Had that been the drug? No.
I touched the tender place at the back of my head before examining the palms of my hands. The scrapes that I could have sworn were bleeding last night were now gone. I’d smelled the blood, seen the blood.
I hesitated, feeling foolish. “I hallucinated last night. For some reason, I thought your tattoo came alive, beat the crap out of me, and then made a dragon come out of me.” I squeezed my eyes closed and covered my face. “Oh my god! What was in that drink?”
Ashe moved closer and pulled my hands from my face. “That… all… happened,” he sighed, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders. “And so did the… bonding.”
I searched his face, “Bonding? Is that supposed to happen?”
“No.”
“Our dragons had s…”
“They mated,” he cut me off, then stared at me for a moment. “Aaraeth and Eondian mated, it created a bond between you and I.”
I narrowed my eyes, “What do you mean mated? Did we?”
He shook his head, “No, no, no, no, no. WE didn’t complete our bond. We didn’t mate in that way. However, you felt the dragon’s bond. But as far as you and I—we’re now unbonded mates.”
“We’re what? I mean, I can sense you… sense your emotions, your feelings. This is unbonded? How does the bond… I don’t know… finish?”
“You know. I know you know.” He eyed me.
I closed my eyes and leaned into him, the most natural thing in the world. Ashe wrapped his arms around me and kissed my hair. I laid my head against his chest—the sound of his heartbeat soothing.
“Yes,” I said reluctantly, “I think I understand, but everything else... what’s going to happen?”
“I don’t know,” he said, smoothing his hands over my back before holding me away. “I’m sorry Eondian hurt you… I’ve never seen him do anything like that. I’ve never felt him so determined to get to something or someone. He wanted Aaraeth and sensed her inside you.”
“I thought he was going to kill me,” I said with a shiver.
My soldier smoothed my hair. “But... this situation is... going to be difficult, and I don’t know how things will play out for us. Dragons usually only mate between adults who know each other, not strangers. So, I don’t know exactly what this means for us.”
“I don’t... I don’t understand. Why did they mate?” I bit my lower lip.
“I don’t know. It was like he’d known you were tied to Aaraeth. I wasn’t supposed to go on this ritual pilgrimage, but Eondian insisted. Something about you called to both of us... but I never would have... Eondian was out of control, wild with determination.” He switched directions, “Are you okay? Are you still injured?”
I shook my head and shrugged, showing him my palms, “I think so. I thought I’d been bleeding last night, but I guess I was wrong. I’m okay though, I’ll be alright,” I said, trying to ease his worry.
His jaw clenched. “There’s so much you don’t know about us, about yourself and about the Dragonborn. You’re the granddaughter of Prime Lambert—they’re Orthodox. My family is Elibera.”
I shook my head, “I don’t know what that means... So? I thought you were like a soldier or something like that?”
He sucked in an irritated breath. “I am—every Dragonborn male has to serve in the militia for at least two years. But, there’s been bad blood between our houses.”
“We can figure this out,” I whispered, uncertainty creeping into my own thoughts. Too tired to think of houses or feuds.
Reaching up, I brushed his dark hair from his eyes, then remembered that his girlfriend, Lacy Bryant, had done the same thing not that long ago.
Did he still have feelings for her? Of course, he still had feelings for her!
Would he stay with her? Would he be with me?
The bond between Ashe and I seemed unbreakable and undeniable.
My thoughts were tumbling like rocks in a dryer, and I waited for him to reassure me that everything would be all right. But when he didn’t speak, anger surged through me.
I could sense uneasiness about our situation radiating from him like heat from a fire.
Why was I doing all the comforting and reassuring? After all, he lived in this world and understood it.
Finally, I lashed out, “Can you just tell me that everything will be okay? My entire body hurts, not to mention I probably have a concussion. I didn’t even want to do this stupid ritual! And I certainly didn’t think I’d get hurt in the process.”
Ashe raised an eyebrow while he stood there waiting for me to finish.
