House of Shadows (Royal Houses 2)

“Do you think they put the dragons all in different places? Or is Alura tricking us?” Roake asked.

“It’s a test. Not a trick. She wants us to succeed,” Audria said.

Roake looked at Kerrigan behind Audria’s back in disbelief. She didn’t know what she thought about Alura, but she at least seemed fair. Strict but fair.

“I’m going to try north, I guess,” Roake said. “See if I can feel anything from Luxor.”

Audria waved him off as he started jogging north. “She knows we’re bottom of the class in bonding.” She winced. “Sorry.”

“No. It’s true,” Kerrigan agreed.

“Maybe she put our dragons closest and Fordham’s farthest.”

“Maybe. Worth a try.”

Audria and Kerrigan headed east around Draco Mountain and down the Row. They jogged for about an hour before Audria gasped.

“I feel it!”

“Which direction?”

She pointed northeast. “I can’t believe I can feel it. I thought that for sure, I would never be able to pass this test.” She looked so relieved. “Good luck with yours, Kerrigan.”

Kerrigan watched her go with deep regret. What was she going to do now? East was the most likely direction, but she didn’t know if Roake’s dragon was actually north, which could mean that she spent all this time heading in the wrong direction, only to find Tieran had gone north.

Indecision bit at her, but logically, she decided east was the simplest answer. There was no bond to tug on, and she had to follow her gut. It had served her well in the past.

She jogged east for an hour until she felt like her lungs were going to explode. She was stranded in the middle of nowhere in the mountains outside of the city with only her magic. She’d passed a few traveling tourists, here to see the city as it bloomed in the fall. The trees all changed almost at once from vibrant green to a myriad of orange, yellow, and red. The leaves fell in a heap right before winter, leaving it all bare. But right now, it was stunning as the first wisps of cold came down off of the mountains.

Kerrigan was a summer child at heart, but she always enjoyed the cooler temperatures for a few days until the snow hit. Then, she’d rather huddle inside and never leave until spring revealed itself once more.

Right now, she couldn’t even be thankful for the cooler weather. She needed to find her dragon.

Three more hours passed in the blink of an eye. She’d missed the lunch deadline. She was lost. She had no dragon. She didn’t care who heard; she screamed at the top of her lungs. All of this, only to fail their first bonding test. How in the gods’ names was she supposed to survive this?

Just when she was ready to give up and turn back around, she heard a small voice in her head. Kerrigan?

“Oh, thank the gods!” she cried. “Tieran!”

A dragon flew into view, landing in a meadow near her. She dashed through the trees and straight to him.

I’ve been circling the area for hours, looking for you, Tieran said.

“Same,” she said. She actually hugged him as hard as she could. “I am so glad I found you. Where were you?”

A half hour on foot south of here.

“I never would have found you,” she groaned.

No. I think this proves that. And the next test, they’ll drop you off, and I am supposed to find you. He sounded dubious. How will we not fail as miserably next time?

Kerrigan didn’t have an answer to that as she climbed onto his back and he shot into the air, heading back toward the mountain.

“Maybe we should plan a place to meet. One in the north and one in the south, just in case. As soon as I’m dropped off, I’ll run to the meetup spot.”

What if you’re hours away?

She huffed, too tired to argue. “Do you have a better idea?”

He was silent a full minute before conceding, I do not.

So, they made their plan. They picked the locations that both of them knew and agreed to meet up. She didn’t know if it would even work, but at least they had a game plan.

They landed back in the arena, and Alura awaited with her arms crossed.

“What happened?” she demanded.

Kerrigan shook her head. “It’s the distance. I can’t find the bond that far away.”

“That shouldn’t be possible. You’ve been working on it for months.”

“Maybe I’m blocked,” she said.

“Blocked? No, that’s in your head,” Alura assured her. “You simply aren’t trying hard enough.” Her eyes shifted to the horizon. “It’s too late to set you up for the next test.”

“What?” Kerrigan gasped.

“If it took you this long for the first one, you could be out into the evening for the next one. Light is fading sooner now.”

“What does that mean then?”

She frowned. “That I cannot pass you to the next level of training.”