Page 90 of To Fight and To Fold

Vaelen cupped both her hands around Aaryn's—her left with a mottled burn she wore proudly. "You have to physically disrupt the rune. A blade, or a burn. It is not easy, and it will hurt. I want you to think about this before you decide to do so. Please. Take your time to familiarize yourself with the circle. Spend time with Thea and the other Awakened."

"But I…" Aaryn trailed off, turning to look at Starspark, and then the dragons behind them, flying with their trained Awakened into the sky.

"I know. But you still have Starspark, and waiting doesn't weaken or hurt the connection you could have one day. Remember, you've been here for less than a day."

Aaryn blinked, and Thea too startled at that realization. It felt like days already. Like Aaryn had always belonged here, maybe.

"Settle in. Explore a little. And most of all, rest. Gather your thoughts. And come to me when you've made a decision."

"Has… has Carissa done this?" Aaryn asked, voice small.

"Not yet. She and Rolim are still on honeymoon," Vaelen said, shaking her head, braids swaying. "I hope they're staying out of trouble, but I think we all know they're not."

Amusement curled through Thea. She'd known Rolim for a long time, knew what a little shit he was, especially in druid scale instead of Evergale's metal armor. She'd thought whatever fling he'd had at the time—sorry, Carissa—had made him tighten up. Or maybe they'd just both been undercover and he'd had to act the part. "Rolim left his rowdy tavern days behind, didn't he?" she asked.

"Carissa brings it back out of him," Vaelen countered, and offered them a wicked grin. "It's why I like her so much. Keeps him on his toes," she said, wagging a finger. "She'll begin her training when they return."

"Training?" Aaryn asked.

Vaelen nodded. "Yes, of course. Awakening your magic is one thing. Riding your dragon is another. And completely separate, but related nonetheless, is training your body properly for all of it."

"Like combat? I know some of the basics," Aaryn said, and Thea resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course.

"Oh, really? They're training Tethered in the art of combat now, are they?" Vaelen drawled.

Thea braced herself.

"The prince taught me," Aaryn said, though she sounded less proud about it in front of Vaelen.

Vaelen, who rarely faltered, paused. "Prince Jarrick?" she asked.

"Yes."

"That's… interesting." She seemed to sink into thought for a moment before shaking it away, and Thea paid attention, locking away the reaction to study later. "Alright, then. I'll leave it up to Thea to assess your progress. She's one of our most talented, you know."

Vaelen's sidelong glance dared her to argue, and Thea swallowed her retort, tamping down the warmth in her at the thought of going toe to toe with Aaryn. "…Sure," Thea agreed.

"So…" Thea began. "What do you want to see first?" Thea's entire home spread out before them and she didn't even know where to start.

"You're the one who lives here," Aaryn reminded her.

"I know that!" Thea hissed, and began walking. She felt Vaelen's amused stare, and chose to ignore it. "I didn't know if you wanted to start somewhere specific."

A dark blue dragon weaved his way through the maze, his Awakened cackling in delight on his back as they swooped over a bridge of branches in the Playground.

"We could stay here," Aaryn sighed wistfully. Starspark nudged her as if in agreement.

"The prince couldn't train you like this, could he?" Thea muttered, and caught an amused glance from Vaelen.

21

ISLE SHOW YOU

"You have to let me on," Thea groaned at Starspark. The fearsome beast currently glared at her from behind Aaryn, who tittered helplessly.

"Look!" Thea motioned to Aaryn. "I brought her back to you! Doesn't that count for something?"

Starspark turned his head away, nose lifted, paws crossed. Wow. He is adorable.