I continued my list. “I have another conscious being in my mind—a dragon—who talks to me.” I raised an arm to show him part of Aaraeth. The rest was covered by my sweat laden pillowcase garment. “And as icing on the cake, I now have a gigantic dragon tattoo. My dad’s going to kill me when he sees that!”
Ashe glanced away to something that shifted behind me.
I spun to see Dr. Weaver pull herself to her feet, her hand against a boulder for support. I hadn’t noticed her before, but as my voice had grown louder and louder, I must’ve woken her up.
In the dim light, I could see a deep line between her brows. Her mouth was also puckered in worry.
Clearing her throat, she began picking up her own mat, and addressed us both, “Come on, let’s go get dressed and see if we can sort this mess out.”
Ashe picked up the lamp, and I followed them through the low area and out to the other cavern. My clothes lay in a cold and damp heap where I’d left them.
I couldn’t help but be drawn to Ashe, and I watched as he turned his back and tugged off the white linen shift. Eondian slid over Ashe’s shoulders before turning to look at me. The beast then yawned and rested his head on his forearms.
Something moved along my own skin, and I pulled off my ritual garment.
Wrapped around the upper part of my left arm was the dark spiked tail of my dragon.
My dragon.
The tattoo shimmered as she moved, the sensation like that of silk sliding along my skin.
Aaraeth? I asked.
I am here… came her reply in my head.
She was separate but part of me at the same time.
Ashe had turned toward me and cleared his throat, but he didn’t look away from my naked body. Logical thought told me that I should cover myself or turn away, but after what we’d just shared—the gesture felt wrong. Ashe was connected to me now, and I felt it deep within my bones.
Closing the space between us, he reached out and ran his fingertips over my collarbone along Aaraeth as she glided across my skin.
“Aaraeth is a full dragon, I’ve never seen a female Prime,” he told me, his voice full of awe.
“Aaraeth?”
“Yes, I’ve never actually seen one before, most people have wyverns... Almost all women have wyverns,” he said, circling me to follow her form on my back. “I remember what it felt like to see Eondian on my body for the first time. To feel him and be one with him. Now I can’t imagine my life without him.”
Dr. Weaver, now dressed, gasped when she spotted my nakedness and marched over. “Mr. Carrick, please! And Miss Miller! Cover yourself! I am well aware of the implications of a possible bond between the two of you, but this! This is simply inappropriate! While you are both within my jurisdiction, you will maintain some decorum! Both of you! I know it’s been a hard night, but everyone has been waiting for us for several hours.”
The professor reminded me of an angry Professor McGonigal, and the thought almost made me chuckle—almost.
Until I felt Ashe pull away from me. His expressive eyes turned hard, and he said, “It won’t happen again.”
Rattled and wanting to be dressed, I forwent my underclothes and pulled on my leggings and sweatshirt.
Gathering our things, we made our way through the cave, Dr. Weaver strategically walking between Ashe and I.
As we neared the large cavern where the tents had been e
rected, the temperature became colder. A dim blue glow and faint echoing voices could be heard from up ahead. I shivered and stopped to don the snowsuit over my clothes, lagging behind my two companions.
They left me, but I heard when they were spotted in the mouth of the cave. The jovial conversation came to a halt, and a tangible tension spilled from the room. Dread washed over me, and I steeled myself before hiking around the last bend to emerge on the other side.
My eyes were immediately drawn to Miss Bryant. She stood near the tamped down snow path leading out of the cave. Her face was puffy, and her eyes red from crying.
I bit the side of my cheek and couldn’t help but watch her in a new light, with Ashe’s memories inside my head. When she spotted me, she turned away, arms folded.
Ashe approached her, his expression apologetic, but she pushed him away and said something I couldn’t hear. I tried to help the others with the last tent but found my gaze straying back to the pair. Ashe had one hand on her neck as he spoke in low tones to an angry, tearful Lacy. She’d turned her back, refusing to look at him, arms crossed, shaking her head.
Finally, my soldier gave up and began to help others with the final packing of supplies. I watched him as he’d occasionally pause in his movements and gaze over at Lacy.
