Murmurs rose, faint at first, then swelling into a wave of disbelief. When I forced myself to stand, the legions had returned. And above them, blazing brighter than all the others, the green sigil of Dragontail burned against the sky.
Then I felt a heat pulse on my arm as the Dragontail sigil, in gold on a circular green background, was carved into my skin.
She had granted me Dragontail.
I had changed my destiny, my fate, and possibly the fate of the entire island. I wasn’t going to be an Emberkeep ruler wrapped in white robes and politics. I wasn’t going to sit on a throne forged by fear and tradition.
I was going to be a warrior. I was going to defend Rionis, not rule it.
A breath escaped me, half laugh, half gasp. I looked up at the Siren, meeting her ancient gaze, and a smirk tugged at my lips. Then I bowed my head slightly in gratitude. Thank you, I thought, though the words never left my mouth.
The arena was still rippling with whispers as I began to walk toward my new legion. Gasps followed me, disbelief bleeding into awe. And then cheers erupted in the arena.
The Dragontail ranks erupted, pounding fists to their chests, their chant rising like fire: “Strength above fear!”
“Strength above fear!”
“Strength above fear!”
As I passed Emberkeep, the noise dimmed. The silence was almost heavier than the cheers.
Thalen stood among them, eyes wide, shock etched plain across his face. His golden gaze locked on mine, stunned, searching, unbelieving.
I didn’t stop.
When I reached Dragontail, hands reached out to greet me. Claps on my shoulders, quick congratulations as I stepped into their circle. I couldn’t help the smile that broke across my face, bright, proud, unstoppable.
Shakari pulled me into a fierce hug, her voice trembling between laughter and fear. “I knew you had it in you,” she whispered proudly.
I squeezed her hand; the weight of it all settled in my chest. We both knew what this meant. Freedom, a new beginning, and a storm that was waiting to break across the court of Solenhart and the whole island of Rionis.
Chapter 3: Lost Heirloom
Before I could talk or think about what had happened, I ran. I didn’t want to talk or see anyone, so I ran from the arena to the Solphire Tower to my room, where I had briefly left my belongings before the Calling. I dropped my bag on the small bed beside the window and took a slow breath. The room was simple, white stone walls washed in pale magic light, a single desk, a narrow wardrobe, and soft golden sconces that flickered with contained sunlight. My bed, pressed neatly to the right, facing a long vertical window. Through it, I could just make out the ocean miles away, illuminated by the full moon. From here, the lights of the island’s two largest cities were visible: to the west, the Silver City; to the east, the Golden City, where the Glass Castle stood and from which my mother and her court ruled the entire island.
It was dark, but I could still see the light bent strangely, the Auroric Veil. A veil of enchantments woven and guarded by the Auroric legion. It distorted the edges of the horizon, a silent veil shielding the island from dragon flight.
I squinted into the moonlight as my stomach twisted tighter with each passing second. My pulse hammered beneath my skin. I hadn’t let myself think about it but seeing the Golden City on the horizon sent an anxious, choking fear crawling up my throat. There was no more hiding from it. I had been called to Dragontail, and my mother and the court would lose their minds. I had destabilized the succession and Rionis itself.
I forced myself to look away from the window and saw on the opposite side of the room that the other bed was already half-claimed. A pair of simple brown boots sat neatly at the end and blue robes were folded in the wardrobe. A small picture frame rested on the nightstand.
I stepped closer to the nightstand, curiosity pulling me forward. The image shimmered to life as I approached, three figures caught in mid-laugh: two young girls around 8 years old with sun-freckled skin and wild black curls, and a female with a laugh I had never seen my mother wear. She must have been their mother. The background was a field, not a garden. Plain, open land. By their clothes, they weren’t from court. Not even minor nobility.
One of them was my roommate.
There was something grounding in that, something real.
The door burst open behind me.
“Oh! You must be her, my new roommate!” A female voice came from the door.
I turned to face her, heart briefly pounding as I met her gaze.
A female Sunheart rushed in, her eyes lit. Her messy black curls trailing down her back, and an excited flush on her cheeks.
“I’m Soehl,” she said, holding out her hand with an eager smile. “You are?” “Thea,” I said, hesitating for a heartbeat.
She didn’t react.