I couldn’t look away, my blood pounding in my skull as I stared. I had never met another dragon before, not even when the Marquess began to spread rumors that he had found a dragon willing to make a pact with his son. If she was here now, she must’ve been around then, so why had I never seen her before?

  The woman shifted on her seat, a casual elegance in the way she moved, like a predator who had never once felt the need to rush. Every motion was deliberate, measured, as if the weight of centuries had settled into her very bones. I felt her aura pressing against me, thick and overwhelming, curling around my senses like unseen chains. It wasn’t magic in the way I was used to; this was the true power of a dragon.

  “Sit down, Isadora. I didn’t harm him,” even the woman’s voice dripped with power and knowledge and I watched as Isadora sat back down, clearly both annoyed and unsettled. The tension in the room had not faded, only shifted, wrapping itself around the four of us in silent anticipation. Caspian, still standing beside me, had yet to relax his grip on his sword, his storm-gray eyes locked onto the woman with a wariness I had never seen from him before. “You too, Caspian.”

  I swallowed hard, forcing myself to remain still as Caspian forced himself to release his sword before glancing down at me. He held out his hands and I slipped on my earmuffs before taking it, allowing him to drag me over to the crown princess. My legs felt like lead, as if my body was filled with a fear I couldn’t understand. Even seeing Caspian again had not scared me, but the mere presence of this woman had me terrified.

  Once we sat down, I kept my eyes on the floor, not wanting to meet the woman’s gaze again. It wasn’t just the overwhelming presence that made my stomach twist—it was the way she looked at me. As if she already knew something I didn’t, as if she had peeled back my skin and seen straight into the depths of me.

  “Well, can you tell what he is, Illythia?” Isadora asked, cautiously putting her hands on my shoulders. I glanced up as she smiled at me, clearly thinking the knife throw had unsettled me, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. Being in the room with another dragon, this Illythia, was worse than anything I had ever experienced before. It wasn’t fear of pain or death—not the cold, sharp terror when I had found my mother’s bleeding body, nor the fury-laced despair when Caspian’s blade had pierced my heart in my past life. It was the weight of something ancient pressing down on me, the suffocating knowledge that I was standing in the presence of something greater than I could comprehend.

  “Can I tell what he is?” Illythia hummed, a sound low and considering, the kind of noise a scholar might make when observing something mildly interesting. “No. I cannot see what isn’t there.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s too young. Draconids don’t start to express their dragon blood until their bodies begin to mature.” Illythia leaned back against the couch, the leather creaking softly beneath her weight. “Even if by some impossible circumstance he carried such blood, he is too young for it to be fully realized.”

  “So it is possible.” Caspian stated calmly, his tone carefully neutral, but I could hear the way it shifted, just slightly. He was measuring his words, ensuring they didn’t betray whatever thoughts lurked behind his calm exterior. “That he could be a Draconid.”

  Illythia must have turned her gaze to him, and for the first time since she had spoken, I could hear the smile in her voice. “Possible? Anything is possible, young prince. But likely? No.”

  I remained still, forcing my breathing to stay even as I absorbed her words. She didn’t believe I was a Draconid. That meant she either couldn’t sense it, or she simply refused to acknowledge the possibility. Either way, it bought me time; I had no intention of the truth being revealed before I was ready. Before I understood what it meant for me to be one.

  “This child was born after Kapral’s death, so even if his mother consumed his flesh, he is not of Kapral’s blood,” Illythia continued, and I couldn’t help but tightened the fists in my lap. Kapral… that had to be the name of the first evil dragon. It was a name I had never bothered to learn before, but now I knew the name of the dragon who predated my rampage. I forced myself to take a deep breath, repeating the name softly to myself. It was a place to start.

  “Look at me, child.”

  I froze, wanting to resist the command, but my body obeyed regardless of my intentions. My head snapped up and as soon as our eyes met again, I felt my eyes turn gold. Her green eyes now sparkled like gemstones, like a living green fire, and I knew my eyes were doing the same in their golden hue. She hummed thoughtfully, motioning to Isadora.

  “Use them on her.” Illythia commanded and once again, I found myself unable to disobey. I turned to meet Isadora’s surprised gaze and almost immediately her expression glazed over. I had been practicing in secret with the servants, so as soon as someone made eye contact with me when my eyes were golden, they were under my power of suggestion. It was never perfect, but I nearly had the same level of control I had achieved in my previous life.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Please… forget I’m here,” I whispered quietly, not wanting to use my power at all, but the command from the older dragon gave me no choice. Isadora blinked slowly, her grip on my shoulders slackening as the golden sheen in my eyes dimmed. She leaned back slightly, her expression smoothing into something distant, unfocused. Caspian flinched slightly beside me, his fingers twitching toward his sword before stilling. He had seen my eyes in the store, but he had never known what I could do. It made sense that seeing the actual effect would unnerve him and I quickly lowered my face back to my lap. I had no desire to be toyed with further by Illythia.

