Page 71 of Tempest Blazing
"You've got this, love," Draven murmured, that smooth undertone making something flutter in my chest.
A few feet away, Anya lingered at the edge of our group, her violet eyes fixed on the dragons with desperate intensity. She'd been quieter than usual during breakfast, picking at her food while the rest of us discussed strategy and technique. Her pale hands trembled as she adjusted the protective charms on her dark robes, and I felt a pang of sympathy.
But sympathy was a luxury I couldn't afford. Not with all these eyes on me, waiting for me to fail. Not when I had to prove that I belonged here—that I was more than the broken thing they'd tried to make me in that ring. We were all competing for the same spots, all fighting to prove we belonged here. Some of us wouldn't make it, and I couldn't afford to let sentiment cloud my judgment.
Kane stood further away, closer to the other applicants, his white hair stark against the stone backdrop. He hadn't looked in my direction since we'd arrived, but I could feel the tension radiating from him like heat waves. After last night—after that kiss and the way he'd pulled away—everything between us felt charged and uncertain.
Massive wings cut through air above us, and my heart settled into a steadier rhythm. Thalon descended with fluid grace, his scales shifting from obsidian to molten gold as he landed beside me with surprising delicacy for something his size. The otherdragons began following suit, each choosing their partner with movements that spoke of ancient intelligence.
"Little one,"Thalon's voice whispered through our bond, warm and reassuring. "Your heart races like a hummingbird's wings."
"Can you blame me?"I reached out to place my hand against the warm scales of his neck. The contact sent a pulse of calm through our connection. But beneath it, steel resolve hardened. I would not be pitied. I would not be underestimated.
"They watch to learn, not to condemn,"he said, though amusement in his mental voice suggested he didn't entirely believe that himself. "Well, most of them."
I followed his gaze to the balcony where Silvius stood like a statue carved from judgment itself. "Most of them."
"Focus on us,"Thalon advised, his massive head turning to study me with eyes that held depths of molten amber. "Let our bond speak louder than their doubts."
Headmaster Northfall's voice rang out across the amphitheater, magically amplified. "Today's exercises will focus on synchronization and resonance—the fundamental building blocks of the rider-dragon bond. You will be evaluated on precision, control, and the depth of connection you can achieve with your partner."
Around us, the other pairs were settling into position. Anya struggled to establish contact with a smaller copper dragon, her movements jerky with nerves as the creature regarded her with polite disinterest. Mason had been chosen by a magnificent earth dragon whose scales seemed made of living stone, while Draven stood beside a sleek shadow dragon that moved like liquid darkness.
"I can't—" Anya's voice cracked, barely audible. "Please, I just need—"
She turned toward me, violet eyes wide with panic. The familiar tug of wanting to help pulled at me, but something harder pushed back—the memory of hands grabbing me, dragging me into that ring while people cheered. The weight of every gaze in this amphitheater pressing down like chains. Anya had been kind to me, had offered friendship when I'd felt isolated and alone.
"Tess," Anya whispered, taking a step closer. "You're so good at this. Could you—could you show me how you're doing it? I can feel the connection, but it keeps slipping away."
The request hung between us. I felt Thalon's attention shift to the struggling pair, his dragon's instinct to help, to guide. But Silvius's gaze was a weight on my shoulders, every moment being evaluated. I couldn't show weakness. Couldn't let them see me as someone who needed to help others because I wasn't strong enough to stand alone.
My jaw clenched. This was my moment to prove I'd changed, that I was more than the victim they'd tried to make me. "I'm sorry," I said, not meeting Anya's eyes as I turned back to Thalon. "I need to focus on my own performance."
The words felt like armor, protecting me from the vulnerability of caring too much. I couldn't afford to be the girl who helped everyone else succeed while I failed. Something cold pooled in my stomach—metallic and sharp, like swallowing pennies.
Anya's sharp intake of breath told me she'd heard, but I didn't look back.
My palms were damp despite the cool morning air, but my spine was steel. Every eye in this amphitheater would see exactly whatI was capable of. This was it. My chance to prove that a human could not only bond with a dragon but excel at it. That I belonged here despite every voice that said otherwise.
"Remember,"Thalon's presence wrapped around my consciousness like a warm embrace, "magic flows where trust leads. Trust in yourself, little one. Trust in us."
The first exercise began with basic synchronization—moving together, breathing together, letting our energies align until the boundary between rider and dragon began to blur. I closed my eyes and reached out through our bond, feeling for the steady pulse of Thalon's magic, the ancient fire that burned at his core.
There—a flicker of connection, then a stream, then a river of shared consciousness that made my breath catch. His power flowed through me, not overwhelming but complementing, like two instruments finding harmony. When I opened my eyes, I could see the faint golden glow emanating from both of us.
"Beautiful,"Thalon murmured, his pleasure echoing through the bond.
I poured myself into the exercises with fierce determination, pushing my connection with Thalon deeper, reaching for precision and control that would silence every doubt. They wanted to see what a human could do? I'd show them power they couldn't ignore.
"You are troubled,"Thalon observed.
"I'm focused,"I corrected, though we both knew it wasn't entirely true.
The resonance exercise required us to match not just our magical signatures but our emotional states, creating a feedback loop that amplified both our abilities. I felt Silvius's attention like a physical pressure and pushed harder, channeling everyounce of rage and determination into my magic. I would not be dismissed. I would not be overlooked.
My magic flared brighter, the golden fire at my core responding with intensity that made several nearby dragons turn their heads. Thalon's power rose to meet mine, our combined energies creating a display that drew murmurs of appreciation.
"Careful, little one,"Thalon warned. "Strength without balance can become its own weakness."
