The House of Dragons had given her a new life.
She couldn’t turn away from that even if she wanted to.
“Thank you,” Kerrigan said when Tavry finally landed back in the aerie. “I’ll always remember this last flight too.”
You are always welcome with me, Kerrigan Argon.
Kerrigan shuddered at the sound of her full name in her mind. Of course the dragons knew.
Still, she dipped into a low curtsy and then retreated from the rooms. A tear trickled down her eye as she left the aerie and flying behind.
10
The Ceremony
“I know. I know,” Kerrigan gasped.
Hadrian and Darby were looking at her as if she’d just sprouted wings. She waved her hand at them as she hustled into the back of the line.
She was obviously the last of the twenty-three Dragon Blessed who were attending the ceremony today. Mistress Moran shot her a disparaging look before turning back to face the front of the line.
Kerrigan took that opportunity to rest her hands on her knees and take a deep breath.
“Where have you been?” Darby asked, flustered. “You’re late. We’ve been waiting for you.”
“I’m here now,” she got out.
Truly, she was ready to collapse. Running in these new heeled shoes that Parris had selected for her was not for the faint of heart. But they sure showed off the elegant line of her leg through the slit in her blush silk gown.
Mistress Moran marched forward, directing the lot of Dragon Blessed out of Draco Mountain and through the winding streets of Kinkadia.
“Seriously, where were you?” Hadrian asked, sidling up to her.
She shrugged. “Flying.”
“Now… and not… I don’t know, humor me, Ker,” he said with an eye roll, “tomorrow?”
Kerrigan ruffled his perfectly kept blue hair. He balked at the touch and tried to sweep it back into place. “It was now or never.”
“Can I at least put a braid into your curls?” Darby asked with a resigned sigh.
She nodded and let Darby work two quick braids into her hair, pulling it off her face and hiding her ears. It didn’t matter much to Kerrigan. The dress and shoes and rouge would hide everything well enough. She was used to her hair not being tamed.
“Is it just me… or is it crowded?” Kerrigan asked as they reached the heart of the city.
Irena Hall in the Central district housed the ceremony every year. Since it was a dragon tournament year, it was also coupled with a party for the competitors. It was typically a busy event. Representatives from all twelve tribes would show up. Wagers would be made on the competitors. The Dragon Blessed would enter society. But this was… beyond that.
“It’s not just you,” Hadrian said.
He pulled in close to her and Darby. She could sense him reaching for his magic.
She frowned and did the same. It was better to be safe than sorry as far as she was concerned. Darby hardly had a spark, and it was all healing water magic. She wasn’t adept at fighting. She’d always shirked the lessons that Kerrigan found interesting. And vice versa.
“What’s that ahead?” Kerrigan asked.
Hadrian was the tallest. He rose to his toes to look over the crowd. His frown was measured. “It looks like… a demonstration.”
“A protest?” Darby squeaked in fear.
“Scales,” Kerrigan murmured.
She and Hadrian maneuvered Darby between them. Hadrian would do in a fight. He’d grown up with it. Then, Lyam settled back into their unit, effectively closing Darby in. Lyam was more mischief than fighter, but she’d rather have another person looking out for Darby either way.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Kerrigan asked Lyam.
He’d been up with Moran originally.
He gritted his teeth. “They’re protesting the tournament.”
Kerrigan sighed. So, it was all beginning again. Just like it had last tournament.
Society members held back the protestors as they passed through the thick of it toward the ballroom. They didn’t seem violent at least, but Kerrigna knew all too well how fast that could change.
A chant rose up out of the crowd, “Tournament is tyranny.”
Kerrigan shuddered. Then, just before she could step across the threshold and into the relative safety of the banquet hall, her eyes cast to the left. Her feet stumbled. She gasped as she waved unsteadily.
She recognized the people standing there.
She didn’t know them. Not exactly. But she knew them. Down to her marrow.
She had seen their faces in a vision. She had watched their anger and their cries. Another part of her vision… and here it was, a reality.
A cold sweat broke out across her skin. She was frozen in place, staring at the faces of the crowd. Then, Hadrian latched on to her elbow and yanked her inside. The doors slammed closed behind them.
“What were you doing?” Hadrian demanded.
“I… I don’t know,” Kerrigan muttered.
This was the biggest secret between them. She couldn’t tell him or anyone about the visions without endangering their lives. So, instead, she looked like an idiot.