  “Molten gold and the power of suggestion,” Illythia exhaled through her nose, the tone of her voice unreadable. “That is interesting.”

  I gritted my teeth, feeling the last traces of her command release me. My body was my own again, but I hated the way I had obeyed her so easily, as if my will meant nothing beneath hers. My fingers curled into fists in my lap, nails digging into the fabric of my trousers as I forced myself to steady my breathing. I had never been forced to use my power before, had never felt the pull of a presence so absolute that resistance had been impossible.

  “Interesting how?” Caspian asked, his voice measured, but I could hear the tension laced beneath the surface. He didn’t like this any more than I did.

  “Well, I don’t know of any snow beasts that could have such power, do you?” Illythia’s voice was mocking in tone and I felt as Isadora shifted beside me. She must have finally noticed me again, her hands gently resting on mine in my lap.

  “Caspian, you should have told me when you brought Cyran,” she chastised softly, and I heard Caspian’s sharp intake at his wife’s words. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I managed, but it was obviously a lie. The mere idea of staying in the room longer made me want to run away, but I knew if I tried, Illythia was more than capable of stopping me. Even if I was a full dragon already, I had no doubt she could easily overpower me.

  “Regardless, even if I doubt the boy is truly a Draconid, time will reveal the truth. Either he merely managed to inherit some draconic abilities, which would be new enough on its own, or he is somehow a full Draconid,” I heard as Illythis stood, a wave of relief washing over me. Thank the gods she was leaving. “I will return when the boy turns thirteen. By then, the truth of which it is will be obvious.”

  “Alright, Illythia,” Isadora bowed her head, and I remained still until I heard the door close behind the dragon. As soon as she felt, I bolted from the couch, no longer feeling comfortable between Caspian and Isadora. Isadora was giving me a confused and worried look, but Caspian’s face was more guarded, as if he were carefully weighing everything that had just happened. My body still felt heavy from the weight of the other dragon’s presence, the way her voice had commanded my very being, bending my will like it was nothing.

  “Cyran, I know that was–”

  “No. Remember what she made me do!” I commanded, not caring the way Caspian stood suddenly. Isadora’s expression glazed for a single moment and then shock and fear clouded her vision as she looked at me again. I could see my golden eyes reflected in her silver and for the first time since coming back, I hated seeing them. “I… I couldn’t stop it! I had too! I had too!”

  “Cyran, calm–”

  “I had too!” I screamed again, the fear now infecting every part of my body. I had been reduced to a puppet in mere moments, and I instinctively knew there was nothing I could do to ever resist her. The knowledge sent my heart hammering against my ribs, a wild, erratic rhythm that made it hard to breathe. My fingers trembled as I dug them into my arms, nails pressing against the fabric of my sleeves as if grounding myself could somehow erase the memory of her voice forcing me to obey.

  I did not want to be a puppet. I would not be controlled against my will. I–

  Arms wrapped around me, and I was surprised to find my face pressed into Caspian’s chest, his breathing steady and measured as he held me. I stiffened, caught entirely off guard by the gesture, but he didn’t let go. His hand pressed lightly against the back of my head, holding me still as he spoke, his voice low and even.

  “She isn’t here anymore, Cyran.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut, the weight of Illythia’s presence still lingering in my mind like a suffocating shadow. My body still felt heavy, as if my limbs weren’t entirely my own, but Caspian’s grip was solid, grounding in a way I hadn’t expected. He wasn’t forcing me still, wasn’t trying to restrain me—just holding me, steady and unshaken, as if trying to will that stability into me.

  Another hand rested on my back, and I heard Isadora’s voice as she knelt next to me.

  “I’m sorry Cyran. My parents wanted her to examine you, but I didn’t think Illythia would be so callous,” her voice was gentle, but I could hear the quiet guilt beneath it. It made sense that since the Emperor and Empress had ordered the examination that Isadora couldn’t say no, but her tone made it seem as if it was more than the command that weighed on her. “How about you spend the rest of the day with your mother? I’ll let Baron Adkin know that your lessons will resume in two days.”

  I nodded, not trusting myself to find the words as I clung to Caspian’s jacket. I never thought I could find comfort in the arms of the man who had killed me, but at the moment, he and Isadora were the only things keeping me from spiraling completely.