Page 30 of The Bond That Burns (Bloodwing Academy #2)

I paced outside the heavy oak door to my room. My shoulders were taut, my body exhausted. My sword was still strapped to my side. I’d cleaned it but that was about all I’d had a chance to do. I hadn’t dared leave Aenia alone to bathe or even eat.

Each time a student dared to walk past, I’d glare at them or growl. They’d rush by with a squeak—or in some cases, a scream of terror.

Good. It kept the corridor clear.

When Pendragon rounded the corner, I felt relief cross my face. I strode towards her, stopping just short of touching her.

She looked good. Better. Healed.

But I’d already known she was going to recover quickly. The healers had told me they weren’t worried about her. Not like they were about Theo.

“You’re here. Good,” I said, keeping my voice low. I glanced back at the door. “I was just about to go and find someone to help.”

She frowned, glancing at the door behind me. “Find someone to help with what?”

“Aenia.” I couldn’t help it. I kept looking back at the door as if it might burst open. “She’s in there. Sleeping. For now.”

“Aenia’s here ?” Pendragon’s face turned horrified. “What were you thinking? What’s going to happen when she wakes up?”

I didn’t reply to her first question, just ran a hand through my hair. “That’s the problem. I need to get her out of here. But I can’t just...” I shook my head, trying to clear it. “Don’t worry, she’s safe for now. She’s tied up. The door’s locked.”

I’d hated to take such drastic measures, but I knew they were necessary. When one of her feral periods came over her, she was difficult to control. She’d hurt me on more than one occasion.

“Safe? Safe for who?” Pendragon hissed.

I frowned. “I said I’d get her out of here. But I need to make arrangements. I just need someone to stay outside the room until I get back.” I looked at her pleadingly.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “You want me to stand guard? After what happened in the carriage? Blake, she nearly killed your own cousin.”

I scowled, glancing around. But the hallway was still clear. “Keep your voice down, would you?”

When I looked back at her, she was shaking her head. “I don’t understand you. I don’t understand any of this.”

“What the fuck do you expect me to do, Pendragon? Tell me.” My voice rose, rough with exhaustion. “If it were your little sister, what would you do? Honestly, I’d love to know.”

She crossed her arms, but her expression softened a little. “I don’t know. But maybe you could start by letting Healer Ailith write her report. The one I know you’re planning to tell her not to write. If the Tribunal finds out, maybe that wouldn’t be the worst thing for Aenia. Maybe they’d...”

“Do you have any idea what you’re even saying?” I burst out. I could feel my temper spiking. I hadn’t slept. Hadn’t eaten. I’d just been with Aenia alone all this time, just waiting for help. Usually, I could have counted on Theo. “If they get that report, Aenia will be executed. I could be executed, too. Or had you forgotten that little detail?”

Pendragon paled. “Oh, shit. Blake, I’m sorry. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Right,” I said bitterly. “Well, believe me, I have. But it’s not even about me. It’s about Aenia. I won’t let that happen to her. Look, Visha went to make arrangements. But she’s taking too long. I’ll go find her. I’ll smooth everything out, and then we’ll get Aenia out of here.”

“Florence and her mother were in that carriage, too,” she said quietly. “They saw what happened.”

“I already spoke to them,” I snapped. “They aren’t going to say anything.”

The expression on her face told me she didn’t approve, but she nodded. “Fine. I’ll watch her. I’ll stay here as long as you need me to.”

I sagged with relief. “Thank you.”

I started to walk away, but she touched my shoulder. I looked down at her, suddenly wishing I could just sweep her into my arms. She’d been injured. She could have died. All I wanted was to keep her safe, comfort her. To lay down next to her, pull her close, and sleep. But I couldn’t do any of that. Not until Aenia was out of harm’s way.

“Blake,” she murmured. “I know she’s your sister...”

I flinched, knowing what was coming. Not wanting to hear it.

“But she’s dangerous. You have to see that. She could have killed Theo.” She took a deep breath. “Even now, he’s not out of the woods. He could die.” She looked into my eyes steadily. “You’ve tried to save her. Over and over again, you’ve tried to do the right thing. I admire you for it. But how long can this go on? She’s out of control and you can’t be responsible for her forever.”

“Can’t I?” I said sharply. My eyes stayed locked on hers, fierce and uncompromising. “She’s a child. An innocent child. All of this is my fault. She never asked for this life, Pendragon. I brought this fate upon her. I’ve done everything I can to keep her alive. I won’t just hand her over to people who’ll butcher her like a rabid dog.”

