by Amelia Jade
“So why did someone attack us then? And why only one pass? If they’d come back for a second, they probably could have gotten one of us before we could get out of the way.”
He frowned. Was the abrupt return to the original topic her way of extending an olive branch? Or just a desire to get to the bottom of it?
Probably both. So don’t be an ass about it.
“Nobody in your party has been to Cadia before, correct?”
Cassi shook her head. “Not the four of us that were walking, no. Taurin has been here a few times, from what I understand, but he was back at the Consulate sleeping.”
“So no chance for anyone to form enemies already either,” he mused.
“Could it just be some dragon angry at us?” she asked. “Just because we’re here to defend Garviel?”
Blaine shrugged. “If it were anyone but a dragon, I’d probably accept that answer.”
“Why is it different that it’s a dragon?” she asked.
“Because they attacked you with Dragonfire,” he said simply.
Cassi sat back as the words sunk in.
Most dragons were unable to use their breath weapon. Certainly not with the power and control this dragon had shown. The only dragons who could do that were ones that had had training, like they received at Top Scale Academy.
“You think it’s someone well connected,” she said slowly.
He nodded. “There are not that many Fire Dragons in Cadia who have been through Top Scale. Enough, perhaps, but not so many that we cannot immediately narrow the search down.”
“So it won’t take you long to find out who?” she asked.
“We’ll see. We still need to figure out why they did it,” he said. “That could prove trickier than anything else.
“I don’t understand why they’d attack us all.”
He shrugged once more.
“Unless you can think of a reason why they might be after just one of you in particular, neither do I.”
Chapter Ten
Cassian
She looked away, unable to meet his eyes.
The problem was, she could think of such a reason.
There was someone on her team who might be singled out for attack. The real question to her though, was how the hell had anyone figured that out? She supposed that they might have a dossier on her, compiled from before she joined Hawk’s Nest. It wasn’t that crazy to think.
But she’d worked hard to expunge the data from all records in Fenris. There were a very few that knew the truth still, and she believed all of them to be on her side. If they hadn’t revealed her secret, then what had happened? Could some of it have made its way to Cadia before she’d gone to work to erase it?
It seemed likely that somehow it had, but if that were the case, then how did Blaine not know about it?
Simple, he’s trusted you so far, and hasn’t looked up your profile yet.
So, that left her in a big quandary. With the attack, people would begin digging, and they would start asking questions. Eventually, she figured the truth would probably come out. No matter how hard she’d worked to hide it, Cassi knew she couldn’t ever expunge it completely.
Shit.
She should tell him.
Cassi looked over at where Blaine was pacing up and down the room, muttering to himself, seemingly unaware of her sudden silence, distracted as he was by the mystery of why her team had been attacked.
Her eyes traveled the lines of his face, and she smiled slightly at the way his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, the look of deep thought on his face making him seem more like an intellectual.
If I tell him this now though, he’s likely going to be fed up with constantly finding out new things about me. Things that always seem to matter. He’s gotten over the others so far, I suppose. But at some point even Blaine has to reach a breaking point, right?
Her mind went back to the last argument they’d had, and the words that Blaine had used then.
“I could have dealt with it, if you gave me the choice. But you didn’t.”
That was the crux of the issue right there. She’d already deprived him of the ability to make a judgment call once, by doing what she thought was best. Would she be doing the same thing here by not telling him?
Of course, there was the flip side of the argument as well. Was she only telling him because of what had happened last time? Did Blaine really deserve to know this information? There was absolutely zero proof that someone was attacking just her, and not the Fenris team as a whole. A disgruntled shifter, angry at them for even defending Garviel in the first place, would make far more sense than a directed attack at her, based on information that shouldn’t even be known to anyone in Cadia.
So why were her senses telling her that the attack had, in fact, been personal in nature? Was it just a cover-up that they tried to target others as well, instead of singling her out for the blast?
“We’re going to get to the bottom of this,” Blaine said abruptly, breaking the silence sharply enough that she jumped. “It is unacceptable that you, or any of your team, were attacked while on Cadian soil. Whoever did this will be found, and they will be punished for their actions.”
She smiled wanly. “Thank you. I think my team and I will refrain from walking in the future though. We’re all trained, so we’ll take to the air for our journeys from now on, where we’ll have a chance to respond if they attack again.”
Blaine frowned. “Yes, if they attack again. I fear that they might. I’ll arrange for a mixed team of gryphons and Pegasi to be on alert at the Consulate at all times. They will escort your team to and from the Administrative building.
Cassi scoffed. “You’re assigning them to watch over a team of dragons? Blaine…”
He held up a hand. “It’s for two reasons. One is simply sheer numbers. We have more of them than we do dragons. But secondly, it’s political.” He mimed vomiting. “Damn, I hate thinking along those lines. Makes me feel icky to think in that frame of mind.”
“I understand that completely,” she agreed.
