The comment was not negative, just a fact, and there was no edge of superiority in his tone, just pure pride of being part of the Dragontail Legion.
Tran smiled at me, eyes wide open, forcing me to meet his gaze, as Shakari and Rowan followed.
“You too, Soehl,” Shakari said in a commanding way, as usual.
“I am no Dragontail, I am in the Auroric Legion,” Soehl said, shrugging.
“Come on! You’re my roommate for the whole year,” I said, my tone brighter than I expected. The excitement surprised me, but the people around me fed into it, stoking a thrill I hadn’t realized I’d already let take hold.
The smile on Soehl’s face reached her eyes as she grabbed her glass and cheered with us. Then, almost immediately, the twin next to Shakari, Rowan, locked his eyes with me and said:
“I think you have Dragontail in you, even if there isn’t any in your lineage,” he took a bite out of his lamb and chewed quickly. I swallowed hard, remembering the words of the Siren. “I saw how you defended yourself with the Emberkeep noble over there.” He pointed slightly to the Emberkeep legion tables with his fork.
“Yes, Princess. And cutting yourself like a true Dragontail right in front of the Siren?” Tran drawled. “Bold move. And impressive.”
“Please call me Thea. I am just Thea,” I said firmly but politely. Then I grinned at them and added, “But thanks for the compliment.”
My gaze drifted to Thalen by instinct. His eyes snapped at me with an unreadable face, worry or anger, I wasn’t sure. We stayed there for a beat too long, and I forced myself to look back at my new friends.
We talked and laughed through the entire dinner. The twins talked for the longest time about their wind magic and how they would use it for combat, especially for shielding dragon soldiers against the dragons beyond the veil. They both spoke like true warriors, just with a special cynical sense of humor. Shakari was mesmerized by Rowan, her eyes shining at his stories and, probably, at his muscles too.
Everyone buzzed with plans for how they’d celebrate their Calling. There was no official feast or ceremony, but that didn’t stop anyone. Everyone would mark it somehow, with their new friends.
Shakari and the twins planned to drink Auroric potions, cheering and dancing until morning in the common areas of the Solphire Tower. I politely declined. I was exhausted and drained in a way sleep alone wouldn’t fix. The days ahead would be long, filled with explanations, expectations, and the daunting task of adjusting to a legion I had never trained for in my life.
At the end of the dinner, many of the students had already started retreating to their dorms. When I was about to stand up and leave for my room, I saw Thalen walking towardour table. Face unreadable. I tried to look away and ignore him when he was already next to me, whispering in my ear.
“I need to talk to you,” Thalen said, worried as he gently touched my ear, and a shiver ran through my body, but I quickly shifted and ignored the feeling.
“No, Thalen…” He didn’t let me finish.
“It’s important.”
Thalen’s voice was low as he caught my wrist, forcing me to look at it.
“Come on, Thalen. Let it go,” Shakari said, rolling her eyes. “She’s over you. Let her have some fun before she’s forced to marry you.”
I didn’t even flinch at her jab, because I’d just noticed it.
The heirloom on my wrist was gone.
A hollow pulse echoed in my chest. I must’ve lost it somewhere along the way, perhaps at the gates, in the courtyard, in the arena, maybe even at dinner. I’d been exposed this entire time.
And without that protection, anyone could’ve gotten in my head just by touching me. Thought walkers. Memory-pullers. Truth weavers. Mind-benders. They could have seen my dreams, my fears, my loyalty. Everything.
The protection heirloom wasn’t mere ornamentation, it was an enchantment forged in sunfire and sealed with Solenhart blood, its lines traced in ancient gold. It didn’t guard my body. It guarded my mind.
It was customary for the heir to the Solenhart throne to wear one until their twenty- first-years of age, until every trace of magic had fully awakened and true maturity was reached, whenmental walls could finally hold on their own. Only then could the heirloom be safely removed; it would not function beyond that age anyway. Until that day, it served as both shield and shackle. It was a silent reminder that even a Solenhart’s thoughts could be hunted.
I gripped the edge of the table, heart pounding like a warning drum. My chest tightened. My thoughts hissed too loud to silence.
I stood. Not calmly. Not gracefully.
And left the hall without a word.
We climbed the spiral stairs of Solphire Tower until we reached my room, high above the noise and laughter below.
Thalen turned to me, his expression heavy with something between worry and reproach. “I tried to tell you earlier, in the courtyard. But you wouldn’t listen.”
