Page 69 of Taste of Thorns

“What is that?” Briony asks, peering through the glass.

“A dragon saddle.” Briony looks at me with curiosity. “It belonged to Emperor Edgar. Briony, he was a dragon rider.”

“A dragon rider?” she repeats, brows crinkling.

“Yes, he was said to ride the dragon Danfoed. Back in the old days there were several great war dragons.” She frowns, clearly not liking that idea. “Together the dragons and their shadow weaver riders kept the monsters from the realm.”

“Only shadow weavers?” Briony asks.

“No, there were light wielders back then too.”

“And what happened to them?”

“That kind of magic died out at the same time as the dragons. Nobody knows why.”

“Riding dragons.” Briony swings her gaze back to the gigantic skeleton. “Stars,” she says, “how was that even possible?”

“With skill and training. But the old books also say there was a bond between dragon and rider, but I don’t know if that’s true.”

Briony smiles and shakes her head. “Thorne, if you’re showing me this because you think–”

“I’m showing it to you because I thought you might be interested.”

She steps back towards the skeleton. “Can you imagine? I just don’t even see how you’d begin to make that work.”

“I bet you could, Briony. I bet you could do anything you set your mind to.”

She smiles again. “You have met Blaze, right? The mischievous little dragon who set Fly’s hair on fire and tried to chargrill Fox.”

“He what?”

“Yeah, turns out dragons aren’t the greatest fans of vampires.” She walks the length of the skeleton, halting by the snout of the skull and peering into the empty eye-sockets.

“But he listens to you?” I say.

“Occasionally.” She laughs, rolling her eyes. “I’m not sure I could trust him enough to try anything like riding him. He’d be as likely to buck me off as he would accept me on his back.”

“Are you saying you don’t believe there is a connection between the two of you? The stone called you to it, Briony.”

She shifts slightly on her feet. “There is a connection. Or at least I think that’s what it is. My magic feels strongest when he’s around and I can sort of feel when he’s there.” In the firelight her cheeks pinken. “I can sort of feel when all of you are around too. My magic feels stronger when you’re about. I haven’t told the others yet.”

“It’s the fated-mate connection,” I say. “My own magic feels calmer when you’re around, Briony.”

“It does?” she says, hopefully. “Then maybe we could–”

“No.”

Her face falls and I wish I could give her what she wants. But I can’t.

“Do you think that’s why my magic came in when it did? Here at the academy with Blaze and you, and the others around me.”

I consider this for a moment. “Could be.” I stare back at the dragon. “Or it could be that you need your magic now, just like you need Blaze. Just like you need us.”

“Trust me, I could have done with the ability to fry people with light back in Slate or to frighten them off with a big, angry dragon. It would have saved me a lot of trouble.”

“I have a feeling there’s a lot more trouble to come.” She stares at me. Have I scared her? I’m not one to talk of fate and the future. That’s Beaufort’s department, what with his visions. But perhaps I’m starting to believe in all those things. Fate spared me after what happened. It tied me to two bond brothers – an act that stopped me from taking my life. Now it’s given us a girl who can wield light and who may be able to ride a dragon. Fate must have her reasons.

“I don’t exactly like the sound of that,” Briony says, chewing on the inside of her cheek. “You’re going to tell me I need to tell the others about Blaze, aren’t you?”