Page 101 of Black Wing and Shadows
I pulled back just in time to see Lili darting toward me, practically glowing herself, her braid bouncing behind her. Her grin was so wide it made my chest ache in the best way.
“You did it!” She crushed me into a hug before I could brace. Her arms locked tight enough to make my stitched side flare, but I held on and didn’t care.
When she pulled back, still grasping my arms, my eyes fixed on a small detail I hadn’t previously seen. Near the base of her throat, a soft shimmer reflected the light, trickling lightly toward her collarbone. It was subtle, resembling moonlight on dark water, only noticeable when I looked directly at it. The shimmer was navy blue, wispy, reminiscent of the shadows cast by her dragon’s wings.
“You’re shimmering,” I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
Her grin widened, and she tugged at her tunic so I could see more clearly. “So are you. It’s—Gods, Auri, it’s real. You’re bonded. It’s so amazing.”
My hand moved up toward my chest, fingers lightly touching the spot where Esme’s brand still tingled faintly beneath my skin. I hadn’t truly seen it reflected back at me yet—not until now, under Lili’s glow.
“It’s incredible,” Lili continued, eyes sparkling. “When they branded us, I swear I felt her settle inside me. Like we are finally… complete. I hadn't realized it would feel that way either.”
Behind her, I thought I felt Esme stir faintly through the bond, a pleased rumble in the back of my mind.
Lili’s eyes softened as she studied the faint shimmer over my chest and arms. “It feels strange at first, doesn’t it? Like you’re walking around with a beacon painted on you.”
“Yeah,” I admitted, fingers brushing unconsciously along my arms. The iridescence shifted when I moved, like silver scales rippling under my skin. “It feels like… everyone can see it.”
“They can’t. Not unless they’re bonded too,” Lili reassured me. “Like everyone else, you’ll learn to control it over time. Mask it, dim it. Some Riders hide theirs completely—you’d never know they are bonded at all. Others... well.” She smirked knowingly. "They let it shine brighter than it should, like a damn peacock strutting in the field.”
I huffed a quiet laugh. “That doesn’t sound like you.”
“Gods, no,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Mine used to shimmer like wildfire when I first bonded. Over time, Verya helped me rein it in, taught me how to tuck it under my skin when I didn’t want every Rider in a mile radius watching me glow like a lantern. You’ll get there too. Esme will show you how.”
The mention of her name stirred Esme at the back of my mind, a flash of silver warmth pressing against my thoughts.“Yes. I will teach you.”
My chest tightened, the mix of awe and weight settling deeper. “I don’t know if I’ll want to hide it,” I admitted, softer.
Lili’s smirk gentled into something more earnest. “That’s your choice, Auri. That’s the thing no one tells you—the shimmer is you and your flier. How you carry it is just as much a part of the bond as the brand itself. You’ll find your balance.”
I glanced at her again, the faint navy shimmer over her chest shifting like hidden wings in the light. Subtle, but strong. Her balance.
Lili’s shimmer pulsed faintly as she leaned against me, her grin sharp but her tone soft. “See? You’re already glowing brighter than most. Esme wants the world to know she chose you.”
I brushed my fingers lightly over the iridescence on my left arm, the scales shifting faintly in the light. It felt… vulnerable, visible in a way I couldn’t yet name. Before I could answer, a voice tugged at my thoughts, low and warm.
“Gods, I wish I could see you right now.”
Zane.
My heart jolted, the bond I had recently reopened crackling alive like a live wire. I turned my head to give him a look, him still sitting where we had sat moments before, allowing Lili and me a private moment.
He came to stand next to us. “I can’t see it, but I know it’s beautiful—because it’s yours.”
Heat rushed up my neck, and I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Lili, of course, smirked and elbowed me lightly. “Careful, Zane. She’s still learning how to keep it from glowing brighter when you’re around.”
His lips curved, but his eyes never left mine. “Good. Let it shine. I want everyone to see.”
The weight of his words pressed into me, fierce and steady, and for the first time since the brand seared into my chest, I didn’t feel exposed. I felt claimed. Seen.
Esme stirred in the back of my mind, her voice a silver ripple.“He is not wrong. Your bond is meant to be seen.”
And with both of them watching me, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to hide it at all. The three of us lingered in the thinning crowd, Esme’swarmth a steady hum in the back of my mind, when another familiar voice cut through the space.
The crowd was fading as Alex located us. His movements were deliberate, and his face was composed yet tense, as if he’d practiced this scene many times and was still uncertain about proceeding.
“Auri.” His voice was smooth, but my name carried too much in it.
