AERYN'S POV

The cries of demons ceased around us as they were killed or had gotten scared off by Serene's blast of frost fire. I looked down at my hand, disbelief flitting through me as I stared at the Insignia emanating a red light. An eyeball stared back at me, reflecting the image of a palm with a distorted Insignia in the center of the eye's wide pupil. 

I was supposed to feel ecstatic. I'd been looking forward to discovering my Insignia since I was a young child. I wasn't a dud, and I had a strong power, but all I felt was impending doom and dread. 

I closed my hand and said, "I'm screwed. That demon shifter witnessed me get my Insignia and he's going to go tell King Kristos in Ravos, then I'll be married off to his demon son." 

Disregarding my concerns, Zoran placed the back of his hands on his lap and frowned as he looked at both of his Insignias marking each of his palms. The scar pulled down his lips in a harsh scowl as he griped, "Hm, I guess since I already have two powers, I didn't get your Insignia." 

"Now you're not listening. Not to mention, my dragon granted you frost fire breathing abilities."

He stood, brushing off his lavish pants as he said, "I don't know what you want me to say, princess. We need to finish the Test of Talons before anything else happens or we'll be exiled for being worthless Champions. I'll ask again, how is the egg?" 

I couldn't take his frigidity. On instinct, I rubbed Tanwen's scale to summon him and warm Zoran up with some lava and frowned when the dragon didn't emerge. 

You're fully bonded to me now that your essence has been allowed out, Serene elucidated. You can't summon them anymore. We need to find an unbonded summoner in the Force who lost their dragon, or we can give their scales to Trainer Reishell for the new group of Draconian summoners entering the academy. 

Patting the pocket in my cloak, I thought, Rest up, dragons. Thank you for everything. 

I'll let them know your appreciation, Serene promised. I rubbed the bridge of her snout, staring at my red Insignia in the center of her forehead with awe, and took out the egg. 

A single crack marred the black speckled ovum, the jagged line crackling from the top to midway down the otherwise untouched surface. 

"Well, I was dropped like a hundred feet in the air until Tanwen caught me," I said with a shrug then winced, regretting the movement as more blood leaked from the injury Edge had given me on my shoulders. "It's in better shape than I am." 

Zoran's jaw clenched and the muscle ticked as he pushed a hand through his hair in aggravation. "This is why I preferred being alone during all the challenges," he grumbled. 

I didn't think. I just acted on pure frustration. 

I jabbed a finger at him and a streak of blue zipped down my arm, flinging off my fingertip as it dashed across the space between us. The pitiful squirt of water splat against the front of Zoran's pants and he glanced down at the mark. 

"I'm not sure if your aim is awful...or incredibly accurate," he said, dragging his eyes to mine. 

"Just because you can breathe frost fire doesn't mean you have to infuse your attitude with it," I said. "You know full well this test isn't just about taking care of our dragon eggs. You have a living, breathing partner – " 

"I wouldn't go that far, princess. We're Champions, not partners." 

"I know. You've made a point of clarifying that already." 

"Great. Now that we finally agree on something, lets pass this test without any further damage to our egg. Shall we?" he asked, heading deeper into Mavis. He kept his focus straight ahead and didn't even lift his gaze to his mother as he passed by her still sitting on the same roof as before the sudden demon assault. 

Burying the egg in my cloak, I grinded my teeth together as I stomped after Zoran. His mother's watchful eye tracked my movements, but I kept my chin up and ignored the chill that coursed down my spine as I passed by her. 

Like mother, like son, I realized, kicking a broken piece of the cobblestone path leading the way to the center of the town. Each home was spread an acre or more apart depending on how large the fields of once flourishing crops were. 

I am nothing like that woman, so the next time you want to insult me, keep the thought to yourself. 

Oops. It was apparent I needed to work on keeping my thoughts strictly to myself now that I had someone else meddling in my mind. 

I'd just been about to do something immature like make Zoran hit himself with a blast of frost to his face using my newly unlocked power when a pair of Champions wearing white vests landed on the path in front of us with a gray fire breathing dragon. Wisps of silver strands spiraling toward a cloud marked the center of the dragon's forehead with its summoner's wind wielding Insignia. 

You get the shifter. I got the summoner, Zoran instructed, snapping his wings out. He swooped onto the dragon's back and yanked the summoner towards him, trapping her in a chokehold as he pressed the tips of his fangs against the side of her throat. 

