Page 2 of Tempest Blazing
The stone sealed itself behind him with a sound like a sigh, leaving me sprawled on the floor clutching torn parchment.
I sat up, heart still pounding as I unfolded what I'd stolen.
The words made my blood freeze.
The Concordance Matrix—a forbidden spell designed to control bonds between people. Dragon bonds. Mate bonds. Any magical connection that linked souls together.
The parchment explained how the Matrix could sever these bonds permanently, cutting the threads that bound hearts and minds across species. It was meant to "preserve magical purity" and "protect established bloodlines" from what it called "contamination."
My hands started shaking.
This wasn't just about the Heart of Creation—this was about destroying bonds like mine.
The page was torn, clearly ripped from a larger tome, but at the bottom I could make out part of a title:"Protocols for Magical Purity and Bloodline Protection."
Bloodline protection. From me.
A Guild member had just tried to steal information about the Heart of Creation, and he'd been carrying intelligence about severing magical bonds. The kind of bond that made me the first human Dragon Rider in history.
My magic was still crackling under my skin, golden sparks dancing between my fingers as everything clicked into place. Someone within the Guild wanted to cut me off from my dragon. Wanted to sever the connection that had changed everything, that had made me more than just a broken human with trust issues and a talent for finding trouble.
But why? Was it because I was human? Because I'd bonded where no human had before? Were they trying to fix what they saw as a mistake?
I pushed myself to my feet, legs unsteady. The Library hummed around me, warm and concerned, but I could feel its alarm matching my own.
"Thanks," I whispered to the empty air. "But I think we're in bigger trouble than we thought."
I folded the parchment carefully and tucked it into my pocket. The stolen book was gone, but this was evidence. Proof that someone was planning to cut magical bonds and "protect bloodlines" from contamination.
My magic pulsed again, stronger this time, and I felt something I'd never experienced before—a deep, protective fury that went way beyond my own safety.
Someone wanted to cut the bonds that held our world together.
Over my dead body.
Chapter 2
Tess
I was still staring at the sealed wall when footsteps echoed through the restricted section. Multiple sets, moving fast and purposeful. My heart lurched—had the intruder come back? But these footsteps were too heavy, too coordinated.
Security.
I shoved the torn parchment deeper into my pocket just as three figures rounded the corner. Two men in the deep purple uniforms of Library security, and behind them, a woman with the silver dragon insignia gleaming on her collar. In my first weeks here, I'd rarely seen security—they usually kept to the background, invisible unless needed. But since the Harbinger Forest fire attack, they'd become more visible.
A chill ran down my spine. If the intruder was from the Guild, could I trust these security officers? The Guild was technically part of the Library—what if they'd already infiltrated the Library's protective forces? My mind raced through what I should and shouldn't reveal.
"Miss Whittaker." The woman stepped forward, her voice crisp and professional. "We received an alert about unauthorized magical activity in this section."
"There was an intruder," I said carefully. "Someone broke in through the wall and attacked me. I defended myself."
The security leader—her nameplate read 'Commander Hayes'—exchanged a look with her companions. Something passed between them that made my skin crawl.
"An intruder," she repeated, pulling out a small device that hummed with magical energy. She swept it through the air, frowning at whatever readings it gave her. "Can you describe this alleged intruder?"
Alleged. The word hit like a slap.
"Male voice, dark clothing, fast moving. He stole a book from the restricted collection." I gestured toward the empty shelf where the tome had been. "You can see it's missing."
