My fingers closed around my throat, eyes clamped shut, fighting a silent scream against my constricted airway.
There was nothing left. I had to face what waited: the hollow stares tinged with the slow dying of trust; the hunger we’d share, born from my failure.
Arms crossed tight, I met Kalepsi’s eye. Still as stone, she studied me—pupil thin as a thread. I didn’t look away. I bared my soul, letting her see my pain, my ruin. There was nothing either of us could do about it.
I dropped my gaze, unable to handle her scrutiny any longer.
Silence thickened. Only the wind’s sharp cry and distant gulls competed with the dragon fleet roaring offshore.
At last, Kalepsi eased aside, granting my mother entrance. Queen though she was, she waited for permission like everyone else. She stepped forward, brushing her fingers across the dark violet scales for balance, casting a glare up at the massive beast.
My mask slid into place, concealing my damaged heart to deal with later.
She settled beside me, sighing as her spine met the bronze curve of a nearby shell.
A low chirp broke the quiet, followed by a gust of wind and the heavy thump of wings. Roars rolled over the Spire, a cacophony of dragons banking just outside.
“Tsunami’s being a menace,” Mother muttered.
“At least the riders stayed behind to rein her in.” I kept my voice even. Father didn’t ride out yesterday, but he also wouldn’t speak to me. He locked himself in his war room, only leaving to fly Argos, who passed the time hurling boulders off the sea cliffs, sharing his rider’s fury.
“She tipped a ship last week.” Mother pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Black fish?” The great whales often traveled in pods. Dragons loved them.
“Crab.”
Tsunami’s favorite. When haulers dragged in a net, they were expected to alert Artorius and his rider to deter her from sinking the ship.
I chuckled, wrapping my arms around myself. “Where was Artorius?”
“Patrolling the south. There are stirrings in the Wild Shores. Your father’s sending more riders to keep watch.”
“What’s happened?” I tilted my head, latching onto this new information. I was a Draconis princess once more. My place was here, my mind needed to be, as well.
“Nothing alarming.” She gave me a faint smile. “Argos feels it, and your father doesn’t want to lose our hold.”
We had planned to expand to those lands, as we were the only island with dragons. Unbonded beasts roamed there, so no other isle could claim it.
But we needed resources to settle.
Resources Radaan had once promised.
I nodded and leaned back, eyes falling shut. “You’ve planned everything for the Awakening?”
“There’s always more to do, and your touch would be welcome with the decorations. Williard swore he’d retire from kite-making when you left. Perhaps you can coax him into one more year.”
A bittersweet smile teased my lips. The Awakening marked the end of whirlstorm season. It also signaled the start of Hatching Days, when the eggs cracked open. Draconis celebrated with songs, dancing, feasts, and kites soaring overhead. A time steeped in joy and reverie.
Williard was a wizard with kites, and one of the island’s finest Vessels. He funneled magic into paper and string, turning sky into canvas. Trails of color drifted behind his creations, glowing like comets. Father himself once gave him the power to fuel them.
Memories stirred: bare feet pounding sand, wind tugging my hair, a dragon kite trailing golden dust. He was my favorite kite maker.
But if I visited now, would he see the same sweet princess who once raced through the tidefoam? Or had I been reduced to a stained name, a fallen daughter?
Self-doubt soured my stomach. I hated this endless cycle of questioning my worth. Would anyone welcome my return?
“The Kulletti recently arrived for the Awakening. Join us for dinner.”
