Page 15 of The Bond That Burns (Bloodwing Academy #2)

The courtyard was already filling up when I arrived. The sounds of weapons clashing in warm-up routines sounded as I stepped into the open-roofed training yard.

It hadn’t taken much to get transferred into this section of Defensive Arts. Just a bit of sucking up to Professor Sankara. Perks of being a House Leader.

As a Fourth Year, I had some empty spots on my timetable. So, I’d very kindly volunteered to help Sankara out with supervising the Defensive Arts class. Out of nothing but the goodness of my tender heart, of course. I’d earn some extra credit and I’d get to keep an eye on Pendragon.

After that morning, I wasn’t about to let her out of my sight for long. I needed to remind her where she really belonged.

Leaning casually against the stone wall, off to one side, I watched as she finally entered, flanked by Visha and Theo. I scowled. What were they? Her personal bodyguards?

Pendragon didn’t even notice me at first. She was too busy laughing and chattering with them.

The sight of her sent a twinge of irritation through me. Her red curls caught the sunlight streaming in from overhead in a way that made my heart quicken. Even her stupid freckles had somehow become attractive to me, scattered across the pale skin of her cheeks like perfect little embers.

She was dressed in simple black training gear, the form-fitting fabric outlining her athletic frame.

I narrowed my eyes as I noticed that nothing she wore bore the Drakharrow insignia. She’d removed every patch, every bit of embroidery. She’d purposely damaged house property.

I saw more than one pair of male eyes following her and at least one girl stopped what she was doing to gawk. But Pendragon didn’t even notice the attention. She was oblivious. In her own little world apart from the rest of us.

It set my teeth on edge. Evidently she’d rather spend more time with Kage Tanaka than with her own House.

But no matter how much she fought it, she was mine. My consort. My source. If I let her, she’d continue humiliating me. Her dangerous streak of disloyalty would have consequences for us both. My uncle was still a threat to us. It went against everything my father had taught me, but I had to do this. Pendragon had to learn her place, just like everyone else. It was for her own good. So I’d toughen her up a little. Eventually, she’d break and toe the line. Maybe it would even help her with her dragon. They both seemed to have issues with being overly willful. Pendragon couldn’t bring that dragon to heel unless she was following the rules herself, now could she?

I stepped into the center of the courtyard and called out, “All right, everyone, listen up.”

Pendragon’s head snapped toward me. I almost laughed at the look of shock on her face.

“Professor Sankara has a board meeting so he’s running late,” I said, addressing the class. “He may show up towards the end of class, but until then I’ll be leading today’s session.” I met Pendragon’s eyes. “As a Fourth Year, I’ve also volunteered to help out this term.” I grinned. “So get used to seeing me around.”

A few students laughed. Most of them had seen me step in for Sankara last year and knew what to expect. Theo cast a wary glance in my direction. I thought Pendragon might try to protest, but she just scowled, crossing her eyes and staring me down as if she was daring me to start something.

Which I absolutely planned on doing, of course.

“We’ll start with hand-to-hand sparring today,” I continued, pacing slowly around the circle. I’d already decided supervising sharp weapons this first class was too dangerous. I wasn’t going to risk Pendragon bleeding again and being mobbed by the younger less-controlled students, especially while Sankara wasn’t there to back me up. “But first, why don’t we all acknowledge our guest of honor?”

I started clapping my hands slowly as I turned towards Pendragon, watching in delight as a slow flush crept up her cheeks.

“Miss Pendragon. How incredibly generous of you to grace us with your presence here today. I’m sure we’re all eager to witness your prowess as Sangratha’s newest dragon rider, aren’t we, class?”

There was some scattered laughter and mocking applause.

I paused. “That is, if you’re ready to show us what you’ve got. I mean, you did bring your dragon with you, didn’t you, Pendragon?” I looked around the courtyard. “Damn, I don’t see him anywhere. He seems to have disappeared. It’s almost as if he doesn’t like you very much.”

Her cheeks turned redder, but she didn’t rise to the bait.

“Took you for one ride and got bored and flew off, did he? Well, I think we all know how that goes. I mean, I certainly can’t blame him,” I said with a sly grin, loading my words with double-meaning and giving the rest of the class a knowing look. “Anyhow, no dragons today. Sorry, everyone. But I’m sure we’re still very eager to see what you can do, Pendragon.”

I shrugged my shoulders, trying to loosen the tension that was building there just from being in her presence. “Let’s have some volunteers. We’ll watch our first pair spar. I’ll observe and give some pointers. Who wants to go first?”

Hands immediately shot up. All good Drakharrow students. I was proud to see their enthusiasm.

Unsurprisingly, Pendragon’s hands stayed right where they were.

Theo and Visha were watching me suspiciously. After last year, Visha had to know I was up to something.

I grinned. I didn’t give a shit if they knew. It wasn’t as if they could stop me.