I watched her expression falter as she took in my desperation.

“Please,” I said, my voice breaking a little. Fuck, I hated this. “I don’t have anyone else to ask. Not someone I can trust.”

She nodded slowly. “I’ll be here. You can trust me.” She hesitated, then added, “But you and I need to talk. After this is all over.”

My face hardened. “Just tell me now. What’s wrong?”

“Kage came to see me,” she said, not meeting my eyes.

I knew before she said the words.

“I’ve been given permission to transfer to House Avari.”

Even so, I felt like I’d been dealt a blow to the stomach. For a moment, I couldn’t speak.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

She pushed a long red curl off her face. “I’m not.”

My entire body felt raw. I’d never felt so betrayed. “What fucked up game is my uncle playing at now?”

“Maybe he’s doing us both a favor,” she said quietly. “Maybe separation could be a good thing. Blake, you and I... Well, just look at us. We’re like a fire.”

“I know,” I said softly, touching a finger to her chin and forcing her to meet my eyes. “I feel it, too.”

“But not in a good way,” she whispered–and I saw there were tears in her eyes. “We’re burning out of control. If we stay together, more people will get hurt.”

I stared at her, my face a mask of disbelief. “You can’t seriously mean that. You’d really leave me to go to House Avari? To go to him ?”

She didn’t ask who I meant. She knew. “After all that’s happened, can’t you see, Blake? This bond—us—has to end,” she said, her voice trembling. “Now more than ever. We put people at risk, just by being...us.”

I shook my head. I had no words.

“I’m a danger to Florence already,” she said, her voice wobbling. “But with you, I’m doubly dangerous. Because of Aenia, because of Viktor. He’ll keep trying to use us against each other. Maybe he already is.”

“And you don’t think this isn’t him trying to use us against each other?” I snapped. “Are you really that na?ve?”

I watched her take a breath, as if to control herself.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” I admitted. “But stop and think. Aenia was just as much of a pawn at the Tribunal evaluation as Florence was.”

“I know,” she said wearily. “But...”

“But what?” I held up my hands and shook my head. “You know what? Do it. If you’re so determined to run, go ahead. Transfer houses, break the bond, whatever you need to do to make yourself feel better. Because I can’t keep doing this.”

I watched her breath hitch. “Doing what?”

“This.” I gestured between us, my words coming out in a rush, blunt and unfiltered. “This goddamn exhausting mirroring of emotions. When you’re sad, I’m sad. When you’re happy, I’m happy. And when you’re in danger...” My voice faltered.

“What?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I looked away from her, my jaw clenching. “When you’re in danger, I feel like I’d gladly give up my life and everything in it to keep you safe.”

The weight of my confession hung there between us, heavy and suffocating.

“Blake...”

“Don’t bother,” I interrupted, my eyes blazing as I looked at her. She was deep inside me now. Woven into my blood. Carved into my heart. But maybe these feelings were poison. Sweet but deadly. Maybe she was right and I should have been fighting just as hard as she was to cut them out. “I have to go. When I get back... Well, if you’re going to go, just go. But don’t stand here and tell me we’re better off apart like it’s some noble sacrifice. Because it’s not. It’s just running away.”

I held her gaze just a second too long, drinking her in as if I might never see her again. My chest was tight. My throat even tighter.

Finally, I turned away and started walking down the hallway, the edges of my vision blurred.

The corridor leading towards my uncle’s chamber in the Black Keep stretched out before me, a cold expanse of dead stone.

I walked slowly. I’d chosen this meeting. That didn’t mean I had to rush towards it. Seeing my uncle alone was never a good thing.

I’d gotten Aenia out of Bloodwing. She was safe. At least, for now. She’d been lucid when I’d handed her off. She’d begged me not to leave her, but what choice did I have? My mother wasn’t around to protect either of us anymore. I’d asked Aenia about Theo, asked if she remembered attacking him. She’d looked at me blankly.

The madness wasn’t her fault. I knew that. But it was a constant presence, a storm always waiting to break. And worst of all? Sometimes I thought she could remember the terrible things she’d done. She just didn’t want to.

My mind churned, replaying the events from the carriage attack over and over, as if I could make them make more sense.

I looked down at my fingers, flexing them gently. I’d been tempted to wear gloves, but I couldn’t risk drawing even more attention to myself. My hands still felt... wrong. I’d scrubbed them raw as if cleaning them might help. But I could swear I still saw faint traces of scales when the light hit them just so. My palms burned a little even now–the same searing heat I’d felt when I’d ripped one of the attackers apart with my bare hands.