I threw two stars at the shifter and ran at him, slashing through his Wind Force emblem without cutting through his thick cloak underneath. His white-blonde hair matched his vest, as did his Champion's. The twins shared the same brown eyes and were both of average heights and builds. Harley and Huxley were sly, calculated wind and stone wielders who were the most skilled flyers in our class. 

I was tossed off my feet by a strong gust of wind as the gravel underfoot shook and rocks levitated around me. I scrambled to sit up, recoiling when warmth cascaded over my shoulders from the open wounds. The stinging pain throbbed as I lifted my arms, willing at least one of my palms to light up. 

Everyone else had been practicing with their powers for close to two years while I was closing in on two hours since bonding with Zoran. 

Not surprised when my palms didn't spark a light, I stood and withdrew a topaz knife, twirling it between my fingers as Huxley and I engaged in an intense stare down. 

"There's a little bit of droxin in this blade," I said, uncertain whether there was a substantial amount to even work. Nonetheless, I warned, "It's enough to prevent you from using your power and I've been told more than once that my aim is fatal. Drop the rocks." 

Zoran jumped from the dragon's back twenty feet in the air with Harley imprisoned in his arms. He used his wings to slow their fall and soften their landing as they dropped between me and Huxley. Harley blew her hair out of her eyes in irritation as Zoran pulled her towards her brother. 

To Huxley, Zoran stated, "She's telling the truth about that. If you want your sister to live, let the princess go and hand over your egg." 

"Absolutely not," Huxley hissed between his teeth, hand glowing yellow as the rocks started to spin in a circle around me. 

"I'll even be nice," Zoran offered with a placating smile. "Show me yours and I'll cut you a deal." 

Huxley looked skeptical and shook his head at his sister who snapped, "I have it. Let me go so I can take it out." 

Zoran stepped back and Harley whirled around, sending a current of wind at him. Zoran closed his wings around himself and braced against the squall, remaining unmoving until Harley rescinded the wind. Slowly lowering his wings, Zoran clicked his tongue and made another whip of water. Flicking it at Harley, he bound it around her waist and tugged her against him. 

"You had your chance," he murmured, "Now I'm not going to – " 

"Stop! I have it," Huxley interrupted, releasing the rocks as he removed a yellowish-green egg from his cloak. 

"Alright, twins, here's the deal. I'll let you both walk away with an egg. You won't be completely empty handed. Just trade your egg with ours and I'll let you go." 

I narrowed my brows. What're you doing? We could have two eggs. 

Ignoring me, Zoran asked, "Do we have an agreement? If not, I don't have a problem just stealing yours. I thought I'd be generous and offer you a chance to keep an egg since you're both skilled additions to the Wind Force." 

"Fine," Huxley grumbled, holding out their smooth, untouched egg. "I don't know why you're so insistent on trading, but here you go." 

Zoran nodded his head at me and I took out our egg, swapping it with the twins'. 

"Now that that's settled, go back to Eaton and don't come back here? Got it?" 

The twins humphed in response and Zoran retracted the water whip. Harley got back on her dragon and Huxley followed after them as they flew over Mavis and headed back to Eaton. 

Examining the smaller egg, I demanded, "What was the point of that?" 

"Their egg doesn't have any cracks." 

"We could have had two eggs," I reiterated. 

"This test isn't about the number of eggs we acquire. I've already gone over this. Now we have an egg without any blemishes. Let's go." 

I didn't try to argue with him. He was making all the decisions for the both of us without consulting with me about it. It was infuriating that he still didn't view me as an equal. I was forced to trust he'd made the right choice switching our eggs instead of taking both. 

Despite that, I couldn't help but notice how I'd rescued Zoran while putting my life in jeopardy twice now. I'd done it in the caves with the Dracnae and during this test when the demons had overtaken him. I really was willing to sacrifice myself to save him. 

And Zoran had been doing the same for me even before we were paired together. He'd grabbed me out of the air during a challenge and had taken Nyaxia's life to protect mine. Zoran had been looking out for me all along. 

For that, I'd keep him at a distance further than I could throw a dagger. He was right; we were just Champions. We couldn't afford to be more than that. We would still trust each other, work together, and be prepared to die for each other, but we'd accomplish each of those by keeping any other feelings locked away. 

Not that I even had any other feelings for Zoran. 

And he definitely didn't feel any type of way for me.

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