Page 83 of Tempest Blazing
Selena hesitated, gaze flickering between me and Mason before stepping back. "You're right. Let's leave the little human to her fantasies. She won't last long enough to matter."
She turned and strode away, sharp laughter echoing as Valen followed. I watched them go, jaw clenched so tight it ached.
"Don't let them get to you," Mason said quietly. His hand shifted on my shoulder, fingers tracing the curve of my neck.
I let out a shaky breath, the tension draining from my shoulders. "Yeah. Easier said than done."
Mason's thumb brushed against my pulse point, grounding me in the moment. As the last of the crowd trickled out, I turned back to the glowing board. My name still glowed there, defiant against the odds.
Chapter 35
Tess
The outdoor training area was unrecognizable.
In its place—this massive arena that made my chest tighten just looking at it. Magical wards shimmered along the boundaries, buzzing against my skin like live wires as I approached. Tiered seating stretched up and around us, big enough for dragons and the crowds come to watch us potentially die.
The scale of it hit me like a punch. This wasn't just a test. This was a spectacle.
I stopped dead at the edge of the field, scanning the crowd. Dragons perched on the upper tiers like jeweled gargoyles, their scales catching sunlight and throwing it back in violent streaks of green, blue, and gold.
My pulse hammered against my throat. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but I couldn't. Wouldn't. I'd come too far to back down now—no matter what they threw at me in there. I had to prove I belonged here, that I was worthy of standing among them.
"Tess."
That voice.
I turned to see Mason cutting through the chaos toward me, his towering frame the only steady thing in this madness.
"Mason," I breathed, relief flooding through me so fast it made me dizzy.
He didn't say a word—just wrapped me up, his arms tight around me as he pressed a kiss to my forehead. The bond between us thrummed, his emotions flowing into me—love, reassurance, and this unshakable belief in me that I didn't know how to carry.
"You've got this," he murmured, voice rough with certainty.
I nodded against his chest, stealing his confidence because mine felt paper-thin. But underneath the fear, something harder crystallized. I would not fail. Not here, not now. Whatever it took to pass this trial, I'd do it. When he finally stepped back, I could breathe again.
"Come on," he said, jerking his chin toward the seating area. "The others are waiting."
We pushed through to the section reserved for applicants, where Kane, Draven, Anya, and Raze were already seated. The group was a mess of nerves and bravado—Raze bouncing his leg like he might explode, while Kane sat perfectly still, unreadable as stone.
"Took you long enough," Draven drawled, hazel eyes dancing with that particular brand of asshole mischief as he leaned back in his chair. "We were starting to think you'd chickened out."
"Not a chance," I shot back.
Anya offered me a smile that was probably meant to be reassuring. "Don't let him get to you. We're all nervous. Even him."
Draven smirked but didn't bother denying it.
I dropped into the seat between Mason and Anya, and Kane leaned forward, those sharp blue-violet eyes scanning the arena like he was calculating something. I followed his gaze. The lower seats were packed—vampires with their unsettling stillness, fae with their ethereal, too-perfect grace, and werewolves radiating barely leashed energy.
"The turnout is larger than usual," he noted, tone clipped and clinical. "The presence of so many faction representatives suggests heightened interest—or scrutiny."
"Because of me," I said softly, the weight of it settling on my shoulders like lead.
"Partly," Kane admitted, his gaze flicking to mine. "You're the first human applicant. That alone would draw attention. But the Harbinger threat has accelerated everything. They need Dragon Riders, and they need them now. Your success—or failure—will be seen as a reflection of their decision to allow humans into the Guild."
No pressure or anything.
