"It's interesting. I get it. You're using numbers to predict things. Hmmm… I'm a numbers person too. It's so much easier when you can get an exact answer instead of something that’s subjective."
"Yeah." Ashe wrapped his arm around me, and I laid my head against his chest.
Then he spoke, his voice quiet, "My dad wants me to work for Evgeni, but I want to work for the Council. Help our community make better decisions, plan for the future. They just rely on their gut."
I lifted my head to meet his eye in the dark. "You think my grandfather is making decisions based on feelings?"
"Sometimes," he whispered, "But I think we could do better, be better."
"All this with data? Huh? Making a better world—that's a tough job," I breathed. "You didn't strike me as an idealist, Ashe Carrick."
I could tell he was smiling even in the dark.
"I'm not an idealist. But someone has to change things, someone has to figure out a better way for the Dragonborn."
"And that's you?"
"If not, who else? I've never been one to walk away from a job that needed to be done."
He took a sip of his water bottle before holding it up to the moonlight. I couldn't see the level in his jug and wondered if he could.
"Is that why you're on the shortlist to be the next Prime Leader. How does that happen?" I asked.
Ashe made a low growl-like rumble in his throat. He'd done it in irritation, but it made me feel completely different emotions than that.
"Sore subject?" I asked.
Just when I thought he wasn't going to talk about it, he said, "Several of us are being groomed to be the next Prime Leader. Two families from each house make up the Council, and the next PL usually comes from those families. You only met eight of the council members at my inquiry—the Eton representatives didn't show up—which is probably good considering…"
"Considering Lacy probably belongs to one of them," I interjected.
He nodded, shaking his head. "You catch on quick."
"I try," I teased.
"So, Wei Long was long thought to be next in line for PL—you met him at the inquiry back in March. But the PL position isn't chosen for who's next in line or who's oldest—it's this archaic thing where the council members are sequestered in one of the ritual caves. They supposedly meditate and commune with each other and the dragons and come to a unanimous decision."
"What if it's not unanimous?"
"Then they don't leave, but it usually is. Dragons are good like that. They won't let one person's interests go above the community as a whole."
"So, who else is on the shortlist?" I asked.
"Let's see? There's Durand, but he's basically married to The Guard… Logan Brooks, Trey Bryant, an Eton Prime—Lacy's father. Then there's another Prime from the Angeven's, but he's an Eton. He's a year or two older than you… What's his name?"
"Oh? I know who you're talking about. He's a seventh-year." I snapped my fingers. "I can't remember."
"Yeah."
"There's no shoo-in. Elijah could be considered, but not immediately…"
"Because of the whole seeding situation?"
"You know about that?"
"We talked about it for like two seconds…" I stared at him in the dark, not sure if he looked at me or not. "Have you ever done that… seeding?"
Ashe shook his head, leaning against the concrete. "I've been approached, but no. I haven't done it."
The crickets chirped in the distance, and another car drove over the bridge.
"Were you in love with Lacy?" I whispered.
Shaking his head, he sighed. "I'll always care about her because of our history, but were we in love… no. And I don't think Lacy was in love with me. We were a good political fit. I’d finished school the previous May, and it seemed like time to settle down."
It took me a moment to absorb what he'd said.
"It seems like Lacy still loves you. Do you ever…"
He cut me off. "No…"
"You don't even know what I was going to ask."
His chest shook as he laughed silently. "No, Lacy doesn't still love me. She's in love with the idea of being with me, of being a wife to a council member or a possible PL—I realize that now… I know what you were going to ask. Do I ever regret leaving her? Do I ever want to go back? No. You should know I'm not like that. I have my mind made up, and it's not easily changed."
"Why is the PL job a man's job? Haven't there been any women leaders?"
"There have been, but it's complicated."
"Complicated? Because we should be home having Prime babies?" I asked.
"Honestly? Probably—there are so few female Primes. Why? Do you want to be the next leader?"
I scoffed, "Oh, god no!"
He chuckled, then shifted, pushing gravel to tumble off into the canyon.
"Has there ever been a PL who wasn't married? Or one with a wyvern wife? Or one who was a wyvern?"
Even in the dark, I could tell Ashe shook his head. "There may come a time—maybe soon—when all females are wyverns… if we don't do anything to change the trend."
I shivered, not only from his words but because the temperature was dropping steeply with the sun gone. "Really?"
"Yeah. And it's not just in America; it's all over. The birthrate of Dragonborn Primes is declining. Like your grandparents. They had one child. Two Primes? Can you imagine? There are rumors that they struggled to conceive—which is more and more common in our community."
His words troubled me. I'd heard about this before, but brushed it off. "And this is why those men are probably after me."
"I don't know, maybe. But we're safe. We'll get out of this."
Ashe laid his hand on my thigh, his touch warm on my cold skin.
I wanted his fingers to stay, to find other skin to touch. But he pulled away and said, "A bond can't be coerced. No one can force a bond. It's a choice."
"I wasn't aware that we chose."
"It's hard to resist, isn't it?" He whispered, "And…"
"And what?"
"And I was very attracted to you."
