Page 5 of Court of Rivals (Their Dragon Rider #1)

“It’s okay,” I say again, running a hand over my tangled hair. “Dad, this is my dragon, and I’m going to be a dragon rider. I only have a few minutes to grab my stuff and say my goodbyes.”

“No,” he tells me simply.

“There’s no other choice,” I tell him, trying to pretend like I’m happy about this decision. If he knows how terrified I am, he won’t let me go, and I have a feeling Ebron would simply burn our home to the ground and take me anyway.

My mom and brothers appear behind my dad, all looking frightened.

“You can come out,” I say, “he won’t hurt you.” Then I glance at Ebron. “You won’t hurt them, right?”

He scoffs and a little smoke leaves his mouth. Ebron, God of the Sky, doesn’t concern himself with humans… unless they concern themselves with him.

Okay then. “Come out,” I tell them again.

Slowly, everyone files out, but they stay close to the building. All their heads are tilted up, and their eyes are wide. My large father and brothers aren’t used to having to look up to anyone, so it’s actually funny. Kind of. If this situation wasn’t so strange.

“Ebron–”

God of the Sky, Mate to All Female Dragons.

“Ebron, meet my family. My father, Mr. Nightborne. My mother, Mrs. Nightborne. And my four older brothers, Cedric, Rowan, Oswin, and Eamon.”

Your brothers have the souls of far younger men.

I laugh. “Is that what’s wrong with them?”

“Is w-what what’s wrong with them?” Cedric asks, voice shaking.

“He said you have young souls,” I tell them with a smile.

“Really?” Rowan asks, looking surprised.

“Really,” I say, “now, listen–”

Let us not waste time. It is hard enough to feign interest in any of this.

Okay then. I rise to my feet and rush past my family into my home. Going to my room, I start packing my bag, putting clothes and other necessary things inside, but also personal things. Items I don’t want to leave behind.

When I’m done, I head back outside and stop in front of my stunned family. “I know this is a lot to take, but last night I saved Ebron, the dragon behind me. According to his code of beliefs, anyone who saves a dragon becomes their rider. I’m going to Stormwrath Academy to become his rider.”

Silence.

Then Rowan starts laughing. After a minute, Oswin joins him. The twins laugh to the point of hysteria. Not that I blame them exactly. This whole situation is crazy.

But it’s my oldest brother, Cedric, who speaks first. “But you’re a woman. And he can’t be a male dragon. There aren’t male dragons.”

I wince.

Ebron huffs behind me. Does this boy not know how baby dragons are made? Of course there are male dragons. There are just few of us.

“Remember that dragons continue to have baby dragons. They usually disappear during mating season, going off in search of the male dragons. So, there are male dragons, they’re just rare.”

“But you’re not a noble,” Eamon, the youngest, says shyly. “All dragon riders are nobles.”

“Apparently not all of them, because I’m one.”

Eamon drops his head. “But I don’t want you to go.” Although Eamon is older than me, he’s always felt like my younger brother, and it makes my chest hurt seeing him upset.

So, I hug him, squeezing him tightly. “I’ll write home, when I can.”

He squeezes me back. “You better.”

I move on to Oswin, who isn’t laughing any longer. “This is real? Like, really real?”

“Like, really, really real,” I tell him, then hug him tightly too.

He hugs me and whispers in my ear. “Remember, you might be a girl, but you’re not a girly girl. You’re practically a boy. You can handle anything they throw at you.”

“Thanks,” I say and release him.

Rowan looks at me, oddly serious. “I’ve heard all about the dragon riding academy. Be prepared. They try to break you. They try to make you fail. Just remember that you’re a Nightborne. Our people have an irritating way of staying alive. We’re like cockroaches, you just can’t kill us.”

I laugh. “I’ll remember.”

Cedric is next, trying his best to give me a stern look while his eyes fill. “If anyone messes with you, just write home. We’ll come and deal with them, and I don’t care if they are nobel pricks.”

I touch his cheek, then pull him in for a hug. “I will.”

As I stop in front of my parents, I see that my mom is already crying. “I can’t believe this. I can’t believe that you’re going so far away, to a place known for being brutal and awful. You’re my baby girl. I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t,” I promise, then hug her tightly as she clings to me. It takes her a while, but she finally lets go.

Then, my father and I are staring at each other. He offers me his hand, and we shake. “Nightbornes do not cry, do not give up, do not fail. We succeed, despite the odds.”

Now, tears prick my eyes. “I understand.” Then I let go of his hand and wrap him in a hug. He crushes me to his chest, and I can’t be sure, but I think I hear him sniffle.

There’s not a dry eye in the house as I climb back on Ebron, with his help.

I wave at everyone, and they wave back, before I dig my hands back between his scales.

We launch into the sky, but as we soar over the treetops, I spot someone far below.

Arthur. He sees me, his eyes widen, and he begins to give chase, but I simply wave, knowing he’s too far away to see me.

When he disappears from sight, I concentrate on what’s ahead of me as the wind snatches away my tears. Stormwrath Academy, here we come.