Fuck, I’d even dropped my sword in the middle of a battle—not because I’d been clumsy. Because I hadn’t needed it.

My body had moved like something from a nightmare. I’d been fast, vicious. Transformed. I hadn’t fought those men. I’d slaughtered them.

I shuddered. I’d never felt so strong before. So filled with reckless aggression. I could still see the look on Visha’s face when she’d touched my arm, bringing me back down to earth. Her wide violet eyes had darted from my bloody hands to the mangled body on the ground. To her credit, she hadn’t said anything. I knew she’d stay quiet about what she’d seen.

But if anyone else had witnessed what I’d done...

My protective instincts had roared to life. Pendragon. Aenia. The others. No one was going to touch them. Not while I still breathed.

I’d fought like a man possessed. No, not a man. A beast. Like the silver wolf that had come out of the bush. Something primal. Something unrecognizable.

I stopped in my tracks, pressing my palms flat against the cool stone wall. Even now, my arms ached with a burning pain that hadn’t subsided since the battle. The skin over my back felt tight, as though something was pressing, clawing, trying to break free. I rolled my shoulders, attempting to shake it off. But the sensation didn’t dissipate.

What the hell was happening to me?

I’d been planning to talk to Pendragon about it. See if she had any insights. I’d been ready to take her into my confidence.

I shook my head. How could I have been so stupid? I’d thought we’d have more time... after I took care of Aenia. I hadn’t expected her to announce her departure.

Well, she’d made her choice.

The loneliness of that realization hit me harder than I expected. I tightened my jaw, refusing to show it, even to myself in this empty hall.

The door to my uncle’s chamber rose ahead of me. Viktor Drakharrow. The man who’d managed to take a loving family, warp it, control it, twist it to serve his own purposes.

But that was who I was now. First and foremost. His nephew. His pawn. His tool.

Except now, I was becoming something else. Something I didn’t understand. Something that fucking terrified me.

If anyone might know what was happening to me, it was Viktor. He’d lived long enough to have seen it all.

I hesitated, then shoved open the double-doors and strode into the room, my fists clenched at my sides.

Viktor’s quarters weren’t to my tastes. They were ostentatious and pretentious. Everything spoke of old wealth and old blood.

My uncle was seated behind his desk. He looked up as I approached. “You’ve got that petulant look on your face, Blake. The one that tells me this is going to be a tiresome conversation.”

I ignored him. “Aenia shouldn’t have been at the Tribunal evaluation yesterday.”

Viktor picked up a goblet filled with dark liquid in one hand. “You’ve come here to lecture me? To show me what a devoted brother you are? Look at that, I’m bored already.”

I stepped forward. “You put her in danger. Not to mention all of the others.” I couldn’t tell him what had happened with Theo. And when Theo awoke—because I knew he would wake—he couldn’t tell our uncle either. I knew he’d understand that. He cared for Aenia, too. He’d known her before she’d become what she was now. He’d forgive her. He had to. “You know what could have happened if she’d lost control.”

“Yet she didn’t,” Viktor said, rising and rounding the desk. “You handled it, as I knew you would. That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it, Nephew?” His hand shot out suddenly, grabbing me by the throat. “Or have you forgotten what your purpose is when it comes to this family?”

I didn’t struggle. I didn’t claw at his hand. I knew it would be useless.

There would be a reckoning one day. Maybe even sooner than we both expected. But this was not that day.

Finally, he dropped me. I gasped for air. “She’s not just some pawn for you to move around the board. She’s my sister.”

Viktor’s hand lashed out again, faster than I could react. I staggered back a step, my jaw blazing with pain, but I refused to give him more of a reaction than that. I knew I’d have marks around my throat, another across my face. But I’d grown used to hiding all the bruises. The tattoos helped with that. So did using combat class as an excuse. What was another bruise or two, after all? I hardly felt them anymore.

“Aenia is whatever I decide she is,” my uncle snarled. “She exists because I allow it. You exist because I allow it. You will remember your place.”

I swallowed, everything in my body aching to attack him, to put him down like the old monster deserved. But I was fairly certain Viktor was the most powerful highblood alive. How else had he managed to accrue all this power?

So I forced myself to stay quiet. I’d done what I’d come here to do—shown him he was jeopardizing my loyalty every time he treated Aenia like she was nothing.

For now, he needed me. Though most of the time, I wasn’t quite sure why exactly.

