7. Tahlia

Tahlia climbed onto her Seabreak’s shoulder, holding the edges of the dragon’s scales as she moved toward the saddle.

Maiwenn was already mounted on her male Seabreak, Donan. He flapped his four wings, a larger version of the female’s set, and huffed into the air. The show of dominance was wasted on Tahlia’s dragon. She pranced past him, head high and wings extended like she didn’t see him as any sort of leader.

Already sweating, Tahlia took the reins and wished with everything her dragon would curb her rebellious nature for the afternoon. Maiwenn was already going to be horribly mean. She’d proven that in their other training sessions. Tahlia didn’t need anything making Maiwenn even less pleased with Tahlia’s existence.

“Follow me,” Maiwenn said, her Mistgold blood raising her words’ volume so that her voice echoed through the arena.

Tahlia and her dragon took off as ordered. A bank of clouds soaked Tahlia’s face and made the saddle slick beneath her. She should have kept her bottom firmly set, but it was tough when Donan flew so fast and Tahlia’s dragon was trying to display that she had no problems keeping up.

“You’ll lose me if you fly like a maniac, darling,” Tahlia said to the Seabreak.

The Seabreak broke through the bank of cover and the sun glittered across her lovely horns.

“First,” Maiwenn said as Donan wheeled around to face them, making Tahlia’s mount rear and list to the side, “we will run a triangle with an imaginary third. On my count… Three, two, one!”

Donan was a slash of ocean blue in the pale wash of the sky. Tahlia’s dragon roared in frustration that Tahlia felt like an itch just beneath her skin. They were not in formation no matter how Tahlia imagined said third rider and dragon.

“She can’t fly that fast, Maiwenn. She’s trying!”

Maiwenn had Donan turn sharply and they flew overhead, their shadow throwing Tahlia and her dragon into darkness. “Sorry, I can’t hear your weak human voice,” Maiwenn called out, using that power that only those with hefty amounts of Mistgold in their blood possessed. “Shout louder maybe?”

Tahlia wanted to flip her off and fly away, but she bit her tongue and tapped her Seabreak’s neck, urging the dragon to take up one point of the triangle formation.

Before they flew in the right position, another rider burst from the thick strip of clouds.

Tahlia’s heart stuttered, and she drew the reins back to slow her dragon. Maiwenn had Donan pause too; her face was unreadable.

Ophelia.

The female’s blue-green hair whipped in the wind. “Good afternoon, riders.”

Her Green-flanked Terror snarled and flapped its ratty-edged wings to hover in place.

“Lady Ophelia,” Maiwenn said, nodding respectfully.

Gods, how Tahlia wanted to strangle Ophelia. She’d sleep better at night, that was for sure.

And why was Maiwenn acting like they needed to show extra respect for Ophelia? They were all of the same rank. Was Maiwenn behaving that way simply because Ophelia was Commander Gaius’s daughter?

Tahlia jerked her chin in a reluctant greeting. She’d be damned if she bowed her head to the one who had likely poisoned her.

Ophelia’s grin sent a shiver through Tahlia. “Let’s see that triangle formation you were sadly attempting again, shall we?” Ophelia called out.

“No problem.” Tahlia’s throat burned from trying to shout as loudly as possible over the wind and across the distance between the three riders and their mounts.

Ophelia cocked her head. “I’m so sorry. You’ll have to say that again. Didn’t catch it.”

Tahlia waved her off.

Ophelia shrugged. Maiwenn’s Donan took off like a shot. Ophelia’s Green-flanked Terror took up the lead spot in the formation with ease, but Tahlia’s Seabreak flew hard and couldn’t quite hit the right mark. The dragon’s sides heaved as she struggled to speed up.

“It’s too fast,” Tahlia shouted out. “She’s not big enough.”

“Or is her rider too clumsy?” Maiwenn called back.

So they could hear Tahlia, at least some of the time. She gritted her teeth. It was one thing to bully Tahlia, but they were treating her dragon poorly too.

“You are perfect. They are just being ridiculous,” Tahlia said, doing her best to aim her words toward the dragon’s ear. The Seabreak twisted its ear toward her, so hopefully she heard and understood.

“Order a new formation, Tahlia!” Maiwenn commanded.

Would double square be a good one? They would still be missing a rider, but it was one they practiced less, so perhaps that would be a good challenge. Or bow and arrow? Then she could call out a drop, which would be easier on her smaller dragon.

“Bow and arrow!”

Maiwenn and Ophelia remained in triangle formation as if they hadn’t heard her. The wind had risen, so maybe they weren’t just being pricks this time.

“Bow and arrow, then drop on a five count!” Tahlia shouted, trying again.

Ophelia turned her way and blasted forward, taking up the arrowhead point. “Bow and arrow, drop at five!” she shouted in Maiwenn’s direction.

Maiwenn steered Donan and soon they were parallel with Tahlia and her mount.

“One, two, three, four…” Tahlia whispered to herself.

She pressed her palm against the Seabreak’s scales and the dragon dove. The blue beauty tucked her wings tight and she zipped toward the arena, outpacing Ophelia and forcing the Terror to adjust his head and wings to decrease the influence of the wind on his speed. Ophelia looked over her shoulder and gave Tahlia a smile full of threats. Tahlia swallowed and focused on the quickly approaching ground.

