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“I warned him. Apparently, this couldn’t wait.”

Kiera turned her attention to me. “What’s going on?”

“I’m going out of my mind,” I told her. “Zaria still has no powers. Rakan still won’t clear us to fly until they show themselves in case she can dampen and takes me out in an uncontrolled burst.”

Kiera frowned. “Is that likely?”

“It’s possible, but I doubt it. She’s from this kingdom, we think, but if she was born near the border of the Fourth and Fifth Kingdom, there’s a chance. The issue is she is showing no power whatsoever, and he doesn’t trust her around the future leader of dragon kind.” I rolled my eyes at that. “Until she proves she’s not a risk.”

Kol leaned forward. “But even if her main power is dampening, you’d be able to manage it if she had an outburst. You have some dampening in your blood, and you have intuition, not to mention the control of gravity you have from your night bloodline. Surely, he realizes that? After all, you are the ‘strongest dragon in generations’.” He used air quotes to mock his own words.

“I don’t know what his problem is, but we are grounded until she has her powers and can wield them properly, and I don’t have endless time for that to happen.”

“Zaria will be as powerful as you are—let’s not forget that. If she comes into her power suddenly, don’t forget her age, either. It’s going to be her full power all at once. Not the first powers of a child,” Kiera countered. “I know you can manage most things, Nyx, but could you really manage that in the air if it took you by surprise? I’m not saying Rakan isn’t being over cautious, but there is a risk.”

“That’s the thing. I don’t think she could take me by surprise. Our bond is getting stronger every day, and I think if she was about to come in to that much power, I’d sense it. I could land us safely; I’m sure of it.”

“So, what’s your plan?” Kiera asked. I knew she was really asking what role she would be playing in it.

I glanced around to check we were not being observed, then swiveled the ancient book to face her. I tapped the page, and Kiera’s brows lifted.

“Can you make this for me?” I whispered.

Kol leaned over to look and whistled.

Kiera nodded and pushed the book back toward me, closing as she did so the potion was no longer visible to any nosy passersby. She had her own copies of just about every potion’s text in existence in her personal collection, so I knew she wouldn’t need to check out this volume and potentially get caught. Not that a recipe was available anywhere. That kind of magic was outlawed during the unification of the kingdoms, but Kiera had access to things that should not exist. She could make it happen.

“It will take me a few days to get what I need,” she told me quietly.

“Thank you,” I said, sincerely.

“And what am I doing in this mission?” Kol asked, knowing there was more.

I checked our surroundings again. I wished I could tell him through our bond, but we had never told a soul until Zaria. That included even our closest friends. After a group of trainees passed our table, I lowered my voice to a whisper. “I need you to get me a dampening night stone."

Kol sat back in his chair, never taking his eyes off mine. “You understand that’s completely illegal, right?” he said low and slow.

I shook my head, exasperated. “And you’ll never convince me there’s a point in that law when fae are born with that power but they are allowed to exist.”

“Yes, but few are powerful enough to cause significant harm, and the only reason for acquiring a stone like that is for nefarious purposes. You could render the entire city helpless for a week with one stone if wielded by a strong enough fae.” He looked at me pointedly, suggesting I had that level of power.

“It’s just insurance—I hope not to have to use it—and I plan to take her to the Shadow Valley, well away from other fae. If I’m forced to use it, no one will be harmed.”

“So, that’s the plan? Take her away so you can rush her training in secret? You know they will notice if their highest profile trainees just disappear.”

“You let me worry about that. I need to get her flying. I can’t waste any more time. I’m left with no choice.”

“What do you mean?” my brother asked, a frown pulling at his dark brows. “You have time. Octavian is working out well, and no one is expecting you to suddenly have a proficient ryder after what you have both gone through. She needs time and care. Don’t fuck this up.”

“I’m not fucking it up.” I didn’t like the stance he had taken against me. We’d always been a united pair, almost the same person with as much time as we spent in each other’s heads. Now, for the first time in our lives, it felt like he was shifting his allegiance. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Is that so?”

I huffed.

“You two are like younglings, the way you bicker,” Kiera scolded. Her expression was fond, though. “I need to check on a patient. I’ll leave you to it and get to work on that energy tonic for your ryder.”

I thanked her, and she wafted her hand over her nose. “And you—take a bath,” she told Kol.