Page 45 of Court of Secrets and Flames

We enter the paddock in silence, and my breath catches as we approach several dragons.

“Unlike you, I can’t sense a dragon’s emotions. But I’ve been around them practically my entire life, and I’ve become pretty adept at reading their body language.”

Not a hint of cockiness in his declaration. Just fact.

“That explains why you were so at ease around the alicorns at Flighthaven.”

He nods. “Dragons and alicorns aren’t so different really. They’re both powerful, highly intelligent creatures. As long as you respect them, they’ll typically respect you.”

“What about riding them? Is it similar?”

“Similar…yes. But not entirely the same. Dragons can be more temperamental. And of course, they’re much larger. It’ll be an adjustment going from riding alicorns to dragons partly because of their massive size, but you’ll get used to it pretty quickly.”

Spurred by the sheer excitement of riding a dragon, questions tumble from my lips for another ten or fifteen minutes.

“All right, are you ready to get started, or do you have any more burning queries that won’t keep?”

“Actually, just one more. Then I promise I’m set.”

“Out with it.” He puts a hand on his hip in mock exasperation. “Time’s wasting.”

“Sorry, I’m just excited.” I can’t stop the grin that’s trying to break free. “Is there a certain dragon that you ride, or do you ride them all?”

“Since I have wings, that’s often how I fly. But I’ve ridden a few of the dragons. Typically, I ride Tanwen.” He indicates a green dragon about twenty feet from us. “We sort of have a connection. An understanding, if you will.”

“Like a friendship.”

“Exactly.”

“So who am I going to ride today?”

When I catch a glimpse of movement in my peripheral, unease ripples through every part of my body.

It’s the orange dragon who very easily could have incinerated the day after I arrived at the palace.

I lower my gaze. The dragon’s probably just passing by.

Except he isn’t.

The ground shakes as the enormous creature draws nearer…and stops in front of me.

“There’s your answer.” Knox’s mouth twitches in amusement. “I think he just decided for you.”

“Oh.” I swallow hard, determined not to be afraid, or at least determined to lock down my fear so that I’m not projecting it to every dragon within miles. “Does he have a name?”

He shrugs. “Orange?”

I wrinkle my nose. “Please tell me you’re not serious. The dragon you ride has a regal name like Tanwen, and you call this one Orange?”

At least Knox has the decency to appear sheepish. “To be fair, I’ve never ridden him. And many of the dragons here aren’t named. If it makes you feel better, you can name him.The others too…kind of seems fitting anyway, since you’re a dragoncaller.”

Enthusiasm bubbles beneath my ribs. “All right.” I get the distinct sense that “Orange” is watching me, though every fiber of my being screams at me to not lock eyes with him. “I’ll have to think about it, though.”

Knox gives me a few pointers for getting on a dragon, and although he’s an excellent teacher, I don’t know how I’m ever going to pull it off. He scales Tanwen’s foreleg and somehow vaults onto the green dragon’s back with ease.

My jaw just about hits the ground. “That was something else.”

Knox’s laugher rings out across the paddock, causing several dragons to glimpse our way. “Did you just give me a compliment?”

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