Child of Ardor

xix

I lay anxiously awake that night. After talking with Garrick today I know that Xaden is going to "take" me somewhere tonight and share some of his little secrets Bodhi and Garrick and he have been keeping from me and everyone else.

To be honest, I really have no clue what they might be. All I know is that something fishy is going on here and I think Xaden takes more after our father than I had previously thought. It's still unclear to me whether that is a good or bad thing.

It was nearing around 1:00 am and I was starting to get a little antsy. Doesn't he know I don't like waiting?!

Luckily for me, a second later I heard a faint knock at my door. I hopped out of bed quickly, running over and opening the door.

My freakishly tall brother stood there, looking down at me a little unamused with his eyebrows slightly raised.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

I rolled my eyes at the question. "It's not late enough yet?" I shrugged.

"Move back. I'm warding the door." Xaden pulled out his older brother tone, ordering me around.

I see him doing it with Garrick, Bodhi, and pretty much all of his friends or people he knows so it must be an eldest child thing or something. His intentions are well, but it's always an "order," not a suggestion, a statement, or anything else.

But then again, as the younger sibling I guess I'm designed to follow because I obeyed, stepping back to watch him swing his hands around the door a couple of times before stepping into the room.

"Hey." I complained. "I thought the whole point of a ward was only supposed to allow me in."

Xaden barely paid me any attention, looking around my room briefly. He shrugged, finally computing my complaint. "And the person who warded it for you. Unless you have money you can pay me with?" — I rolled my eyes, not responding and instead fixing him with a glare — "thought so." My brother said smugly, one last time. "C'mon. Get your flight leathers, we're going."

I quickly grabbed my jacket, heading out the door and falling into step with my older brother.

"Where are we going?" I asked him practically, bouncing with excitement.

Xaden looked down at me in amusement, laughing to himself. "It's a surprise."

"Well how far away is it? Cuz I'm not exactly the best rider currently..." I trailed off, thinking back to the only time I've ridden Colm. I trust my dragon but I don't think it's the best idea if we're riding far at night and I can barely keep my seat.

"Relax." Xaden picks up right where I left off. "You'll ride with me." He said, opening some random door I've never seen to allow me access outside.

"Dragons don't let other riders ride them."

"Sgaeyl is fine with it." He tells me, leading me around yet another confusing corner until I recognize this place as where we saw dragons first. "C'mon we've got to jump into the pit." He says.

"The pit?" I question.

But it goes unanswered as Xaden crouches down, jumping off the ledge that is in front of us. I quickly rush to the end, seeing that it's a wall that goes down to prevent the mountain from caving in on itself. The only problem is, it's about two stories deep and I'm definitely not going to be able to jump.

"I can't just jump! Are you crazy?!" I whisper-yell frantically down to my brother.

I can't jump and there's no other way in sight to get down so I guess our little trip is just over...