“And up now,” Maiwenn ordered.

Tahlia’s and Ophelia’s mounts moved in sync, drawing their wings wide and using the airspeed to flip directions. Tahlia’s body lifted from the saddle, wind whooshing under her and trying to pull her away. She forced her heels down in the stirrups and tightened the hold her legs had on the dragon’s mounded spine. The Seabreak turned her head to eye Tahlia and they lost altitude.

“Go on! I’m fine!” Tahlia smiled in what she hoped was an encouraging spirit even though it probably looked like she was about to vomit, which she was.

They caught up and ran three more formations and simulations. Justus and his Spikeback, Longfire, joined them. Every time Tahlia was ordered to run a mock scenario, she had to use hand signals. They either truly couldn’t hear her or they were trying to prove the point that half-humans shouldn’t be in the sky with them. She could have sworn all three of them were getting her directions wrong on purpose. At one moment, Justus had Longfire blow third fire—a lower level of flame but still rough and not at all what Tahlia had commanded. The fire nearly scorched her Seabreak. Tahlia’s blood boiled.

When Maiwenn at last called for landing, Tahlia and her dragon were winded and gasping. On shaky legs, Tahlia dismounted. She leaned against the Seabreak and ran a hand down the dragon’s quickly moving ribs.

“I am sorry they are acting like fiends. It’s my fault, and I hate that you’re being dragged into this.”

The dragon twisted and snuffed into Tahlia’s hair, blowing her wind-tangled braid even more out of its pins and ties. Tahlia reached up and scratched the Seabreak under the chin. A deep trill vibrated through the softer scales there and Tahlia’s anger and frustration fled in the wake of knowing this majestic creature cared for her and didn’t blame her for anything.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and Tahlia turned to see Maiwenn, Ophelia, and Justus looking at her like she was a piece of dragon dung.

“You see?” Maiwenn put a hand on her hip and shook her head. “The fact that you don’t have Mistgold blood and aren’t even fully Fae means you are a weak link in our unit. I am not trying to hate on you for fun. It’s not your fault you’re tainted with inferior blood. You can’t choose your birth. But it’s a fact. And it will get some of us killed. I’d swear on it.”

Ophelia’s gaze traveled up and down Tahlia as if she was sizing her up for a physical fight. “Where are you from? Don’t lie this time, human.”

“Northwoods was a lie?” Justus asked.

“It was,” Tahlia admitted. She’d indeed lied when she’d competed for her place. She’d told them she was the Lady of Northwoods, a completely imagined name and title. “I was born south of the capital.”

Justus’s eyes widened.

Ophelia held out a hand. “So you weren’t even born near the Shrouded Mountains.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Maiwenn said.

“But some of the other riders weren’t born here,” Tahlia argued.

“They had parents who were and were only temporarily relocated because of their landholdings.”

Nodding, Ophelia continued, “You can’t possibly fit in with the order. You know nothing of our culture or our ways. The order must function as one body. I am sometimes a fist while Titus is our eyes and Maiwenn serves as a wing.”

Tahlia frowned. Ophelia was very good at being horrible, but not so great at metaphors. “Right. It’s true. I’m learning. I mean, it’s only been fourteen days or so…”

Her glare said she didn’t care about the short timeframe. Of course not. That would have been reasonable.

“What festival do we celebrate silently at the end of the year? What sacrifice is required during said festival?”

Tahlia had no clue. She had been studying the Shrouded Mountain culture, a niche community in the Realm of Lights that did indeed do things differently from everyone else. But she hadn’t had enough time to learn everything. “I don’t know.”

“I appreciate you being truthful,” Maiwenn said, her tone painfully reluctant. “Do you have any clue about our great library and the ancient magic and history stored there? Have you studied any of the archives yet? Or are you spending most of your free time?—”

She abruptly cut herself off, glancing at Ophelia and appearing to decide not to mention Marius. At least, that was Tahlia’s guess.

“I thought the only magic came from the crystals and the vaguely understood power stirring in the dragons’ blood and in yours,” Tahlia said.

Justus raised an eyebrow. “We used to work Unseelie magic here.”

“You did?”

“It was outlawed and for good reason,” Maiwenn said. “But you need to know these things. Our sacred days. The proper way to behave as a representative of our mountain. The dangers hiding in our history.”

She was mean-spirited, but Tahlia couldn’t fault her logic. Ignoring Ophelia’s insanely creepy stare, Tahlia addressed Maiwenn. “You’re right. I am trying.”

“Try harder.”

Tahlia glanced at Ophelia who was now looking at her own hand. A red scar, like something she’d received recently, marred her palm.

“Can I go now?” Tahlia asked, directing the question to whomever was really running this show.

Maiwenn gave Ophelia a frown, then faced Tahlia. “Yes, but don’t get comfortable. I might send for you.”

Justus glared, his gaze like a burn.

Fantastic. Tahlia would probably be in the bathing rooms when Maiwenn popped up again to torture her. Surely, the riders who weren’t thrilled with Tahlia’s presence would all get over it soon, right?

During Tahlia’slaundry time an hour later, alarm bells rang through the castle grounds.