Where’s his head? I wondered.
He’s conflicted, came a response I hadn’t expected.
Aaraeth slid from my skin to stand beside me in the broad mouth of the cave. I heard a few gasps from those nearby but ignored them. She stood like a queen, exquisite and noble on all four legs, her bluish-green scales reflecting the dim light. Stretching out her wings, she pawed the ground as if demanding the group’s attention.
Ashe belongs to ussssss. He knows that, as well as the woman, my dragon hissed in my mind.
Mr. Daniel’s hushed tones caught my attention, but I only caught a few words. “Inquiry... illegal bond... catastrophe…”
Headmistress Angeven’s sharp voice made me turn my head toward her. “Miss Miller, control your dragon!”
My mouth gaped like a fish, not really understanding. Aaraeth wasn’t doing anything wrong standing there beside us.
Nearing me, the headmistress pursed her lips. “I’ll give you some grace because you are new to the Dragonborn, however, when you don’t see anyone else’s dragon, it’s a sure thing that yours should not be out and about. Call her back to you.”
My eyes widened, and I shrugged, lifting my palms upward. “What does that mean?”
Ashe had finished with the tent and was now making his way toward Angeven and I. Instead of addressing me, he met my dragon’s eye and pointed. “Aaraeth? Go on.”
She snorted a puff of smoke before deigning to look at who addressed her.
But the soldier stood his ground. One of Eondian’s multifaceted blue eyes gazed out over Ashe’s collar to look at Aaraeth, his mate.
My dragon purred to me in an indolent tone, Very well. As he asked so nicely.
With one step, she dove into me, nearly knocking me off my feet.
But instead of it hurting, I closed my eyes and leaned into the sensation. Warmth and ice all at once washed over me with such a strong feeling of connection that I nearly gasped.
Aaraeth’s power surged inside me to such an extent that if sparks had flown from my fingertips, I would’ve believed it.
Then the hunger and lust hit me.
It was all I could do to stay still and not act on her feelings.
Barely holding the emotions back, I couldn’t help but gaze longingly at my would-be mate.
Ashe’s eyes seemed lit as if by fire, and the intensity of his stare nearly broke me. I couldn’t break the connection, but finally, he did.
When we began to snowshoe back, my body took over while I watched those around me.
The bond between Ashe and I unnerved our traveling companions and kept Miss Bryant in fresh tears and red eyes.
The sky had brightened into a deep blue as we hiked, but I remained locked in my head. Dr. Weaver once again had me slide onto the snow machine behind her for the drive back, and with a longing look at Ashe, I did so.
Peering out into the deep green of the tall pines around me, I struggled with all the new information from Ashe and the ritual. His memories in my head weren’t coherent thoughts or words; they were more like pictures with attached emotions.
After seeing his memories, I realized that he was older than I’d initially thought. He was a man and by all considerations, I was a child. I’d seen things and felt concepts I wouldn’t have understood the day before.
But, when I looked at Ashe, and into his eyes, none of that seemed to matter. A line had been drawn from my soul to his—through the dragons Eondian and Aaraeth.
Were these their feelings? Their thoughts? I didn’t think so. I intimately knew Ashe now. His fears and his desires, and he desired me.
When my dragon spoke, it didn’t surprise me this time. You and Ashe are fated to be mates.
Fated to be, but not yet? I asked my beast.
Not yet, she replied.
Back at the school, with the snowmobiles locked in their shed, our small group milled about in the courtyard, dividing gear and unpacking.
My eyes were like a magnet drawn to my soldier, to his lithe movements and jungle cat grace, but a dark cloud hung over us. I could sense it—sense her—Lacy Bryant. But now, she wasn’t a sad, weepy, schoolteacher anymore. She openly glared daggers at me, her eyes narrowed and lips pressed together. Lacy’s wyvern lay quiet on her skin, but both she and her dragon were like static—a background noise that grated my nerves.
Did she think that she and Ashe had been fated to be mates?