“But the point remains that if the person attacks again, it would be best if it were a Cadian that brought them down. It’s not that I don’t doubt you and your team could. But you’re on our land, and so it’s only right that we deal with anything threatening you. Besides, there isn’t much more that gryphons love than taking a dragon down, so you can believe that they’ll be extra watchful for threats.”
Cassi smiled. Some things didn’t change across borders, and the natural hatred gryphons—and to a lesser extent the Pegasi—had for dragons was just as vibrant and alive in Fenris as it was in Cadia.
There was silence between them for a moment.
“Blaine, there’s something I need to—”
There came a sharp rapping at the door.
“One moment,” Blaine said to her, holding up his hand to pause her sentence as he moved to the door.
“Who is it?” he asked suspiciously.
“Maurille,” came the reply.
Blaine pulled the door open, and the tall man with light blond hair stepped inside.
“Cassi, it’s time to go. We’re headed back to the Consulate. The rest of the team is waiting.”
“All right, I’ll be right there.”
Maurille glanced between her and Blaine. “Don’t take too long. We’ve been trying to reach you on your phone for half an hour now.”
“Sorry, I haven’t felt like answering it.”
Why was she apologizing to Maurille? And why was he telling her to move? She was the head of the delegation. Cassi hadn’t said they were going to go back just yet.
Straightening, she focused on him once more. “Who decided we’re going back to the Consulate?” she asked, her brain beginning to function again.
Maurille grimaced. “Taurin,” he all but spat. “Says we need to have an emergency meeting about the attack.” His grimace became an insulting grin. “I guess he finally rolled out of bed and heard a
bout what happened, so now he feels he has to stick his nose into it.”
The three shifters all shared a laugh there, the moment relieving much of the tension in the room.
“Very well. I suppose I shall be along then. We wouldn’t want to keep him waiting, would we?”
“Not unless doing so would kill him,” Maurille muttered as he turned and left the room.
Cassi smiled as he departed, then turned her attention back to Blaine.
“It’s okay,” he said before she could speak. “Go on. You’ll be safe, they won’t attack in broad daylight, that’s for sure. Being at the Consulate is probably the safest place right now anyway.”
She could see that it pained him to admit that she wouldn’t be safer with him, but Blaine had always been one to tell the truth, even if he didn’t like it. That was something she admired about him.
Part of her brain reminded her that he was Cadian, that this whole thing could be a setup and that she needed to remain on her guard. It would be just like them to set her up with someone she would become interested in, who could abuse her trust until he lured her into the wrong place, where something might happen to her.
After all, he himself had said he was good friends with Rhynne, the victim of Garviel’s attack. Could this just be an elaborate ruse to kill her and her team in a way that made it look like the Cadians were innocent of it?
The two parts of her brain went to war, the part that liked and trusted Blaine versus the part that distrusted everything he and every other Cadian said. They warred, but neither side was strong enough to claim victory. There were just too many variables, and Cassi didn’t know enough about him, or about Cadia, to make a solid decision just yet.
She would stay on her guard, and hope to see things through so that she could figure out what was going on in the end, that was for sure. The brief fight in her mind reminded her that she’d been allowing herself to fall too easily into the trap of believing everything Blaine said. She needed to be more wary of him, of the fact that he was a Cadian and born into trickery.
Blaine came over to her and hugged her tightly. His arms wrapped around her like a protective shield and Cassi all but fell into it, trying to hold onto her earlier thoughts about him, even as that became harder to do in such close proximity to him.
“We still need to talk,” she said, surprised at her own insistence at wanting to tell him her secret.
“We will,” he promised. “We will.”
She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek, and then brushed by him, heading into the hall beyond where Maurille waited to escort her outside.
Cassi knew she would see him the next day, and yet she couldn’t shake this foreboding feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
Chapter Eleven
Blaine
Even as he strode down the hallway toward the door marked with an orange sign that read Exit, Blaine couldn’t completely focus on the task at hand.
His mind was elsewhere, on a tall woman, her ice-white hair pulled back into a clean ponytail and eyes of the purest glacial blue that sparkled every time he looked at them. Her thick hips and powerful legs were concealed somewhat under the skirt she wore, and yet undeniably present when she walked.
He was falling for her. There was no other way to put it. He had been steadily ignoring his inner dragon on the issue, because he knew what it would say, and he also knew nobody was ready to use the particular word it had in mind.
Not yet at least. If things continued to go so well, they would have to bring it up at some point. But not yet. Certainly not while they were both still working.
For now though, Blaine needed some advice. On Cassi, the trial, and the attack. He pushed open the door and emerged onto the third-story roof of the Administrative building. There wasn’t much there, and nobody else was present. He simply walked forward until he was in the midst of the stone circle, and he summoned his dragon, touching the wellspring of swirling, cloudy power that lay within him and setting it free.
Toxic fumes rushed through his body, swelling his muscles and changing his shape with their touch, even as a curtain of green rose up around him, obscuring him from view.
