“Hey you,” she answered.
“And who is this cutie,” Harrison asked, stepping forwards while his gaze ran the length of Charlotte’s body.
Her cheeks flamed.
My hand shot out, catching him by the leather strap on his back, and pulled him to my side before he could reach her. “This is Charlotte, completely out of your league,” I warned, feeling protective of her, “and that is her brother, Edward. They are all warriors in the Legion.”
Edward held his sister’s hand, giving the known womanizer a warning glance. With a grin, Harrison lifted his hands in surrender. “No worries. I get it.”
Rolling my eyes, I motioned to my friends. “These are Thea, Aaron, Harvey, Quinn, Charlotte, Louis, and Edward. Some of whom you’ve already met, clearly.”
Islay smirked at that, winking at Quinn, and receiving a blush in return.
“And what am I, darling? A fly on the wall?”
I chuckled, turning to find a glaring Imogen over my shoulder. “I’m sorry. This is Imogen, guys,” I began, stepping aside so she could stand between Asher and me. “She was the Commander of the Harbinger of Justice’s Legion, and now, she is my mentor.”
My friends’ eyes widened with recognition, and they instantly touched a hand to their hearts, bowing their heads to her in respect. “Hallowed be his name, forever,” they echoed like a prayer.
Emotion hit my chest mercilessly with the words recited before me. The truth had reignited our people’s worship of my father and his legacy, but it was the first time I’d been able to witness it. Perhaps this was what Evanna referred to after she told them about the accord.
“You should have been there to see it…”
A hand clapped my back, and I turned to find the same emotion in my mentor’s eyes, accompanied by a brilliant smile that said it was about damn time.
I smiled back, but it took a moment to reconcile what it meant to hear their praise of Dad after hearing his name be cursed.
“You are Red Wing? The Red Wing?” Quinn asked, admiration and recognition bursting through her gaze.
“The one and only, darling,” Imogen replied with a brilliant and cocky smile, reclaiming the title that carved her into the legend.
“Your reputation precedes you,” Aaron offered in awe.
“I’m sorry,” Edward interjected. “Since my sister and I arrived, we thought you just took care of the Dragon babes.”
Charlotte nodded shyly, confirming their limited belief. They had only escaped the Hollow a few months ago, so they weren’t as knowledgeable about the legend as the rest of our people.
“I was biding my time. I, too, had a mission, and I was waiting for it to arrive.” Her gaze went to me, and we exchanged a smile.
“She is my mentor now,” I confirmed.
“Makes total sense,” Charlotte answered. “Brax has skills.”
“You have no idea…” Harrison snickered, pulling chuckles out of Islay, Asher, Imogen, and Harper.
I just shook my head at him, playfully pushing him while Charlotte glanced at us confused.
“I’m sorry, guys. I can’t stay long,” I admitted. “But we can meet later. Is everything alright?” I asked, hoping nothing bad had happened.
“Yes, we just missed our friend.” Quinn punched my arm, making me grin.
In the short time we’d known each other we had become good friends. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see them as much as I’d like anymore.
“Are you giving more reading classes soon?” Aaron asked, and the others nodded with interest.
I really needed to resume those. “How about tonight? If you spread the word, we can all meet after dinner in the training field to continue.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Harvey added, openly excited about learning to read and write. He seemed to be coming out of his shell. A shadow of the shy guy I’d met in the common rooms, who barely even spoke. Part of me was sad I’d missed so much with them while caught in my Elevated Warrior training and the drama of this life.
“We’ll meet tonight then.” Smiling, I waved at them and gave one more hug to Charlotte.
“She has a crush on you,” Harper said knowingly, bumping my shoulder after we resumed our walk.
“Nah, Charlotte is just super sweet and affectionate by nature. Who she has a crush on is Asher,” I teased, nodding towards him to see his lips twitch mischievously.
“What’s there not to love?” he replied with a cockiness that didn’t really belong to him.
“You sound like Harrison,” I snorted, making Harper chuckle in agreement.
“Even as I said it, it felt wrong,” Asher added, grimacing.
“That’s because not everyone can be as glorious as I am,” Harrison assured, gliding a hand over his braids.
Harper pushed him forwards, our laughter mixing.
“Focus on his energy,” Tharion guided as we flew over the Desertlands, going farther away from the Hidden Kingdom than we had intended during our scouting.
Closing my eyes, I tried yet again to feel the connections within me. Branches of gold came to life in my mind’s eye, in my core, my own extending to a multitude of others in the vast tree of life that united us. Leaves and branches shimmered as they revealed the Dragons linked to me. Some seemed dormant, as though they were too far away or sleeping; others thrummed like tribal drums in a rising song of war.
Their beats became stronger, impossibly louder, the closer I got to them.
Heart slamming against my chest, I opened my eyes.
I felt it all too strongly.
In the Desertlands, our connection seemed unnervingly powerful. All-encompassing. Overwhelming. Everything was stronger here, like the land itself was imbued with vigor.
“Don’t fight it, Prince,” Tharion advised. “Welcome it. Become it.”
Willing my heart to settle, my gaze followed a herd of animals that reminded me of beautiful giraffes. With exotic coats in a mix of caramel brown and red outlines, they ran across the miles of burnt orange and tan sand dunes. Every so often, the endless dunes were peppered with trees that resembled those in the magnificent African plains.
The Desertlands seemed to be a stunning blend of the Serengeti and the Sahara Desert. A dream land only found in Caelisium.
“Do you see those ripples in the sand?” Kingston yelled from where he flew with Spartan, forcing me to glance his way. He pointed to a large section to our right where the smooth, buttery sand seemed to be carved in layers somehow. “This is the motherland of my ancestors. I know they are not natural!” he shouted over the whipping winds caused by the Dragons’ wings.
With a nod, I acknowledged what the chief was saying. We had to be close. He was probably somewhere around here… or was already gone. That sinister voice of doubt whispered in my mind, and I tensed, pushing the pessimism away.
I was going to find him, I had to find him.
“Try again,” Tharion encouraged once more. “Welcome it. Become it.”
The image he sent me engulfed my mind, and I closed my eyes, welcoming the face forming before me. Shadows of dusk spread over a sea of scales with two large, white horns that curled like those of a ram glimmering in the moonlight—almost glowing silver in their purity—accompanied by bright silver irises.