“Our first volunteer will be Pendragon,” I said, pointing at her. “Step right up.”

She frowned but did as I told her. “But I didn’t volunteer.”

I ignored her. I paused, as if still considering my other choices. “And let’s have... Laurent.” I pointed to the highblood student.

The First Year boy stepped forward with a sly grin, bouncing up and down on his heels as if only too eager to get going. His pale hair was slicked back, emphasizing his thin, ferrety features. Laurent was annoying, but I knew he could be useful if I let him.

Plus, he was thin and wiry so he wasn’t going to crush Pendragon to death with his weight, which was a bonus. I didn’t want to kill her. I just wanted to toughen her up a bit.

I’d already told Laurent not to hold back, but not to beat her to a pulp either. It was about humiliation. I didn’t want her fucking maimed.

I walked over to one of the roped-off sparring rings and gestured for them to step inside. “Hand-to-hand,” I repeated. “No weapons. You’ve had all summer to slack off. Show me what you’ve got.”

Pendragon stepped into the ring reluctantly.

The match began. Laurent circled her, his movements quick and calculated. He was taller than her and wasn’t afraid to use his vampire speed to his advantage. He lunged forward, jabbing at her shoulder.

But Pendragon was fast, too. Faster than she’d been last year with Visha. I wondered if she’d improved simply through practice. Had she been working out while trapped in that room day in, day out?

Or maybe it had something to do with our bond. Were my powers still lingering within her? Or was this her rider blood finally showing up for her?

Regardless, it didn’t matter. She still couldn’t possibly be faster than a vampire. She’d end up humiliated and on her back every class if I had my way this term.

Pendragon dodged, pivoting on her heel. She was moving cautiously but her fists were up.

She didn’t look as nervous as I’d hoped she’d be, even with the entire class watching. She should have been looking to me for guidance—or better yet, mercy. Instead, she looked at Laurent as if she were assessing him. As if she planned to win.

“Sloppy,” I called out, my voice sharp as a whip. “Laurent, are you holding back? Because right now it looks like you’re fighting your kid sister.”

There were some cackles of laughter from the watching students.

Scowling, Laurent lunged again, aiming a quick jab at her midsection. Pendragon sidestepped, moving lightly on her feet and countering with a sharp kick to Laurent’s shin.

“Nice footwork, Pendragon,” I called out, my voice sarcastic. “If we were practicing ballroom dancing, I’d give you top marks.”

She didn’t respond. But I saw her shoulders stiffen. A tiny crack in her armor. It was enough to motivate me to keep going.

Laurent moved towards her again, this time showering strikes. Pendragon blocked most of them, but one caught her on the shoulder, and she staggered back a step.

“Where’s that fancy footwork now, Pendragon?” I called. “Loosen up or you’ll be flat on your back in no time. We wouldn’t want that now, would we?” I grinned wickedly at the crowd of highblood students and a few of them laughed.

Pendragon shot me a glare. That fire in her showed no sign of dying down. It was maddening and magnetic all at once.

Lauren pressed his advantage, coming at her again and forcing her to backpedal. A blow caught her in the ribs and she staggered slightly, but recovered quickly and landed a jab to Laurent’s jaw. The highblood boy stumbled back with a look of surprise.

I scowled as some of the watching students gasped.

“Not bad, is she?” Theo murmured. He’d come up beside me and I hadn’t noticed. I glared at him. “Especially considering how you’re taunting her.”

“Lucky shot,” I called loudly, my tone dismissive. “Laurent, don’t let her bait you.”

“Ironic, coming from you, Drakharrow,” Pendragon called back.

Laurent came at her harder, his movements faster and more aggressive. She tried to duck but wasn’t quick enough and his fist caught her in the eye. She let out a yelp and staggered back, clutching her face.

I leaned forward, my voice easily cutting across the ring. “Careful, Pendragon. You don’t want to embarrass yourself. Or your dragon. Oh, wait... Too late.”

I’d already looked her over. Her eye wasn’t bleeding. Sure, it would probably be black and blue by tomorrow, but she’d recover. Still, she glared at me furiously. The exact reaction I’d been hoping for. In the meantime, she’d taken her eyes off her opponent and Laurent took advantage of the opportunity, kicking her in the side and sending her staggering, knocking the wind out of her. She doubled over, gasping.

I winced, putting a hand instinctively to my own side. Then I caught Theo giving me a strange look and instantly dropped it.

“Focus, Pendragon,” I barked. “Or are you done? Was that too much for you? Giving up already?”

Before she could reply, a sound split the air. A deep, rhythmic beating that grew louder with every moment.

The class froze. Laurent paused mid-strike, his head snapping upwards.

Above us, the courtyard went dark.

My pulse spiked, no doubt in my mind who was making the shadow overhead.

Nyxaris circled the courtyard.

Oh, fuck.

“What the hell is that thing doing here?” someone whispered loudly, sounding as if they were about to piss their pants.

