Moonlight spills through my window, painting silver streaks across the walls. I sit curled on my bed, knees pressed to my chest, my mind caught in a storm of shattered hopes.

Everything is gone.

Kael, who I thought would be mine. The dragon egg that glowed beneath my fingers. My place in this family.

I stare at the crescent moon through the glass and let the memories wash over me.

All those years of training in secret after Father banned me from the grounds. All those nights studying the old texts about dragon bonds while Cassandra slept.

I learned everything I could about the nests.

How each great House guards its territory around a different breed. Mountain dragons for the highland clans like ours. Sea dragons for the coastal lords. Desert, steppe, tropical—each bonded to the land that birthed them.

And then there are the rare ones. The legends whisper of white dragons born of moonlight and black dragons forged from shadow.

They appear only in times of great need. Only for riders worthy of their power.

And everyone is starving for such power.

Our High House of the mountain region Mintia has enemies everywhere, our ancestors and current leadership made sure of that. But the one that keeps watching our borders with hungry eyes is the sea region High House of the Black Dragon.

They’re as powerful and ruthless as their leader—a man who said kills trespassers without question.

Father uses stories of him to frighten young riders into obedience. I used to think those were just tales. Now I wonder if anywhere could be worse than here.

I dreamed of being worthy once. I dreamed of proving myself, of earning my place among the riders of Mintia. Instead, I’m the disgraced daughter who “attacked” her sister. The monster they created from their own lies.

I close my eyes and let exhaustion drag me under. The dream comes swiftly.

I stand in darkness, surrounded by nothing but endless black. Then warmth blooms against my palm—familiar, achingly so.

“You feel it too,” a voice whispers through my mind. Deep. Ancient. Undeniably real.

I spin in the void, heart racing. “Who’s there?”

“You already know who I am, Evelyn.” The warmth pulses stronger. “We were meant to be bonded, you and I.”

“The dragon,” I breathe. “From the egg.”

“Yes. Our connection remains, no matter what they’ve done.” Sorrow bleeds through every word. “You thirst for more, child. They showed their true colors today. Weak and pathetic. You don’t need them.”

Tears burn behind my eyes. “I have no one left. They made sure of that.”

“Then you must leave this place. Anywhere is better than here. They chose her. So be it.” The darkness breathes around me. “But you must find your own path.”

“Leave? And go where? I have nothing!”

“You have your life. And you have me—if you’re brave enough to reclaim what’s yours and find me.”

“Find you? How? Where are you now?”

“Trust what you feel.” The voice begins to fade. “Now wake up, child.”

I jolt upright, gasping, heart hammering against my ribs. Sleep refuses to return. The dragon’s words echo through my skull. Unable to bear my room’s suffocating silence, I slip from my bed.

My bare feet make no sound on cold stone. As I pass through the corridor, I hear voices drift from Father’s study.

I press myself flat against the wall, barely breathing.

“This plan worked perfectly,” Mother says warmly. “The dragon is yours, my dear. Just as we wanted. Other Houses of Mintia support your claim.”

“As they should,” Father replies. “She’s proven herself time and again. The stronger daughter deserves to lead.”

I bite my lip so hard I taste blood.

I need to leave, to run. But then words burn in my mind: “reclaim what’s yours.”

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