Soul Bound

Chapter 24

Eva had been a Dragon Knight for two months. During that time, she trained relentlessly, day or night, with or without Anna. She slept the entirety of her rest days and trained from dawn until dusk, sometimes later, on training days.

Most of the time, they were in the gym, working on her strength or on the mats honing her combat skills. On the days in between, she continued with her readings, or focused on her Bond with Arkon and the magic they shared, which mostly consisted of them communicating telepathically. Not the real magic she was eager to get started on.

She passed every test Anna threw at her. Pushed herself until her bones threatened to shatter. Why? Because while she remained safe in Dragon Canyon, peoples’ homes were being torn down.

Prince Darius had raided the villages closest to the Aborian Ocean and built a fort where Brar used to be. Just last week he pillaged Ralst.

King Renkon and Commander Hargin worked together to have all the remaining villages in the valley evacuated and taken to Riverwood. There, King Renkon had deployed his soldiers as a first line of defence against an attack.

Tension in the base had never been higher.

Eva felt useless. The other Knights didn't let her forget it, either. No one had outwardly said anything to her, not after word had gotten around about Aspen and her squad, but she heard them whispering during their meals in the mess hall, saw the looks of disdain in the hallways. She hadn't earned her place here yet. She was just a farm girl given power she didn't know how to use. A Dragon Knight who didn’t know how to ride her dragon.

She was forever thankful for Annaliese. She never once let Eva think she didn't belong here. Normally, she would have relied on Jacob, but he and Grayson had been spending a lot of time at Kain Castle lately. The only time she had seen them was when she ran into Grayson and kicked Aspen's squad’s ass with him a couple of weeks ago.

She was grateful for his help with her scavenger hunt, but he had left her wanting more. He had taken the pressure away from her. Made her feel like an ordinary Knight, not someone who had the potential to change the tides of war. It had been a welcome reprieve.

Most of all, she missed Jacob. It nearly shattered her heart to know while she had been running around the base with Grayson, having fun and mildly flirting, her brother was somewhere. She had enjoyed her time with Grayson, but it didn't fill the void of her family's absence she felt deeply in her chest. Only Jacob, her brother, her best friend, could help her heal.

Noticing her shift in mood, Annaliese had pushed her hard at the gym the next day. She knew just what Eva needed to get through the tough times.

When Eva wasn't with Annaliese, she spent her spare time with Arkon. The other dragons still didn't feel comfortable around him, so they found a private nook hidden away from everyone to sit and talk. They shared each other's memories through their Bond and reminisced about the good times in their lives.

It felt good to talk about her family and cry when the memory of them hurt too much. Their connection only grew stronger with every passing day. She learned more about him, how he moved, how he thought, how he felt. She was a part of him as much as he was of her.

This morning Eva woke up to have riding gear dumped at the foot of her bed. She stared at it and blinked. She had been admiring the gear since she had first got it during orientation, dreaming of the day she could put on the helmet, riding pants, and flight jacket. Had the time finally come?

She peered up at a beaming Annaliese. Her own smile grew, knowing this only meant one thing: she was finally going to learn how to fly!

They had practised many times on the ground, where Annaliese taught her proper positioning and techniques, but there was only so much she could learn on the ground. Today, she was allowed to spread her wings and soar.