“All right!” Dr. Weaver caught my attention with her crisp voice and a clap of hands. “Now that we know what kind of Dragonborn Sydney is, she’ll be placed in Drake House.”
Mrs. Moorhead smiled, “As if there were any doubt.”
I frowned at her words. As if she hadn’t said just a day or two ago that I was a dud and wouldn’t be Dragonborn.
I let it go and focused my attention back on Dr. Weaver as she turned to me. “Sydney, Mrs. Moorhead will get you settled into Drake house.”
“Drake House?” I asked.
“There are three types of Dragonborn here at Balaur Academy, and you are a Drake,” she told me dismissively, turning away.
Ashe caught my gaze before slipping inside one of the lower level doors of Wyvern Hall. A quick glance told me Mrs. Moorhead was preoccupied, so I decided to duck away and follow him.
Just as the door closed behind me, I was pressed against the wall. Ashe bracketed me between his arms and our gazes locked. His jaw clenched and unclenched, his features tormented as if in pain.
Then, leaning down, his lips lightly pressed my own in a restrained kiss. But it was as if some kind of dam broke, and his tongue plunged into my mouth in a way I’d never been kissed before.
Ashe wasn’t gentle; he was passionate and tense—but so was I.
His hands roamed my back and my waist before moving up under my hoodie. I gasped out in pain when he touched a tender spot on my ribs.
“Oh! I’m sorry,’ he whispered and leaned away.
I pulled him back toward me until our noses touched, then his unshaven jaw scratched my face, and we reveled in an intimacy we’d been denied so far.
Groaning, he bent his head to avoid another kiss but ended up trailing hot kisses down my neck. I hung in his arms like a rag doll as his hair feathered along my collarbone and he sucked and kissed, fighting against my hoodie.
With every draw of his mouth on my skin, I felt chords of heat throb within my body.
I raked my fingernails through his hair and moaned in pleasure. When he straightened, his face was flushed. His mouth was slightly open in shock and his eyes wide.
Ashe’s voice was husky and low as he spoke, “Oh my god. I... I shouldn’t have done that.”
But instead of backing away, he leaned in again for jus
t one more kiss, his lips lingering on mine. When he pulled away, I gripped his hair in my fingers and tugged him back for one last lingering smooch.
Eondian stopped us with three words; someone is nearby.
With quick reflexes, my soldier released me, pushing me behind him as the door swung open.
Lacy smiled, but her expression quickly soured when she realized he was not alone.
Using her teacher’s voice, she barked orders at me. “Sydney. You need to go, Mrs. Moorhead is looking for you.” Her lips twisted in a smirk.
Reluctantly, I stepped away from my soldier and toward the door. As I passed her, I turned to catch Ashe’s eye, but Lacy stepped between us and blocked my view.
Something welled up inside my chest. My face burned, and I felt like sobbing.
What the hell? What’s wrong with me?
My dragon’s voice slid into my head, Ashe is your mate. Go finalize the bond and get it over with!
Finalize the bond? I sniffed, How?
What you were meant to do. What you wanted to do.
I never thought I’d be given a sex talk from a dragon, especially not one that lived on my skin and in my mind.
I can’t do that! He can’t! He’s like twenty-five or something like that, and I’m sixteen! We shouldn’t even be kissing! Are you kidding me?
She blew out a puff of steam, You humans and your conventions!
6
Following Mrs. Moorhead through the maze of passages and buildings, we exited into a large courtyard filled with tall leafless trees and a few pines. Snow-covered picnic tables poked like bones out of the snow as we strode along a gravel path through to the middle.
My mom's cousin stopped and pointed toward a gap between the buildings we'd just come from. She began turning clockwise as she spoke, "We were just in Wyvern Hall—Wyvern is the main building where all classes are held. Then the Main Hall—it's used for assemblies, gatherings and also as a dining hall and study area. Next is Drake House, where you'll be living, then Harrow House and Eton House. This area is called the Quad."
Cracked Open: The Dragon Born Academy Page 5