Page 44 of Ava's Love of the Dragons
She didn't need to be told twice. She clung to his scales, leaned forward, and clamped her legs against his back until they gently touched down on the sandy ground. Kilian and Thalara landed beside them.
Ava lifted one leg over to the other and slid down from Draco, Lilly style. Kilian swung himself effortlessly to the ground, but of course he'd done this a thousand times before.
"They're gone."
Ava nodded, but instead of feeling relief, she felt even more tense. How had he been able to get here so quickly? The mages had probably hoped to catch Ava alone, and Kilian's presence had prevented an attack. How would it have turned out if he hadn't arrived in time?
"How did you know the mages were on their way?"
"Your dragon told Thalara."
Raising her eyebrows, she turned to her gigantic and extremely talkative fella. That explained quite a bit."Did you also tell him that I was back in the realm?"
"Of course. I know what you need, Ava."He blinked gently with both eyes, as if he couldn't hurt a fly. However, the childlike expression no longer worked. She snorted indignantly but left it at that.
When she turned to Kilian, he regarded her with a hungry look. A warm pull traveled through her body, but she ignored it.
"Thank you for your help, but I think it's better if we stay out of each other's way." She lowered her gaze, not wanting to be ungrateful and not wanting to send him away at all, but what choice did they have?
When she looked up, he nodded slowly.
"I know." However, he didn't leave but just ran his hand over his face. Before he could say more, Master Clark appeared in the arena. Had he just been waiting for the right moment?
"You've driven them away for tonight, but they'll keep coming back until they have you, Ava." He looked at her intently, as if trying to read her thoughts. She was convinced he had been able to do that for a long time.
The mere thought of falling into the hands of the mages again made her feel sick. "Do you know the prophecy?"
He nodded. "Elora knows it too, although she hasn't understood it yet. She won't rest until she has you in her power."
"We'll prevent that!" Kilian crossed his arms over his chest and let his gaze sweep over the facility. "Currently, there are five cadets in training besides Ava, right?"
"Six."
Ava perked up in surprise. Apart from Ralph and Magg, she had only seen the three teenagers. "Who's the sixth?"
But the master didn't answer, which wasn't really surprising. After all, he preferred asking questions.
Kilian pointed commandingly at the portal where Magg and Ralph had taken up their positions. "From now on, you will set up guards day and night. Ava's training has top priority, because the confrontation with the mages is imminent."
His words made Ava's stomach churn, even though she had seen it coming. She was at this training facility because she would have to face Elora someday. However, she wondered how she was supposed to manage that when she couldn't even win against Magg. The thought of her fellow students pulled her out of her shock.
"I should leave the premises. I don't want to put the others in danger." She should have thought of that from the beginning.
But the master calmly shook his head. "You're staying. Everything is as it should be. I assume you'll be staying too, Dragon Leader, to ensure her protection."
As Kilian turned to him, he nodded decisively. "Of course. I will support her in her fight."
The mere thought of seeing him day and night made her heartbeat quicken. But at least she trained with Master Clark and Magg almost all the time. That meant she would rarely see him.
But the master had other plans.
"Then..." he said, looking from Ava to Kilian with an inscrutable gaze, "...you will start training her tomorrow."
Chapter 21
Ava didn't sleep a wink that night, yet she was wide awake when she entered the arena before sunrise. Magg was already there, pummeling the punching bag, but refrained from making any biting comments. Ava glanced at her briefly before she started running.
She would have preferred to run all night, as it helped her think. Puzzle pieces fell into place, connections became clear, and the feeling of being powerless against the course of events dissipated. After all, she was doing something: running.
