needing to hear him speak. The damn dragon liked her too much, and worse, he clearly didn’t take me seriously.

Tess stood a little straighter, her back rigid, but her lips quirked up in a faint smile. She wasn’t just amused bymydragon anymore—she was taking strength fromhers.

“This isn’t a game!” I snapped, unable to keep the edge from my voice.

Tess blinked, pulling herself out of whatever conversation she’d been having with the beast, but the amusement in her eyes didn’t fully disappear. There was something maddeningly serene about her now, as if Thalon’s presence alone was enough to fill her with confidence.

Yrden shifted beside me, his molten eyes narrowing. He could feel my frustration—but he wasn’t the one grating on my nerves right now. It washerand that infuriating connection she had with Thalon.

She stepped closer to Thalon, her fingers brushing against the side of his massive snout, and without meaning to, I took a step forward.

What was I going to do? Pull her away? Demand she stop relying on him? What good would that do? She was bonded to him. I couldn’t change that, and deep down, I didn’t want to. Not really.

But Icouldpush her. Test her limits. See whether she relied on that bond too much—or if she had the strength to stand on her own.

“Alright,” I said, my voice low but steady as I stepped forward. “If you think that bond’s going to make you stronger, then prove it. This isn’t just about dragons, Tess. This is aboutyou. Show me you can handle it—physically and in combat. Destroy the targets. Show me you're not just playing at this.”

With a flick of my wrist, I summoned the training scenario. The earth trembled as jagged stone pillars erupted from the ground, forming an uneven battlefield. Above the pillars, enchanted disks shimmered into existence—each glowing faintly, whirring as they hovered in midair. Their movements were erratic, darting without warning, like predatory birds circling for the kill.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” I muttered, my gaze locked on Tess.

I stepped back, crossing my arms, while Yrden growled low behind me. But I paid him no mind. My focus was entirely onher—and the electricity that crackled in the air between her and Thalon. The dragon’s molten amber gaze simmered with pride as he watched her, his presence both grounding and empowering.

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