The dragon’s massive wings flared as he descended and settled, his talons gripping the edge of the stone wall. I eyed the wall nervously. It was a wonder the thing could hold him. I imagined Sankara coming back to find his classroom in ruin. He would not be pleased.

The dragon’s amber eyes scanned the training yard, lingering on Pendragon...before shifting to me.

The weight of Nyxaris’s gaze hit me like a slap of his wing. I felt dizzy, choked, as if I could hardly breathe. There was something in the dragon’s expression that I recoiled from.

Disdain. Contempt.

It made my skin crawl. This creature saw right through me. And it was clear, he didn’t like what he saw.

Pendragon hated me. I already knew that. But what I hadn’t realized was that her dragon did, too.

My hands clenched at my sides. I wanted to look away, break the connection, but I forced myself to stand tall.

Heat began to bloom under my skin. My heart was hammering painfully in my chest. Sweat prickled my temples.

And then, to my horror, I saw it.

A patch of scales shimmered on the inside of my forearm, just above my wrist.

I blinked, certain it was an illusion. Some sort of trick of my vision.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. But the path of scales caught the sunlight, shimmering there like molten fire. They weren’t going away. They weren’t a figment of my imagination. Those fucking things were real.

I folded my arms over my chest, carefully hiding the scales from view. As my fingers brushed over them and I felt their rough texture, a chill went down my spine.

What the fuck was happening to me?

I clenched my jaw, forcing my attention back to the courtyard where the dragon still sat, perched on the wall. Students were whispering nervously. I was a little impressed that none had run away screaming yet.

The dragon was still looking my way, his gaze stripping me bare. I was suddenly terrified he’d noticed the scales on my arm. My chest tightened as the heat that had been building up under my skin suddenly flared again, my cheeks burning as if they’d been set on fire.

The dragon roared. Students screamed. And suddenly, I couldn’t take it anymore. I snapped.

“Class is dismissed,” I shouted across the courtyard. Some of the students jumped, but others were already running for the door. They didn’t need to be told twice. “We’re done here. You can all leave early.”

I stalked out of the courtyard, not waiting to see if they’d listen. Sankara could deal with them when he showed up. I wondered if the dragon would still be there.

As soon as I was out of sight of the training yard, I darted into an empty classroom. I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. My chest still felt too tight. My pulse was erratic.

The image of Nyxaris was still at the forefront of my mind. The dragon’s eyes had been filled with what looked suspiciously like judgement.

So Pendragon’s dragon didn’t like me. Hell, I didn’t like myself half the time.

I rubbed a hand over my face, heart still pounding like a drum. What was I even doing? Torturing my consort to prove a point? Acting like a petty tyrant in front of my entire house?

Was this who I really was now?

Unexpectedly, I found myself thinking of my older brother. If he were in my situation, Marcus would never have had a moment of self-doubt. He’d have laughed at me for even wondering if I might be wrong. He’d have encouraged me to take things further.

But Marcus was a loathsome prick who had murdered one of his own consorts.

Was he really the standard I wanted to aspire to?

Why had Nyxaris suddenly shown up? Why then? It meant something. It had to. Had he known what I was doing? Had she told him?

More importantly, was Pendragon closer to bonding with the beast than she’d let on?

The thought made me feel stupidly, irrationally jealous. Now I wasn’t just competing with Kage for her loyalty. I had to fight a fucking dragon for her attention.

And the worst part was, I was pretty sure I’d already lost.

Nyxaris was clearly loyal to her. Protective. Had he come as a warning to me? To remind me I wasn’t in control? Not of Pendragon, not of my house, not even of myself?

I blew out a hot breath and ran my hands through my hair. I wanted to be angry at Pendragon but the truth was, I was impressed. A dragon wouldn’t show loyalty to someone who didn’t deserve it. The creatures were brutal. The Duskdrake had already shown that with Lord Mortis.

I couldn’t deny that my consort had strength. She’d faced down Laurent without a complaint and she might even have won. She’d stood tall under my barbs.

Maybe I was being an idiot, pushing her like this. Maybe there was another way to handle her, to get her on my side.

I thought of how close we’d become last year. How good it had felt to think, just briefly, that she was on my side. The two of us against the world.

Now I was alone again.

Oh, I’d been alone before. Regan had never felt like a true partner.

But this was somehow worse. Much worse. Now I knew what a real partnership could feel like. I’d had a taste of something real.

And I’d destroyed it.

I glanced down at my arm. The fucking scales were still there. They were fading but still unmistakable.

I thought of something—had the dragon done this to me? Maybe it was just about proximity. Maybe I wasn’t the only one it had happened to.

I felt my body sag in relief.

My stomach twisted as I stared at the scales, willing them to disappear. But was that really the explanation? After all, no one had reacted quite like I did.

Nyxaris might have been Pendragon’s problem. But now I had a new one of my own.