Page 338 of Elemental Becoming

“I am a dragon.”She pauses, letting the truth of that land before adding a disdainful huff.“Why would you even ask?”

The offense that follows is immediate and profound.

I bite back a laugh.

“Of course. Silly me.”

Calryx snorts, her tail flicking behind us like a whip.

We train for another hour, running formation drills, dives, and elemental strikes until the signal comes to descend.

The ground thunders beneath us as dragons descend, the force of their landings sending tremors through the earth. Wings snap closed, and dust and loose dirt swirl into the air as massive claws bite into the landing field.

Some dragons touch down with fluid elegance, while Xaroth strikes the field like a meteor, the ground shuddering beneath his weight.

Calryx lands beside him in a smooth glide with no theatrics, only lethal grace.

I swing down from the saddle, my boots hitting packed dirt. My muscles still buzz from the flight, sweat clinging beneath my leathers.

Beside me, Thane dismounts and runs a hand through his damp hair. His gaze finds mine, evaluating and measuring.

“Better,” he says, his voice edged with approval.

I arch a brow. “Just better?”

He flashes that crooked smile of his I adore. “Would you prefer ‘not bad’ again?”

I make a face, but before I can fire back, Calryx interrupts with an unimpressed huff.

“If we’re finished, I require food. Unless I am permitted to eat the cows grazing in the fields we passed while practicing formations.”

“No. You know you can’t eat those cows.”

“It is a ridiculous rule. ‘No hunting within the boundaries of the capital or on farms.’ As though we are expected to care. We are dragons, for Guardians’ sake.”

I pat Calryx’s side, grinning.“Let’s get you fed before you start whining like a hatchling.”

Across the field, other dragons grunt and stretch, wings flicking and tails sweeping, restless and hungry. My stomach grumbles its wholehearted agreement.

She scoffs immediately. A burst of hot air blasts from her nostrils, whipping my braid loose.

“How dare you?”Her outrage rolls through the bond.“A hatchling?”

I laugh, reaching up to smooth my hair as she arches her neck, wings rustling in protest. Thane, still adjusting his gloves, glances between us.

“You keep pushing her like that, and one of these days . . . ” He lets the warning hang.

I arch a brow. “One of these days what?”

The corner of his mouth lifts as he fastens the final strap. “You’ll be walking back without your dragon.”

Calryx rumbles in clear agreement, her tail flicking a little tooclose to my legs.

I roll my eyes. “Oh, please. She’d never.”

I turn to Calryx. She simply lowers her head until one brilliant emerald eye locks onto mine. Her pupil narrows, sharp and unblinking.

I hold her stare. The wind shifts, stirring the loose strands around my face.