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“A male?” I didn’t know why it surprised me.

“Not all ryders are female, not all flyers are male, and they don’t have to be opposite sex pairs. It is simply as the Goddess wishes.”

“Why do you call them flyers and not dragons?” I asked. I had so many questions.

“Because they aren’t all dragons.”

“Oh. Right.” He had said that. My mind ran away with the possibilities. “Then, what are the other flyers?”

“We have gargoyles and pegasus… There are all kinds of flyers.”

I couldn’t begin to imagine what manner of creatures they were. “Why so many kinds?”

He lifted his shoulders. “I don’t know. Ask the Goddess.”

“Do they all have that fire thing? Or is that only the dragons?”

“We all have powers, but what kind of power is unique to each of us. It’s a complicated thing.” He pushed to his feet to walk to the balcony doors. I could already tell he was the type who couldn’t sit still for long.

“Do you know what mine will be?” The words were tough to form, as asking the question was acceptance of so much that seemed impossible. But each answer just led to the next question.

“Impossible to know.” He turned to face me, his eyes bright. “Do you want to get out of here?”

TEN

ZARIA

“Idon’t know if I can.” I eyed my surroundings, unsure I could just leave, and if I could, where would I go? I didn’t know what was out there. All I could imagine were the horrors my parents had described. But with all I was learning, those lessons were now tinged with suspicion in my mind. Would I question everything I thought I knew?

I didn’t know how to process any of this, and I didn’t think I would anytime soon. It was too much, and I was overloaded by my own thoughts. Maybe a change of scenery would help me get out of my head for a while.

“I can show you around and give you a feel for the place. It’s so much better to show you than to try and explain it,” he suggested in an encouraging tone. I could tell he was itching to go. I was right; he could not be contained for long. It would drive him mad.

“Yes. I’d like that. Do you think it will be okay?”

“I’ll take the blame if it’s not.” He offered me his hand, wiggling his fingers with a tiny, mischief-filled smile.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re up to no good?”

“Because I am, but only in the best ways. I promise.”

I laughed again. It felt easy with Kol.

I was about to tell him I couldn’t go out dressed like I was when Kiera appeared through the open door.

“I see you have found trouble already, Zaria,” she exclaimed, breezing in with a bundle of clothes in her arms.

Kol straightened, withdrawing his hand. “I did nothing, and I admit to nothing.”

Kiera rolled her eyes, offering me a secret smile as she turned away from him to hand me the bundle.

“I was told you’d finished treating Zaria and I could spring her free to show her her rooms and give her the tour,” Kol offered in his defense.

“We have,” she threw at him before returning her attention to me. “You’re good as new, so you can go with this one as long as you don’t over do things and promise to come and see me in a few days so we can discuss your condition. I have some theories, and would like to do some tests.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“Those are just a few things to get you started,” she said, referring to the clothes. “Yours were ruined, I’m afraid. I don’t think the Dragon’s Bane smoke would have ever come out of them. I had them burned so they didn’t harm anyone.”