Moments later the curtain fell away, leaving a fog of fumes on the circle like dry ice. It scattered into nothingness as his wings beat down, swirling the air madly while they propelled him into the sky.
His eyes automatically scanned the skies above and behind him regularly as he winged northwest of Cadia, leaving the cluster of buildings behind, moving into the flat plains that dominated the landscape before giving way to the mountains.
It wasn’t just any mountain that Blaine was angling in on, but one in particular that stood somewhat apart from the rest.
At the foot of the lonely mountain, named Forlorn Peak, was a building nestled on a small plain surrounded by trees, canyons, and a river to the west. That was where he went, where he knew he would find someone with whom he could discuss the situation.
Out front he spied several figures engaged in a series of moves. As they resolved themselves into greater detail—even his dragon sight had limits—he saw one of the figures spin around and hit the ground, sending up a spray of dust.
He smiled to himself as Dominick Carunno, one of the most recent graduates of Top Scale, rolled to his feet and charged back in, only to be sent flying back to the ground a few seconds later.
The groups split apart as he settled in for a landing.
“Impressive dedication,” he chuckled as Asher Owens, another recent graduate, rose from the dirt to brush himself off.
The pair were covered in welts, bruises, and even a few open cuts, all looking freshly inflicted.
A third cadet stood nearby, nursing what looked like a broken arm.
In the midst of them was another man, older with a much calmer demeanor than the other three. He was untouched, except for the way his shirt hung slightly askew. Even now he pulled it back into position, and it would have been impossible to tell that he’d just been throwing the three trainees around with ease.
“They have much to learn,” Daxxton Ryker said, coming up to briefly embrace him.
Blaine looked at the three cadets—no, they were no longer cadets anymore, he corrected—and laughed. “I can’t argue, but don’t you think you’re showing off just a little bit?” he joked.
Daxxton’s golden-brown eyes danced and a smile tugged at his cheeks for a moment.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said with as much aplomb as could be mustered.
Blaine laughed again. “Right. You might fool them,” he said with a jerk of his thumb over his shoulder. “But you’re gonna have to work harder than that with me.”
Daxxton did smile now, as he and Blaine stepped away from the group. “What can I do for you, Blaine? I wasn’t expecting to see you for a few days yet, what with the trial and all.”
The mood sobered quickly as Blaine recalled all that had gone on.
“Can we talk?” he asked, dropping his voice, indicating he wished to do so in private.
“Of course, we’ll go have a drink in my study,” Daxxton said. He looked past Blaine. “Continue practicing on your own. And Ezequiel, keep that arm immobile.”
“You broke his arm?” Blaine asked as they walked up the stairs at the center of the tri-winged building.
“No, he broke his arm,” Daxxton said. “He tripped over a rock and fell awkwardly, I kid you not.”
Blaine chuckled, not believing his friend, boss, and mentor for a second. “And did he happen to have any assistance in tripping over said rock?”
Daxxton looked hurt, but he didn’t deny it either.
“So, what is bothering you?” Daxxton asked, changing the subject as they turned down the hallway to the right that led into his own private wing. The middle section was where Blaine and the other instructors had quarters, and the hallway to the left led to the Cadet quarters.
He knew the three most recent gr
aduates still occupied those rooms, but they would be free to remain until Daxxton decided to run another class. By that time, they would likely be appointed Guardian quarters, assuming they all decided to become Guardians, and would have moved into those instead.
For now, as they continued to practice their skills and hone talents not taught at Top Scale—such as hand-to-hand combat—they would stay in the Cadet Wing.
Blaine shook his head and focused on the situation in front of him.
“The Fenris delegation was attacked today,” he said bluntly as they entered Daxxton’s study. He threw himself down into one of the oversized plush leather chairs that were arrayed around a low-slung wooden table, stained a dark brown to match the chairs.
“What?” Daxxton asked, turning abruptly from where he’d been making his way over to the bar on the far side of the room from the entrance. “Someone attacked the Consulate?”
“No,” Blaine replied. “Just the team. They decided to walk to the Administrative building early this morning. Someone hit them in the dark.”
“They must have regretted that choice.”
“I doubt it,” Blaine said. “They were never caught.”
Daxxton shook his head. “You’re telling me that whoever attacked them got away from four elite trained dragon shifters? How did they even survive?”
Blaine frowned. “Daxxton, they hit them from above.”
The Aurum Dragon shifter looked up sharply.
“With Dragonfire,” Blaine added.
“Are you saying,” Daxxton asked very quietly, “that they were attacked by one of us?”
By “us,” he knew that Daxxton wasn’t just referring to Dragonkind. He was also referring to someone who had graduated from Top Scale. Likely someone that they had taught, or at least that Daxxton had.
“I don’t see how it could be anything else,” Blaine said heavily.
The gold dragon was quiet as he poured out two fingers of amber liquid into a pair of tumblers and brought them over. Glass clinked softly as they exchanged cheers and took a sip, both deep in thought.
