Ashborn Chapter 6
After a flight that left the Order buzzing, Dareya faces suspicion, whispers of disbanding the Riders, and rumors of something far older stirring in the shadows.
The warmth from the fire in my belly didn’t fade, even long after we’d landed and the dignitaries had wandered off. Veyrakh had preened shamelessly under their eyes, letting the golden light glint off his scaled shoulders, flaring his wings just enough to remind them that beauty could still be dangerous.
Meanwhile, I had not been able to feel my legs for a solid ten minutes.
The other Riders trickled in slowly, subdued. Not a single one met my eyes. I wasn’t sure if it was resentment or awe. Maybe both.
Even now, long after the demonstration had ended, the buzz still lingered—low conversations outside the barracks, the clink of gear, the unusually stiff posture of passing staff. There was too much watching going on. The dragon flight had drawn blood, metaphorically. And someone, somewhere, was already deciding what to do about it.
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