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I took a pose, jutting out my chest and slinking around him. “You know, your groupies. Oh Killian. I loooove you.”
He chuckled and slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me in close. “I have no interest in whatever a groupie is, but I do like this adoring look on you.” He kissed me on the cheek, but left his lips lingering there so I could feel the soft heat of his breath.
I’d been teasing him, but now I was all flustered.
He allowed me a chance to breathe by pulling away and tugging me toward the stairs before another crowd broke out. “Enjoying the attention?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s overwhelming, to say the least.”
“Hmm,” he agreed as we ascended to the top level of the cafeteria. “I know it’s a lot, but you’re doing great. You’re a natural leader.”
“If you say so,” I said as a blush crept over my cheeks.
I thought back to Avalon and how I’d led our small squadron.
How I’d faced the Wild Dragon Queen.
And how we had come out victorious—but not without sacrifices.
Zelda had lost her life when I wondered in the back of my mind if I could have saved her.
And Evelyn was gone. I wasn’t sure if she was alive or dead.
“I hope Evelyn is doing okay,” I said with a pinch of sadness in my chest. “She probably doesn’t think I’m the best leader.”
She’d told us that she wasn’t going to help.
And when she’d changed her mind, Nera had blasted her off to some unknown realm, never to be seen again.
“She chose to follow you for a reason,” Killian said with a reassuring hand on my lower back. “Being a leader means making the right decisions, not the easy ones.”
I swallowed the emotion knotting in my throat and nodded.
Even though I didn’t like it, I knew he was right.
Because of my decisions, we’d stopped Nera and prevented corruption from spreading to the Lost Dragon Queens. Nera would have had enough power to lay siege to entire worlds.
And with that kind of ruthless force, she would have won, sending all of the realms into darkness.
My mood was melancholy when we crested to the graduate’s floor. A twinge of comfort raced through my bond with Solstice and I found her preening outside. I had a full view of the platform and her glittering gold scales that positively glowed in the noon sun.
Smiling at her, I offered her a quiet nod.
I’ll be okay, Solstice. But I’m glad you’re here.
Being a Dragonrider meant that I never had to bear my burdens alone, and even if I sometimes felt guilty about that, I was grateful.
Finding Vern alone at a table near the tall windows, Killian and I made our orders and joined him with our plates and drinks.
I had a Sprite, something that the dwarves had stocked thanks to their magic that could conjure any food or beverage I wanted, and Killian had a coffee and a water.
Vern looked up from his untouched food and gave us a pained smile. “Oh, hey.”
“Where’s Jasmine?” I asked as I took my seat. At this point they were pretty inseparable.
He winced. “She’s not talking to me after she found out what I promised Frederick.”
Well, that wasn’t good.
