Page 1 of Tempest Blazing
Chapter 1
Tess
Moriyana had granted me special access to the restricted section of the Library, where Draconic Bonds and Their Sacred Origins waited for me among other forbidden texts—fragments of stories about the Heart of Creation scattered across its ancient pages.
I'd been hunched over the reading table for hours, mybrain jumping between half-formed theories about sacred guardianship and divine protection when something made me pause.
The air shifted. Changed. A chill ran through me.
That familiar prickle ran down my spine—the one I'd been getting more and more since my bond with Mason deepened. My newly enhanced senses screamed that I wasn't alone anymore.
The restricted section was supposed to be empty except for me. Moriyana had made that clear when she'd given me access. But something was wrong. Very wrong.
I set down my pen carefully, barely breathing as I shot to my feet, my chair barely scraping against the floor. The books around me fluttered their pages in agitation, and I could feel the Library itself... shifting. The warm presence that usually comforted me had gone sharp. Defensive. Pressing against my skin like a warning.
"What's going on?" I whispered to the empty air.
The lights flickered, and shadows danced across the walls in patterns that didn't match any light source. My heart hammered against my ribs as I pressed my palms flat against the reading table, grounding myself. Someone was here who shouldn't be.
Then I heard them—footsteps. Fast, purposeful, moving through the stacks with practiced stealth.
Shit.
I grabbed the nearest book—a hefty tome on elemental theory—my magic already stirring beneath my skin with that familiar golden warmth tinged with something sharper. Purple fire, maybe. But I couldn't risk flames in here, not surrounded by centuries of irreplaceable knowledge. The footsteps were getting closer, accompanied by a low muttering I couldn't quite make out. The tome would have to do as a weapon.
A figure emerged from between the towering shelves, moving like a predator toward an even more restricted section deeper in the archives. Black clothes, hood up, face hidden. But the way he moved—shoulders set, weight balanced—screamed Guild training.
He wasn't supposed to be here. The Library's defenses should have fried anyone without permission. And the way shadows clung to him? Yeah, he definitely hadn't used the front door.
The intruder went straight to a particular shelf, gloved fingers finding what he wanted like he'd done this before. When he pulled the book free, I caught a glimpse of ancient leather bound with silver wire, symbols that made my eyes water just looking at them.
Heart of Creation: Origins and Applications.
Oh, hell no.
"Hey!" I stepped out from my hiding spot, brandishing my improvised weapon. "Put that back!"
The figure spun toward me, and I caught a flash of pale skin beneath the hood before he raised his hand. Dark energy crackled between his fingers, and suddenly I couldn't breathe. The temperature plummeted.
Instinct took over. My magic surged upward, golden light erupting from my skin as I threw up my hands. "Golden Shield!"
The barrier materialized between us—not the shimmering dome I'd managed before, but a solid wall of golden fire that stretched from floor to ceiling. The intruder's attack hit it and scattered like rain against glass, dark sparks hissing as they died.
But something fierce and protective had awakened in my chest, power flowing through me hot and strong. The shield began to curve, wrapping around the intruder like a golden cage.
"What the—" Male voice. Definitely surprised. He pressed against the barrier, and I saw his sleeves ride up, revealing the silver dragon wrapped around a sword tattooed on his wrist.
Guild insignia. My blood turned to ice.
"You're a Rider," I breathed, my concentration wavering. The shield flickered. A Rider? One of our own? Why would a Rider be stealing from the Library? Attacking me?
He took advantage of my shock, pulling something from his belt—a small crystal that pulsed with sickly green light. When he crushed it, shadows exploded outward, and my Golden Shield shattered like glass.
I stumbled backward, broken shield sending shards of golden energy ripping through me. My head throbbed, metallic tasteflooding my mouth. By the time my vision cleared, he was already moving, the stolen book clutched against his chest.
"Wait!" I lunged after him, but he was fast—faster than any human should be. He vaulted over a reading table and sprinted toward the far wall, where a section of stone was already beginning to ripple like water.
I threw myself forward, my fingers catching the edge of his cloak. As he twisted away, something crinkled against my palm—parchment. I yanked hard, tearing it free just as he dove through the wall.