I snorted. "Shut up."
"I was. It was one of the reasons I humored Eondian by going to your ritual. I thought he was interested because of me."
I smiled at this revelation, "I never thought there was even a tiny chance between us that day. I thought you hated me." I bit my lip before letting my own secret slip. "I nicknamed you in my head when we first met."
He chuckled, a low rumbling sound, "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Tell me," he asked, a smile lacing his words.
"Well, first I called you Tall, Dark and Deadly Sexy."
Ashe shook his head, laughing.
"Then…"
"Oh? There's more?" He turned to me, but I knew he wouldn't be able to see me in the darkness.
"Yeah. As we walked, I wasn't listening to you. I was making up other names."
"Oh, no. Do I want to know what they were?"
I lifted a shoulder. "Let's see. I had Private Panty-dropper—I think that was my favorite. Sergeant Sexy… they were all alliterations." I smiled as I stared down into the abyss of the canyon.
"I thought of you as a siren, like you'd cast a spell on me." He said, making me laugh.
The moon reflected off the far wall, giving us a little light.
We sat there, our smiles fading as night crept in around us.
"Do you ever think about how things would be if our dragons hadn't bonded?" He asked.
This caught me off guard. "No, never. I don't know what I would've done without you. Have you thought about it?"
Ashe stared straight ahead. "I have, but not like you think. I only wish that we could've met when you were older. We'd have a few drinks, date and then choose the bond on our own terms."
"Oh…" I whispered, crestfallen.
He pulled me to him with his good arm. "It's not like that. I don't regret it. I just think the timing sucks."
I nodded. "Do you think you'd still be with Lacy?"
He shook his head. "If we didn't bond? I'd hope not."
"So… we went on this hike to talk. What did you want to talk about?"
His gaze focused straight ahead, on either the bridge or the darkness, but he didn't meet my eye as he conversed with Eondian.
Finally, he said in a low voice, "It's not important right now."
The bridge had become a lot more dangerous in the dark, as the wind howled through the canyon. Reaching with my senses, I felt the wyverns around the bend.
I needed a shower, antibiotic cream, bandages, about a gallon of water, and a soft bed. Even with Ashe holding me, I shivered in the cold. He squeezed me close and rubbed my arms, trying to warm me up.
"We should just fly out of here. Avoid them and fly the other way," I suggested.
Ashe sniffed. "Let's wait a little longer. I think they'll leave."
"We could fight them; you have a gun," I said hopefully.
"I don't like those odds. Besides, I've seen Dragonborn fight with tranquilizer guns before. I don't want to put you in more danger."
"So, wyverns are really that dangerous?"
"Yeah, and if an aerial fight doesn't last too long, they can be deadly because of those spikes on their tail. They spit, and it burns your skin like acid. But they can't fly as high or as long as dragons can. They can't carry things like a dragon. Only one rider. Eondian or even Aaraeth could probably carry two people and gear."
"Hmmm… so dragons are just bigger? That's all?"
"No. They can breathe fire…"
"Shut up! They cannot!" I laughed.
Ashe raised his brows. "They can. Aaraeth can. Haven't you seen her blow smoke? I've even seen her do that to you. She does it when she's agitated."
"Whatever. No way," I breathed out another laugh, this one silent.
"I'm serious. There are physical laws of our universe, and dragons exist within those laws; they're not breaking any rules… they're just using things that the mundanes don't understand. Things that not even the Dragonborn understand."
I snorted. "Explain it to me, because science is a language I get. You have all these rituals and caves… Tell me about how they work."
Ashe shifted so that he was facing me. "Okay, which part?"
"The fire part."
"This one is easy. Dragons can create fire one of two ways because of their diet and biology. When we eat something, and it breaks down, it creates a flammable gas. When dragons do this, they have a separate stomach area where the gas goes. They can either expel it slowly or pop it out like a burp. Because this gas is pressurized, it ignites on contact with the oxygen in the air, and there you have it—fire."
"So… why don't we just have the dragons burp on those guys who are after us?"
He breathed out a laugh and shook his head. "Eondian and I have been trained to do it, but Aaraeth isn't. It's not as easy as it sounds, and you could get hurt if you're not careful. There's blowback, and when you're starting out, it doesn't always work."
"How were you trained? In the militia?"
"No, at the academy. In the cadet program. It's mandatory for all boys but optional for girls."
I blinked my eyes and sniffed. "Well, that's just shit. Why aren't all the girls trained as well?"
Ashe's head was down as he looked at his water bottle in his lap. "You sounded very British just then."
"Hmmm… I don't hear it."
"You do…" He told me quietly.
That's one of the strange things he likes about you, Aaraeth chimed in, and I could tell she'd broadcasted her words to Ashe as well.
"I think it would've been offered to you if you weren't so far behind in dragon skills. I know that's not your fault. Maybe you can request it next year, or ask your uncle to train you."
I nodded, "I'll do that. I don't like being unable to defend myself."
"Yeah, that would be good for you," he answered on a yawn.
"What about the whole dragon egg portal thing?'
