Page 128 of The Shattered Rite
She watched him carefully. "And is it worth seeing?"
His gaze returned to her. Sharp. Restless. "It is."
Then, after a pause: "I hate not knowing the shape of something dangerous."
That made her laugh—quiet, worn, but real. "Is that what we are to you? A threat?"
His expression didn’t shift, but something in his eyes did. A hesitation. A quiet gravity.
"I think you’re a woman trying not to fall apart while the world tries to split you open."
The words hit her like a blade beneath her ribs. Gentle, but precise.
She turned her face away, unable to meet that honesty. Her voice was low. "You’re not wrong. But you’re not exactly a soft place to land, either. You’ve got the look of someone who’s watched too many people bleed."
A beat.
"I’ve watched more than just bleeding," Malric said softly. His voice didn’t stretch for drama. It simply settled. Plain and cold. "I’ve seen what comes before it. And after. The silence. The choices."
As his words settled, Vaeronth’s voice stirred lazily but alert within her mind.
He’s watching you too closely,the dragon said, his tone low but unimpressed.Should I burn him?
Without thinking, Eliryn responded aloud. "Not yet."
Malric blinked, thrown for half a second. "...Not yet what?"
She flushed, realizing. "Vaeronth, my dragon. He’s just—being himself."
Pity,Vaeronth mused, smug in her mind.I need the practice.
Eliryn cleared her throat, glancing skyward. "He’s feeling dramatic."
Malric studied her a moment longer, then nodded once. "Smart dragon." He didn’t press.
She tilted her head, wary but trying not to show it. “What are youreallydoing here, Malric?”
His gaze flicked to Vaeronth overhead. When he answered, his voice had thinned to something quieter, something harder.
“I wanted to see him.”
She blinked. “And?”
A pause.
“Well… I’d be lying if I said I was only here for the dragon.”
That landed heavier than she expected.
“You’ve been watching me,” she said slowly, testing the waters.
His gaze didn’t shift. “Since your village” A beat. “But I thought I had already made that clear.”
“Because someone ordered you to?” she pressed.
His expression shifted. Not guilt. Not shame. Something darker.
“What did you expect?” he said softly. “You’re the last dragonrider. Of course someone wants you watched.”
