Chapter 25 ONE TRUTH
LYRA
The rest of the afternoon passed in a haze of half-focused theory lessons and stolen glances across the lecture hall. Every time I caught Cassius’s eye from the senior section, that almost-kiss in the dusty library stacks replayed in my mind, his thumb brushing my cheek, the way the air had thickened between us, Tempest’s timely interruption.
My cheeks still burned at the memory. And then Kai appearing right after, his green eyes tight with something I couldn’t quite name.
I kept my head down, violet curls falling forward as I scribbled notes on aerial formations. The dream from last night refused to fade either.
Those torn out, missing pages on storm dragons felt like a warning I didn’t understand.
By the time evening bond work rolled around, I was desperate for the quiet of the roosts.
Tempest waited for me in her usual spot, scales shimmering under the fading sunset like living storm clouds. The moment I approached, she lowered her massive head, eyes glowing soft electric blue.
Little storm, her voice flowed through the bond, warm and steady. 'You carry tension today'
I pressed both palms to her snout, letting the familiar tingle of power wash over me. “It’s been a strange day. The library… the book from my dream was real. But there was nothing on storm dragons. No torn pages, just… emptiness. Like someone removed the knowledge on purpose.”
Tempest rumbled deeply, the vibration traveling up my arms. 'Some truths are hidden for a reason. Others are waiting for the right heart to find them'.
She nudged me gently, wings shifting with a soft leathery sound. 'Come. Fly with me. The ground makes thoughts too heavy'
I didn’t hesitate. Mounting her felt more natural now, my body remembering the rhythm from our previous flights. We launched into the cooling evening air, climbing steadily above the Academy grounds. The wind caught my violet curls, tugging them free from the loose braid until they streamed behind me like a banner of midnight and lightning. The sensation never got old, the rush, the freedom, the way the world shrank beneath us.
Tempest banked smoothly, taking us over the outer walls and toward the distant mountains. 'Feel the currents' she guided. 'Not just with your hands. With your heart'
I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing with her. Power flickered at the edges of my awareness, tiny sparks of weather sense, the subtle shift of air pressure, the distant promise of rain. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.
As we leveled out over a secluded valley, Tempest’s presence deepened. 'It is time, little storm. You are ready for one truth'
Images flooded my mind, not the overwhelming tornado from before, but something quieter, older. I saw ancient skies torn by unnatural storms, red lightning that burned instead of illuminated, shadowy figures moving through the chaos, it looked like the tornado but bigger somehow. 'Not weather, Little storm. Corruption, it is something feeding on dragon bonds, twisting them'
I gasped, gripping her ridges tighter. “What is that? What’s coming?”
'Darkness that wears the face of power'
Tempest answered, her mental voice heavy with sorrow and warning.
'It has slept for centuries but it stirs now. Storm dragons were once its greatest enemies… and its favorite prey. That is why our knowledge is hidden. Why they watch you so closely'
The vision faded, leaving me breathless. Below us, the Academy lights twinkled like distant stars. “Does Ser Thorian know? Madame Cerys?”
'They suspect pieces. But not the whole'
Tempest’s tone turned protective. 'Trust your bond first, Lyra. The rest… we reveal carefully'
We flew in silence after that, the wind whipping through my hair as I processed what she’d shown me. By the time we landed back at the roosts, the stars were bright overhead and my mind felt both clearer and heavier.
I was brushing down Tempest’s scales with a soft cloth when footsteps approached. Kai emerged from the shadows, hands in his pockets, black hair tousled by the evening breeze.
“Figured I’d find you here,” he said, voice warm but carrying that same undercurrent from the library. His green eyes flicked over me, violet curls wild from flight, cheeks still flushed from the cold air. “Good flight?”
“The best kind,” I replied, smiling despite everything. “Tempest showed me… something. Not the full vision yet, but enough to know there’s more going on than just training and rules.”
Kai leaned against a nearby pillar, watching me work. “Father’s been asking about your progress. He wants a full report tomorrow.” He hesitated, then added softer, “You okay? You looked rattled when I saw you with Cassius earlier.”
The question hung between us. I focused on Tempest’s scales, cheeks warming again. “It was nothing. He was just helping me find books. The dream from last night had me chasing ghosts in the library.”
Kai’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. “Cassius seems to be around a lot lately.”
There was something in his tone, annoyance, maybe concern? that made me look up. Our eyes met, and for a moment the air felt charged like it had in Zephyr’s roost.
“He’s been kind,” I said carefully. “Helpful.”
Kai nodded, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Good. That’s… good.”
We stood in awkward silence for a beat before he pushed off the pillar. “I should let you finish. Early drills tomorrow. Try to get some real sleep tonight, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I whispered as he walked away. “You too.”
Tempest nudged my shoulder gently once he was gone. 'Hearts are complicated, little storm. Even for those who fly'
I sighed, pressing my forehead to her scales. “Tell me about it.”