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Kiera giggled. “Every time one of you calls them a ryder, my mind goes straight to the gutter.”

“Don’t say that in front of her. She may never look me in the eyes again.”

Kiera’s brows rose. “Is she a maiden?”

“I didn’t ask. I thought it might be impolite considering it’s the first time I’ve seen her since she was three years old. And things have been…complicated.”

Kiera kept laughing and shook her head before taking what I’d roughly chopped and giving me another bundle to work on. “I’m happy for you, Nyx. I know you’ve suffered a long time with her missing.”

“Will she be okay?” I asked. If she died… I couldn’t let myself follow that train of thought.

“She will. You got her here fast enough, and it’s not as bad as it could have been.”

I breathed easier, but it was only the first battle. “I’m not sure things are going to be any easier now that she’s found.”

She met my gaze. “That bad?”

“I think so. Maybe it would have been better to leave her.”

“She’d burn herself out. I’m surprised she hasn’t yet.” Her brows creased, and she paused her work. “Even if she hates you, her place is here. She has to be trained. She won’t be the first reluctant or ignorant ryder a flyer has dragged in from the far reaches of the Twelve Kingdoms. She will find her place.”

“It’s not ignorance. It’s…” But I couldn’t give away more. Not before I knew what I was dealing with and how much it would give away my bond with my brother. “It’s more. She really doesn’t want to be here.”

Kiera was silent for a long time. “She’ll come around. She has no other choice.” She was right, but I wasn’t sure we’d ever get that across to my ryder.

Kiera treated Zaria and left us. I returned to the landing, sure it was best if I went to scope out how much trouble I was in.

“Did you plan on telling me you found your ryder, or are you so obsessed with her already that you forgot your bond with me?” My brother’s voice came in the flesh this time and not in my mind.

I looked up, finding him perched above where I stood. “How long have you been there, creeper?”

“Long enough to know you’re more depressed than before you found her.” He hopped down, landing in a crouch in his fae form.

“She’s ruined. What if she never takes to flying? I’m no longer the dragon missing his ryder; I’m the dragon with the religious nut job who won’t ever be willing to fly with him.” Why would the Goddess do this to me?

“Others have overcome worse. Ryders come from all over the Twelve Kingdoms, from different backgrounds. We’ve had just as bad before.” He put a hand on my bicep. “The teachers are used to this. Let them have some time with her. She will let go of those silly notions as soon as she gets a glimpse of the real world.”

“Kiera said the same thing, but honestly, Kol, name one as brainwashed. They deny magic exists. She thought I was a nightmare come to life. How do we even start her training with that kind of ignorance built in?”

“I told you, she’ll see magic for herself and believe. Pretty easy to prove.”

“She thinks we are spirit suckers sent by Uriel himself straight from the Valley of the Dead. It won’t be as easy as you think.”

He laughed, but when I shot him an angry look, he cut it off. “Surely it’s not that bad?”

I closed my eyes and sent the memory through our bond.

My brother grimaced. “She has some work to do, but she will come around.”

“After you all killed everyone she knows in front of her?”

“Point taken. That might have made it worse. But we didn’t kill them all. A bunch of them escaped, and I accidentally forgot to mention it to the commander.” He put his hands up. “Bad memory. What can I say?”

“That’s not an excuse for everything, you realize?” I scrubbed a hand over my face. “We’re both going to be charged with insubordination.”

“They will not get rid of two dragons. Especially now that you have a ryder. Plus, the law states a flyer can go wherever and whenever their ryder calls. As soon as you feel them, you go. Everyone knows this. Just say you were called. How else would you know she was there? My being there is merely a funny coincidence.” He grinned, showing off teeth. “What can they say? No one in the capital knew what we found when you left. They don’t know about our connection. We can chalk it up to twin mystery!” He waved his fingers around.

I scoffed, but he was on to something. “I suppose I am protected. We don’t have to notify anyone when called by a ryder. It’s a primal call.”I paced the length of the balcony. “This might work.”