Page 90 of Wild Bond

The fog of pain cleared as I realized I was falling, the mountain air and darkness enveloping me in a suspended moment in time. I was reminded of the last time I fell through the air and Skye coming to my rescue, but I knew that wouldn’t happen this time. Skye was locked behind an impenetrable barrier and out of my reach.

I sent a desperate call out to her anyway, which also served as a farewell. There would be no coming back from this. I knew that. No healing from this fall.

Then I hit something hard and felt my body break.

The dragoness’s eyes popped open. Her bonded was in trouble. She needed her. She sent power down the bond. Healing power. Her bonded would not die.Theywere not going to die.

The dragoness whipped her large head around, the darkness no deterrent as she took in her surroundings. Others of her kind surrounded her, alive but unmoving, their life sparks oddly dulled. She heard the unsettled growls from the three of her kind not trapped in the thrall and the shouts of surprise from their bonded. She could scent their confusion, tasting it at the back of her tongue, morphing from sour to sweet then back again.

She sifted through the many scents assaulting her. Unfamiliar plant life, small animals, as well as larger creatures that reeked of otherworldly power further off. There were several particularly awful scents coming from the caves behind her, but she ignored those for now. She released a cry as she located her bonded. Her wings snapped out, and she launched herself into the sky. She arrowed towards the instinctual pull she felt. Her bonded was fierce. Her spark had dimmed but not gone out completely.

The dragoness flew faster.

Icameawakewitha start, once again not knowing where I was. I was growing sick of this.

Daisha.

Anger flared at the sudden thought of her, and everything flooded back. The fight on the cliff’s edge, losing the flowers, the pain—

Falling.

I’d fallen from the cliff and the pain . . . the pain was gone. Nothing felt broken. Nothing hurt. Which didn’t make sense. I should not have survived that fall.

I slowly assessed my body and realized I felt perfectly fine. How was this possible? I had felt my bones break on impact before I blacked out. I should be dead—but I wasn’t. Was I dreaming? How was I healed so completely? As I got to my feet, I realized I no longer bore any of my other injuries either. The now dried blood was still there on my skin and clothes, but the slashes and claw marks from the harpy and the hounds had disappeared.

Then I realized the barrier between Skye and me in the bond was gone. I wanted to cry with relief. I could sense her. She wasn’t far, and she was on her way to me. How had she gotten free?

Looking around, I saw my sword lying on the ground not far from where I had fallen. By some miracle, it wasn’t broken or damaged. Picking it up, I tucked it into my belt.

Glancing up, I could just make out Skye’s silhouette among the stars above. There were also two other dragons not far behind her.

Skye landed beside me. Her happiness at seeing me was only rivaled by my own, and all my questions about what had just happened were forgotten as my dragon lowered her head and my arms went around her muzzle in a crushing hug.

A sound rattled in her chest, almost like a rumbling purr.

Before I could do more than bask in having Skye back, the other two riders landed not far away. I was surprised and relieved to see Dembe was one of them, though I didn’t know the other rider.

“Rin!” Dembe cried, moving to my side. “Thank the Nine you’re all right. When I saw Skye among the other dragons, I didn’t know what to think. How are you here?” he demanded. “How did you and Skye enter yourselves in the trials?”

“I don’t know,” I fumbled. “I mean we didn’t, we—”

“I think the more important question,” the unknown dragon rider said, speaking over me, “is how your dragon was able to break the enthrallment spell without the help of the flowers?” I turned to regard him fully now and could just make out a sharp face with Zehvitian features as he finished in a slightly accented voice, “That shouldn’t be possible.”

I shrugged as I admitted, “I don’t know. A lot about what has happened tonight hasn’t made any sense.” I glanced at Dembe. “How are you here? I thought dragon riders weren’t allowed to interfere in the trials?”

Dembe shook his head. “We’re not. Prince Amir and I, as well as a representative of Halmar, were assigned to watch over the entranced dragons, since they’re in a vulnerable state until their riders free them. When Skye broke the enthrallment, we followed her to investigate.”

I jolted at the realization that the other rider was a prince. The Zehvitian king’s second born, going by his name. Pushing that aside for now I asked, “Does what happened with Skye mean I can’t continue to compete, then?” I felt surprisingly disappointed at the thought of stopping now.

The prince and Dembe shared a look before the prince spoke. “I don’t see why you shouldn’t continue. If you fail, it won’t matter anyway, and if by some miracle you pass, we can always discuss what happened with Skye and the circumstances of your arrival. The rider leadership can decide if they will let it stand, or if you are disqualified.”

Dembe looked at me, worry and so many questions burning in his eyes. “It’s your decision, Rin,” he stated. “I can escort you around the mountain to the other side of The Rift where everyone is waiting, or you can continue.”

I turned to look up at Skye whose neck was still lowered, her snout only a few feet above my shoulder.

Well?I asked her. Con had hinted that this next part of the trial would involve her as well.

She snorted and released a small grumbling huff as she stared down at me with her large emerald eyes. That, paired with her excitement for the coming challenge, was confirmation enough.

---