They fled under crimson skies. Aric rode hard, Serenya on the saddle behind him, her warmth against his back both infuriating and unnerving.
"What is chasing us?" he demanded.
"Not what," she said, voice calm despite the gallop. "Who. The Dragon Courts will sense my freedom. They will send hunters."
Aric's jaw tightened. "And they'll kill me too?"
"Of course," Serenya said simply. "You carry my bond. To them, you are an abomination."
Lightning split the horizon. In the clouds above, a colossal shadow moved—wings stretching wider than a castle's walls.
Aric's heart stuttered. "That's a dragon."
Serenya's hand tightened on his shoulder. "Not just a dragon. A Warden of the Courts. If it finds us now, we are ash."
The mark on Aric's chest flared in response to the presence. His breath hitched, his veins seared with fire. He almost lost control of the reins.
"Damn it—what is happening to me?" he snarled.
"The bond reacts," Serenya said. Her voice was softer now, almost concerned. "It senses kin. Resist it, or it will consume you."
They dove into the forest, trees crashing as the storm howled overhead. The shadow passed, circling once before vanishing into the night.
Aric slumped forward, drenched in sweat. Serenya's hand lingered on his chest, right over the glowing sigil. For a moment, her regal mask slipped.
"Hold fast, mercenary," she whispered. "Your trials have only begun."