Chapter 29 VOLATILE
LYRA
“It felt like a tornado,” I said, keeping my voice even. “A massive one, coming straight toward me through the veil. Red lightning streaking through it. It was… both a vision and like it was physically coming at us. But that’s all I saw clearly.”
Ser Thorian watched me intently, his sharp eyes trying to read every micro-expression. The silence stretched. I held his gaze, heart pounding, but gave nothing more.
Finally, he leaned back. “Dismissed, Yvaine. Cassius. Kai and Lyra, remain.”
Yvaine gave my shoulder a quick, supportive squeeze on her way out. Cassius hesitated, glancing at me with quiet concern, but followed. The door clicked shut, leaving the three of us.
Ser Thorian steepled his fingers. “Lyra. Tempest is no ordinary dragon. Her power is volatile, and these… incidents are increasing. I intend to train you and Tempest personally from now on. Daily sessions. We will strengthen your control before the darkness you glimpsed grows stronger.”
Something uneasy twisted in my gut. Personal training with Ser Thorian, the legendary rider, Kai’s father, the man who already wanted full reports on everything Tempest showed me.
It didn’t sit right, but I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” He turned to Kai. “You will serve as her guide when I am occupied with other students. Observe her closely. Report anything unusual with Tempest, visions, power surges, emotional bleed. Directly to me.”
Kai’s expression remained neutral, but I caught the flicker in his green eyes. “Understood, Father.”
Ser Thorian dismissed us with a curt nod. “That will be all.”
We stepped out into the corridor. The moment the door closed, Kai let out a slow breath. “I won’t go behind your back,” he said quietly, green eyes meeting mine. “Whatever you tell me stays between us first. I promise.”
Relief washed over me. “Thank you, Kai. I mean it.”
We walked side by side down the hall, shoulders brushing. The tension from earlier lingered, but beneath it was something warmer, trust, familiarity, the quiet comfort of knowing I wasn’t alone.
Unknown to us, around the corner, Calista Stryker stood pressed against the stone wall, auburn hair tucked neatly behind one ear. Her sharp eyes narrowed as she watched us walk closely together, too closely. A cold smile curved her lips.
“Interesting,” she murmured to herself. “Very interesting.”
The rest of the day passed in a fog of drills and theory, but my mind kept circling back to Ser Thorian’s announcement. Personal training. Kai as my shadow. The growing web of secrets and half-truths.
By evening, when I finally collapsed into bed, Tempest’s presence brushed my mind gently. 'They watch, be careful little storm'
~
The first personal training session with Ser Thorian was scheduled for dawn, but the weight of it had kept me awake long before the first hint of light crept across the sky. I slipped out of the dorm while Yvaine was still curled under her blankets, her soft breathing the only sound in the room.
The corridors were silent and cold, the stone walls holding the chill of night. My violet curls were a wild tangle down my back; I quickly braided them low with a few loose strands left to frame my face, the familiar weight of them grounding me as I made my way to the private training arena.
The secluded circular field was ringed by ancient rune-carved pillars that glowed faintly with protective magic. The ground was packed earth and sparse grass, scarred from generations of storms summoned and contained.
Ser Thorian already stood at the center like a statue forged from iron and expectation, arms clasped behind his back, his salt-and-pepper hair neatly combed. Kai waited a few paces behind him, black hair still slightly tousled from sleep, green eyes finding mine the instant I stepped into the open space.
The tension from yesterday’s meeting lingered between us, but so did the quiet promise he had made in the shadows.
“Voss,” Ser Thorian greeted, his voice clipped and commanding, carrying across the arena without effort. “Punctuality is the first discipline of a rider. Tempest will join us shortly. Today we test control under pressure. No illusions, no veil. Just you, your dragon, and raw power. Fail to contain it, and you endanger everyone around you.”
Kai stepped forward, offering me a small, steadying nod. His voice was low, meant only for me. “Breathe with her. Father pushes hard, but he knows exactly how far to go. You’ve got this.”
I swallowed the knot in my throat and nodded. “I’m ready.”
Tempest arrived moments later, guided by a handler who bowed and retreated quickly. She landed with a powerful downdraft that whipped my braid over my shoulder and sent dust swirling across the field.
Her massive scales shimmered between deep gray and electric blue, faint sparks dancing along the ridges of her spine like living stars. The bond flooded me instantly, warm, eager, protective, laced with a thread of excitement that mirrored my own nerves.
'We face this together, little storm. Feel the sky in your veins.'
I mounted with more confidence than I had the day before, settling between the familiar spinal ridges. The leather of my uniform creaked softly as I gripped the handholds. From this height, the arena looked smaller, the rune-carved pillars like ancient sentinels watching over us.
Ser Thorian’s voice rose from the ground, sharp and precise. “Begin with basic weather summoning. Call a small storm. Contain it completely. Then expand it. Kai will monitor from the ground and provide corrections. Do not lose focus for even a heartbeat.”
I closed my eyes, drawing a slow breath deep into my lungs. The world narrowed to the steady rhythm of Tempest’s heartbeat pulsing through the bond and the cool morning air against my skin.
At first, nothing happened. I reached through the connection, coaxing gently, like testing the edge of a river current. A faint breeze stirred around us, lifting the loose violet strands framing my face and tugging at my braid.
It felt natural, almost playful. I pushed a little further, imagining the soft patter of rain on leaves back home in the lower districts