"Ehhhh… yeah. It’s not magic, but no one really knows. The Orthodox passed a law that made it illegal to experiment or research any of that. But theorists believe that dragons can create some kind of wormhole between their world and ours. I've read that our skin is like a window, they can look into our world, but we have control over the lock… usually," he laughed.
"Okay, I get it. So, the tattoo… is it like a burn—if it's not magic, what is it?"
Ashe shrugged, then quoted, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,"
"Arthur C. Clark," I said. "So you think it's just…"
"You know that quote?" he laughed, "Yeah. It's just science—math. Some kind of complicated combination of physics and the right permutation of equations and chemicals."
"Oh my god! I can't believe I almost forgot! I have so much to tell you! Speaking of dragon stuff that's illegal—my mother was a physicist—a scientist who worked with George on illegal dragon research."
"Seriously? No wonder her file was all redacted."
"Yeah. That's how Evgeni thinks she died—not a drug overdose, but an experiment gone wrong. And that's not it… Celine didn't run away in high school. She missed that year because she and Evgeni sealed their bond when they were sixteen."
"What!" Ashe scoffed. "That's illegal. Is that where she was that entire year, then?"
I shook my head, "No. Arthur manipulated them and blackmailed Evgeni. The two were separated, and that's when Celine started to drink and do drugs to escape Arthur's control… So, I was super afraid to come live with Evgeni at first, but could you imagine if I went to live with my grandparents after what they did to their own daughter?"
"Shit. I mean, Evgeni isn't my first choice for father of the year, but I had no idea that the Lamberts had done that. To split up a bond pair? That's incredibly immoral and illegal."
"I know. So, Evgeni says it messed her up—like a lot. But I think a lot of the reason she continued her research was in part for revenge."
"So, what exactly was she researching?" He asked.
"Okay, so here's another reveal… I didn't tell you all these things because I thought we were being monitored."
He nodded, "We were. We probably still are…"
"Because of Arthur?"
"That, or because of what I do. All the classified stuff."
My brows came together, "Oh, I didn't even think of that. Okay, prepare yourself for another information bomb. Taya had orders from council members about me. One of them was to stop communication between me and my dad—George, not Evgeni. But after New York, she told me and gave me his first letter. It explains why he acted the way he did when we visited him. He was trying to push me away to protect me…." I breathed out a laugh. "Um, he and Celine received the Stygian Ritual because they are the ones who burned down Harrow House."
I let that sink in.
"What?" Ashe was making a face. "No."
"Yes. That's what George wrote me."
"Okay, go back. You said Taya had orders, not an order. What were the other ones?"
"She was ordered to try to prevent me from learning more about my mom and… get this—to leave me alone when I was around Logan."
Ashe snorted. "Great… we're gonna have a talk when I see her next."
"We already did. She's not going to take orders from other people again. So, I'm going to request her for next year."
"After she basically betrayed you?"
I blew out a breath, "Well, we have an understanding now. So, I trust her."
"Even though she's probably the one who took the yearbook?"
"How did you know?"
"It just makes sense."
"Yes, she took it, but she brought it back to me." My nose was running from the cold, and I sniffed. "Celine was researching something Evgeni thought was crazy—traveling to the dragon realm. But the last letter I got from George hinted that maybe she's alive. What if she went to the dragon world,
or wherever they go? What if she's just trapped there?"
"Syd… I don't think she's alive."
"No, hear me out. I heard Headmistress Angeven had a Prime bond. But her husband died, and I don't think she has those bond powers anymore. EVGENI does."
"Well, if she were in the dragon realm as you say, why hasn't he tried to get her back?"
"I don't know. Maybe their communication was cut off, or… Evgeni has all of my mother's things, and I'm wondering if he has her research notes, too, because he has something George wants."
Ashe frowned. "This is a dangerous thing to look into. Besides, bonds are very individual and person-specific. Maybe Angeven didn't have those other abilities."
"But what if?"
He sighed, "All evidence points to Celine being dead. I don't want you to get hurt if you find out that you're wrong."
"Then, I'm wrong. But I have to look into it."
"So, you think George wants Celine's research?"
"I don't know. And I'm probably not going to hear from him—maybe forever. Evgeni is really angry… I'm angry too, but I think he might hurt him. So, I told George to run."
"Yeah, well. That's probably not bad advice if you still care about George. I thought Arthur would get to him first," he said. "What I don't understand is how a letter—or even multiple letters—can make up for what George did to you. Be careful with him. I don't trust that man at all."
Ashe reached out and took my hand into his. I flinched at his touch because the skin on both my palms was scraped and bloody.
"I didn't realize you were hurt…"
"They're just skinned." I held them up trying to see, but our spot under the bridge was too dark.
A memory sparked, and I turned to Ashe. "You know how Evgeni healed me? I think I can do it too—heal your arm, sort of like how you healed me after my accident with Aaraeth."
I placed my hands on each side of his head like my real dad had done.
"Hold still, I'm going to try to copy what he did."
Nodding, my soldier relaxed a bit, and I leaned toward him until our foreheads touched.
Over Easy Page 23
