Chapter 38 Realm Of Magic
The roosts were peaceful in the early light, dragons shifting lazily in their large stone alcoves. Tempest lifted her great head the moment I approached, eyes glowing soft electric blue. She lowered herself so I could press both palms to her warm snout.
The familiar tingle of power raced up my arms, easing some of the tightness in my chest.
“Tempest,” I whispered, resting my forehead against her scales. “I need to ask you something important. Did you know of any storm dragons before? Any that had riders here at the Academy?”
Tempest was quiet for a long moment, her presence deepening in my mind like a gathering storm. Before you and I met, I existed in the realm of magic, the place between places, where raw power flows freely. I saw many dragons there… wind, fire, earth, water. But another storm dragon? She paused, as if searching old memories. I do not remember one. We are rare. Solitary. The strongest of our kind for a reason.
I let out a shaky breath and told her everything, the red notebook we found hidden in Ser Thorian’s office, Cadence’s words about Stormweaver, the betrayal by the Council, the red lightning visions, and the growing sense that something ancient and corrupt was stirring.
Tempest listened without interruption, her scales warming under my hands. When I finished, a low, protective rumble vibrated through her chest.
There is no easy way to kill a dragon, she said, her mental voice heavy. Our kind is tied to magic itself. To weaken or destroy us, you must first sever the bond by killing the rider. That sends the dragon into a rage… or into the realm of magic, broken and lost.
“So there is still a chance that Stormweaver is in the realm of magic?” I asked, hope flickering in my chest.
Yes, little storm. But finding other storm dragons is never easy.
I hesitated, then asked the question that was burning in me. “Could I find Stormweaver if I rode with you into the realm of magic?”
Tempest’s presence stilled. Yes. But it would be dangerous. The last time a vision attacked us during the Veil Trial, you barely held on. The realm of magic is wilder, more unpredictable. The corruption you glimpsed… it hunts there too.
I pulled back slightly, looking into her glowing eyes. “I know it’s dangerous. But if Stormweaver is still out there, if she knows what really happened to Cadence, if she can tell us how to fight this red lightning… I have to try. The Academy is hiding too much. We need the truth.”
Tempest nudged me gently with her snout, affection and worry mingling in the bond. You are brave, little storm. But courage without preparation is recklessness, we will speak more when the time is right.
I stayed with her a while longer, letting her strength steady me. By the time I left the roosts, the Academy was fully awake. I had what I needed to know. To uncover the truth behind Aetherwind Academy and the last known storm dragon before Tempest, I would have to venture into the realm of magic with her, even if I didn’t feel ready.
I went looking for Kai.
The library was my first guess. I found him at our usual corner table, hunched over the red notebook, black hair falling into his eyes as he read by lantern light. A few other riders sat at nearby tables, but the corner felt private enough.
“Kai,” I said softly, sliding into the seat across from him.
He looked up, green eyes tired but lighting up when they met mine. “Lyra. I was hoping you’d come.”
I leaned in, keeping my voice low. “I spoke with Tempest this morning. She confirmed some things. There was no other storm dragon she remembers having a rider here. She was in the realm of magic before bonding with me. And… she said there’s still a chance Stormweaver is there, broken but alive. To weaken or destroy a dragon, you have to kill the rider first. That’s how they’re vulnerable.”
Kai’s hand tightened around the notebook. “So my mother… if they took Stormweaver away…”
“It might have sent her into the realm of magic,” I finished gently. “Tempest says going there with me would be dangerous, especially after the vision attacks. But if we want real answers about the corruption, the red lightning, and what happened to your mother… it might be the only way.”
Kai was silent for a long moment, staring at the notebook. Then he shook his head firmly. “No. I won’t let you risk your life for this. Not for my father's betrayal or for answers.”
“Kai—”
He looked up at me, eyes fierce. “I mean it, Lyra. You’ve already risked everything to be here. I won’t let you throw yourself into the realm of magic just to help me. I’ll question my father myself if I have to. I will be careful but you are not going in there. Not yet.”
I reached across the table and took his hand. “We’re in this together, remember? Whatever we decide, we decide it together.”
He squeezed my hand, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. “Together,” he agreed, though the worry in his green eyes remained. “But promise me you won’t do anything reckless without telling me first.”
“I promise.”
We sat there for a while longer, the red notebook open between us, the weight of secrets and possibilities pressing down. Outside the tall windows, the gray sky darkened with gathering clouds, a perfect mirror of the storm building inside both of us.