I straightened. “Pendragon’s leaving House Drakharrow. But then, I suppose you already knew that.”

Viktor raised a brow. “What of it?”

“What possible reason could you have for letting House Avari take her?” I snapped.

“What does it matter? Allowing her to transfer houses was a calculated decision. The girl is still yours. She’s still bound to you, isn’t she? Still yours to feed from. But placing her with the Avari calms certain tensions among the Tribunal. Now we have more room to manipulate the situation while appearing cooperative to the other great houses.” He eyed me coldly. “Not to mention it frees you up to focus on what truly matters. You’ve grown too attached to the rider. Allowing you to cast aside the Pansera girl was a mistake. I see that now.”

“It was my mistake to make,” I risked saying. “Regan and I weren’t suited. I won’t take her back, if that’s what you’re about to say.”

Viktor waved a hand. “I’ve indulged you too much. She was perfect for you. Strong, loyal. Of excellent blood. A perfect highblood woman. The truth is, you’ve embarrassed yourself. This infatuation with the rider—it’s weak, undignified. You’ve made a fool of yourself.”

I felt my pulse quicken. “I’m not infatuated with her.”

Viktor’s lips curled. “Excellent. Don’t grow too attached.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I demanded.

“As for Miss Pansera,” he continued, ignoring me. “She has other options. I’ve initiated negotiations with her father. We need the Panseras to remain our allies. You offended them greatly with your dismissal. But all will work out in the end. I’ve been alone for far too long.”

My jaw dropped. “Wait. What? You’re... planning to take Regan as a consort?”

“I am,” Viktor said, as smoothly as if we were discussing the weather. “She’ll breed well. I’ve long admired the girl’s tenacity. She’ll be an asset to our house. Whether she’s on your arm or mine.” He glanced at me and narrowed his eyes. For a moment, I thought I glimpsed something I’d never seen there before. Jealousy. But in an instant, it was gone.

“I... I hope you’ll be happy,” I forced myself to say.

The thought of my uncle breeding with Regan–or any woman, for that matter–made me want to vomit. I wondered what Regan thought of all of this. Then I remembered the powerful man she’d alluded to. She’d gain more power being with Viktor than she ever would have from being with me. In the end, that was probably all someone like Regan really wanted.

Abruptly, I realized Viktor was looking me over with unusual scrutiny.

“You look tense, Blake,” Viktor said, his voice deceptively soft, like a snake about to strike. “Have you been feeling unwell? Any...changes I should be aware of? Sudden illnesses?”

“Illnesses?” I frowned. “I don’t get ill. I’m fine.”

Viktor studied me more closely, walking around me in a slow circle. I tried not to move, but secretly I was praying none of those damn scales would suddenly manifest.

“Are you? You’ve been off lately. Distracted.”

“Who told you that?” I’d fucking pound them into the ground. I suddenly thought of Laurent. “Whoever it was, they were wrong. Things couldn’t be better.”

“Is it losing the rider girl from your bed that bothers you the most, Blake?” My uncle said, circling around to stand in front of me. He smirked. “Or is it the thought of losing her to Tanaka? If he wants her, I’m sure the girl will give herself to him. He’s a powerful man. Try not to be offended. I’m sure she can warm two beds as well as one.”

I opened and shut my mouth, then opened it again. “She can do whatever she damn well wants. It’s her body.”

“Good.” He smiled. “I’m pleased to hear such rationality from your lips.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t doubt me, Blake. Never doubt me. There’s always a plan behind what I do, though you may not know the details. Find another girl. A highblood one this time. Fuck her. Test her out. Then come to me if you want her. We’ll arrange it. A triad is stronger, after all.”

I couldn’t picture forming a triad now. Or another girl in my bed. Not after Pendragon. But I nodded tightly. “Sounds good.”

There was no fucking way I was asking Viktor about what was happening to me now. Not after the way he’d just been looking at me.

Whatever was happening to me? Viktor already knew. He’d expected it. He must have done something to me. But what?

I’d started moving towards the exit when my gaze landed on a door on the opposite wall. I must have seen it a hundred times or more. It led to the Drakharrow archives. All of our historical records had been transferred here when my uncle took up residence in the Black Keep. I’d never had any reason to visit them before. They seemed to be used only by Viktor and a few scribes and secretaries who worked for our house.

But now? If there were answers about what was happening to me—or about Pendragon, about her dragon—they might be in there. Viktor wasn’t going to volunteer information that could help me.

It was time I stopped waiting for permission and took what was rightfully mine.