Page 16 of Burning Heir

Bridger’s jaw tightened. “Do you know why your father’s wards are failing?”

“He needs an heir to lean on,” I said.

Bridger smiled cruelly. “You have no idea, do you? Your father bartered something he couldn’t uphold.”

The weight of his words settled in my chest like ice. “Over my dead body will the Blanche name leave the North.”

“That’ll be easy,” Bridger sneered, his silver eyes piercing mine. Ice crept into my throat as he raised his hand, choking me until I couldn’t breathe. “You are weak and don’t deserve to become a ruler. Misspeak again, and I’ll freeze your tongue until it snaps.”

He released me, and my tongue felt like a stone in my mouth. Bridger stared at the sun dipping past the horizon. “Everybody rise. It’s time for your enigma bonding. The younger the creature, the stronger your bond will be. We have griffin eggs that should hatch in a few weeks, but the egg will choose you.” He unsheathed a knife from his inner thigh. “Can someone tell me what type of creature will bond with us?”

Myla spoke first. “In Ravensla, we have dragons and wyverns.”

Bridger’s smile twisted. “You’re not wrong, but a dragon won’t choose you. There are other bonded creatures for theFrozen Valleys—griffins, hippogriffs, rocs, phoenixes, and wolves.”

Hunter’s eyes flashed at Bridger. “I want to fly. A wolf can’t fly, and a phoenix is a small bird.”

“You don’t get a choice. If a creature doesn’t bond with you, you’re out,” he said. “I was lucky—bonded to three wolf pups my first week. And a griffin.”

The bushes rustled, deep growls cutting through the air. Two yellow eyes stalked, a grey coat flickering through the frosted trees. The other was midnight black.

“Where’s the third?” Myla asked.

“I prefer her to keep an eye on my parents,” Bridger replied, gesturing sharply. The wolves vanished into the trees. “It’s against academy law to kill another student’s enigma in your first year. The bond strengthens over time. If your enigma dies, so do you.”

Chanvin asked, “What about rider bonds? My sister formed a pack during her year. She could speak to her best friend from halls away.”

“Bonding with other riders is forbidden until year three,” Bridger said, voice flat.

Hunter frowned. “Why? I have nothing to hide.”

Bridger shrugged. “Hormones. No sense in bonding with someone who might be your rival. Rider bonds tie you to one mind. Being indebted to someone for the rest of your life when you’re still figuring things out? Foolish.”

We entered the forest, evergreen trees swaying in the wind. The low tide revealed three small caves along the mountain’s edge, their entrances submerged beneath icy water.

“Who wants to go first?” Bridger’s eyes locked onto the black waves, daring someone to step forward.

A male named Robi shook his head. “The water’s freezing. We’ll drown if we get stuck inside.”

Even Hunter stayed at the water’s edge, unwilling to step closer.

Bridger folded his arms over his chest. “Then you drown. If you want your enigma to give its existence to you, you must earn that trust. Nothing will be handed to you—especially not a title.” His gaze flickered to me. “Severyn, since you went last down the mountain, why don’t you go first this time? I wouldn’t want anyone to think I was treating you differently.”

“Myla can come with me,” I said, my voice tight. She nodded, casting a quick look at Bridger, waiting for his approval.

“Sure,” he hissed. “You’ll need the protection, I suppose.”

The first step into the water was brutal, a shock of ice that numbed my legs instantly. The second step felt like walking through daggers. By the sixth, the cold bit at my hips, and I waded deeper until the water was up to my ribs.

Panic surged. My mind screamed at me to turn back.

Deep breath in. Release through your nose. Fight the burn. Fight the numbness.

Myla shivered, now chin-deep in cold water. “Do you often swim in ice back home? Is this… normal?”

“No,” I said. “Bridger is trying to kill us.”

The water level sloped to a drop, and my head fell under the black seawater. Exasperated, I gasped to the surface as I cut through the ice crystals with my fist.

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