Page 71 of Severed Heir

Ahead of us, Ciaran clawed at the dirt, wings flaring wide just as Headmaster Mundair’s voice thundered across the field.

“Riders, mount your dragons! It’s time to race!”

I turned to go, but Klaus caught my arm. “Hey. This course can be deadly. Don’t die on me.”

Sentimental? From Klaus Blanche? Unheard of. I smirked. “Don’t go soft on me, Blanche. Trying to psych me out before the race?”

But he didn’t laugh. He just pressed a folded note to my chest. “If I don’t make it, give this to my family.”

“Klaus—”

“There’s one for my sister. I want you to read it to her in person.”

Before I could say more, Mundair’s voice cut through the air. “Archer! Klaus! Mount up or forfeit!”

Klaus gave a tight nod. “Just a precaution.”

But Klaus Blanche didn’t believe in precautions, he knew everything. Day one, he’d warned me about four students who turned out to be smuggling illegal herbs through the upper dorms.

Unfortunately, we were alsolinked. An ill-timed mind bond that should’ve been a curse, until we both found out our dragons were twins. Two barely-adult guys sharing thoughts? Disastrous, awkward, and occasionally hilarious.

Most days, I blocked him out. Klaus Blanche had many talents, but subtlety wasn’t one of them. He flirted with professors, narrated his life like he was the main character, and made sure no one ever forgot it.

Just then, Delair brushed past, her fingers grazing my bicep like I might finally give in to her flirtations right before a race that could kill us.

“Better get moving, Arch,” she purred. “Wouldn’t want you to be disqualified.”

She rode the fastest wyvern at the Academy. Her great-grandfather had been a royal racer, back when civilians bet on dragons like prize stallions. You didn’t need to be a Seeker to know that she was going to win this race.

“I appreciate your concern,” I said, stepping neatly out of reach.

Klaus’s voice snapped through the bond as he mounted Naraic.“When are you going to tell Delair off? She’s obsessed. Not in the hot way. In the stalker way.”

“She’s a distraction,”I muttered.“And I don’t do emotions.”

“What’ll your future wife think when I tell her you used girls to cope?”

“Use this bond for something useful. And I’m not getting married.”

Delair narrowed her eyes. “Klaus talking again? You always get that glazed, constipated look when he’s in your head.”

“Not now, Delair.”

She twirled a strand of silvery-blonde hair around her finger. “I’ll be in the showers after the race,” she said. “Come find me. Maybe I’ll teach you how to shut off that bond for good.”

I gave her a slow glance, letting the edge of a smile rise. “Tempting,” I said, voice low. “But hooking up with a rival? That never ends well.” I swung onto Ciaran’s back without another look.

I wasn’t in the mood to be someone else’s regret. Especially not a rival whose father and brother held guard ranks high enough to bury me without consequence.

Across the field, Klaus didn’t miss a beat.“You just flirted with her. Tell her to go away.”

“I subtly told her how bad of an idea it would be,”I muttered in my head.“Gods, stay out of my personal life.”

Then the king stepped onto the field, and beside him was Charles Blanche. I didn’t understand why Malvoria was here.

“Klaus,”I murmured, eyes narrowing.“Your brother’s here.”

“I see him,”Klaus said coolly.“Cully’s here, too, apparently. Probably bribed his way in with poetry. If you spot him, let me know so I can threaten him into writing my good side into his next Serpent Press article.”

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