Page 4 of Wild Bond

The steward asked me a question, but there was thunder in my ears and I couldn’t think couldn’t—

A distant, enraged roar split the air. It came from the direction of the Nest, the arena across the upper city where the bondings were currently taking place.

My head jerked toward the haunting sound. Strangely, the panic that had been choking me receded. The roar had provided exactly the distraction I needed to snap out of the horrible spiral. I couldn’t imagine what would cause the beast to make such a sound, but I felt a strange pull to find out. I took an involuntary step towards it before I caught myself.

I grasped my shaking hands tightly together and squared my shoulders before finally looking up to the steward. He appeared to be slightly unsettled as well but hid it quickly and resumed what he had been asking before the disturbance.

“You have been a prisoner in Graystone Keep for two years?” It was clear by his tone this was not the first time he was asking the question.

“I have,” I confirmed, clearing my throat. I knew it would probably be in my best interest to appear pitiful and contrite in order to gain sympathy, but I was standing before a dragon and a dragon rider, and it went against every instinct I had to be seen as fragile.

“You stand convicted of theft of Her Majesty’s personal property and resisting arrest. Did you commit these crimes?”

Whispers ran rampant through the onlookers.

I was tempted to blurt out the truth; that my only real crime was trying to stop a friend from doing something foolish. I knew they would just think I was lying, though. After all, I wasn’t an innocent. I’d committed plenty of crimes throughout my twenty years, luckily the stuffy steward didn’t appear to have any of those on his little parchment.Thank the Gray Gods.So, all I said was, “I did.”

His expression soured at my admission.

“What exactly did you steal from the queen?” This question asked by Commander Rakim.

I could feel the eyes of the rider and his dragon on me like hot coals against my skin. Since he had asked me the question, I couldn’t very well keep pretending he wasn’t there. I finally dared look at him and immediately felt snared by his gaze. With how closely he was studying me, I knew he could not have missed my panic earlier.

I took a deep breath and sighed as I answered, “Lethara’s Blade.”

Gasps rang out as well as cries of outrage and shock.

I cringed inwardly, knowing I had probably just signed my death warrant. But I knew that’s what it said on that blasted piece of parchment, so there was no point in lying.

The ancient weapon was an heirloom of Palasia, not just the royal family of Baldor. Queen Lethara was the first dragon rider and had used that very sword to unite all riders ages ago when Palasia was still one kingdom. Admitting to stealing it was like saying I had tried to steal Dragon Spear itself.

My fellow Baldorians were definitely in a less forgiving state now, and I could feel the wave of animosity coming off the crowd. I could not tell how the commander felt about my answer, though. His face was a blank mask once more.

“Why?” he asked in that same calm tone.

I thought up and discarded several responses. Eventually, I settled on the truth, or at least part of it. The only part I was willing to share, anyway.

“I had no other choice.”

Truth rang in every word, and I could see the rider heard it. He leaned forward in his chair, elbows resting on his knees, long fingers steepled in thought as he continued to regard me.

“It also says here,” the steward interjected, “that you have attempted to escape on multiple occasions since your arrest.”

“Well, I—”

“It’s true, your Honor!” Holt cut in as he strode forward, speaking for the first time since entering the square. “She’s tried to escape several times and almost did once. Nearly killed me in the process, she did.” He gestured to the scar on his face as proof.

“That’s a lie,” I seethed, angry this bullying idiot was choosing now, when my life was on the line, to air his grudge. “That lantern barely grazed you. Quit whining about it.”

Rage mottled his face and in the next instant his meaty fist connected with my cheek.

I cried out and dropped to the ground as agony lanced through my skull. My cheekbone was on fire and my right eye throbbed, making my vision blur and darken.

“You worthless—” Holt began.

“Touch her again and you’ll be dead before your next breath,” Commander Rakim’s threatening voice warned, sounding much closer.

I blinked through the pain and saw the dragon rider was no longer standing on the platform but was instead a few feet away from me holding a sword to Holt’s throat.

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