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I huff, my gaze darting between him and the jerky. "Why are you helping me?"
"I'm not doing it for you, Aurelia," he quips, and I don't even attempt to correct him. "I'm doing it for Seraxes. She is Artax's mate and when she is in a bad mood, we're all in a bad mood."
My nostrils flare. "You're telling me that our dragons are bonded for life?"
He smiles but it's anything but friendly. "Did Sylvane not tell you that?" He chuckles darkly, clearly amused by the surprise on my face. "Seeing as she is Commander of the Orhelles, I thought she would have explained that to you. Yes, our dragons are mates. Looks like we will be spending plenty of time together, Cousin, so do us all a favor and give Seraxes the jerky and mount her."
I inhale a steadying breath to keep from cursing and march away from Thrane, fists clenched at my sides, and beeline for my dragon. The moment she sees me headed her way, she dons her cranky mask, but that look of disdain quickly disappears when I flash the jerky for her to see.
"Ah," I coo when she follows the motion of my hand. "Do you want this? You can have it, but it will be in exchange for a ride."
For a split second, I think she is going to forgo the treat and double-down on her stubborn ways, but then she surprises me by taking a step forward. She lowers her head, so our eyes are on the same level, and slowly reaches for the jerky.
I hide it behind my back and reiterate, "A treat for a ride, yes?"
She puffs a cold breath but bobs her head once in response. I extend the jerky and when she opens her sharp-toothed mouth, I toss the dried meat inside. Frost Dragons might have the traits of dogs, but I won't be taking any chances of losing an arm while giving Seraxes a treat.
Once she has swallowed the morsel, she honors our pact by turning, giving me clear access to her side. I exhale a sigh of relief that she is adhering to our deal. With gentle steps, I try for a second time to run up her side to reach my saddle, but fall, this time without Seraxes' assistance. It takes me several attempts, but on the ninth try, I make it. I wipe the beading sweat from my brow and settle in the saddle, dragging the pads of my fingers along Seraxes' scales. Hard, yet smooth, her white scales glisten like armor in the sunlight and I adore the purple and blue tints that shimmer.
I suddenly realize I'm sitting on a dragon, and I'm completely lost for words. Beasts I thought were completely made up are not only real, but I was blessed with one of my own. Tears prick at my eyes and the feeling of being watched magnifies. I glance around and my gaze immediately finds Atlas. Pride. There's nothing but pride and admiration beaming in his eyes which causes my heart to thunder in my chest. How I wish he could be saddled up next to me on a dragon of his own.
The ground tremors as Artax stomps in my direct line of sight, blocking Atlas from view. I narrow my gaze at my haughty cousin and growl, "What?"
"How does it feel?"
"How does what feel?"
"Taking your place as a Basilius." Before I can respond, Thrane motions for me to follow. "Launching and landing are the hardest to adjust to when first learning, so tighten your legs and keep as close to the saddle as possible to avoid falling off."
"And if I do fall?" I suddenly panic thinking of all the ways I could die up there.
"I'll catch you," is all he says in response before Artax launches.
Without warning, Seraxes follows her mate, spearing into the sky. I barely manage to tighten my thighs and crouch low in the saddle before she's completely vertical.
Stars above and seas below. Father of Light, don't let me fall.
Seraxes zips and zags through the open sky and chases after Artax as if it's some sort of game of tag. Thrane's hair whips behind him as Artax dashes through hoops of varying sizes and cuts through the obstacle course like he could do it blindfolded.
My dragon is fast. So fast, I can barely keep my eyes open because the wind is blasting past me, blowing my long locks behind me, threatening to pull me down. I make the mistake of looking below and all I see are the sharp rocks at the bottom. My stomach flips and I close my eyes, but that just makes me nauseas. I'm forced to keep alert during the entire flight, but my heart drops when I see Artax cut upward and circle above me. If I stretched out my hand, I might be able to touch Thrane who dangles upside-down above me. It's then I realize, Seraxes is about to hit the same maneuver to follow Artax and before I can beg her not to, she flips, and I lose my grip.
I'm falling.
I'm falling fast.
I'm falling and there's not a thing I can do to stop it.
I could scream or flail, but I know neither will save me, so I quietly fall, watching my dragon soar above me. Refusing to look behind me at the rocks that will be my doom, I keep focused on the clear sky and the beating dragon wings I never dreamed I'd hear. Though it's muffled, I hear someone scream my name, and when I turn, I see fear in Atlas' eyes. My mother is standing beside him, but she doesn't share the same terror. Perhaps, she doesn't care if I live or die. Perhaps a Basilius falling from their dragon is worthy of death to avoid the disgrace of being unseated.
But a shriek from above nabs my attention and in the blink of an eye, Artax is upon me, clutching me in his front claw. Once he has me, he jerks upward to avoid the rocks and flies me to the landing Atlas and my mother are standing. Unceremoniously, he drops me on the ground and keeps flying, as if he didn't just spare me from a gruesome death.
Just as I catch my breath, I feel Atlas scoop me in his arms and hold me close. I can feel his heart thundering in his chest and that's when tears stream down my face.
"Shaye, are you alright?" He presses his face to mine.
"I'm alright." I bob my head, but I can't stop trembling.
Footsteps approach, forcing me to tear my attention from Atlas and look up. My eyes collide with Sylvane's and where I expect to see disappointment, all I see is satisfaction.
