Dragons are drawn to potential, but signets only surface when you're ready to confront your deepest truths. Be prepared to face the parts of yourself you'd rather keep hidden.
Excerpt of recovered correspondence of Lieutenant Xaden Riorson to Thana Valaren.
~
Thana squeezed her eyes shut, wincing as pain throbbed through her temples. Three days in the Healer's Quadrant, and though her body protested every movement, her mind felt clearer than it had in weeks. She had rested enough. Now, she needed answers.
She closed her eyes and reached down the bond, searching. The moment she brushed against Válka's presence, his voice filled her mind, raw and unguarded.
Thana.
The relief she felt carried so much weight that it tightened her chest.
What happened? She asked.
Válka let out a low exhale. When our bond went silent, I panicked. I had everyone looking for you. If they hadn't found youâ His thoughts faltered, edged with something dark. I would have burned down that castle to get to you.
A shiver ran down her spine. He meant it. Válka wasn't one to exaggerate. The bond pulsed between them, strong as ever, and she let herself sink into the warmth of his presence.
She sensed something that she hadn't before. Not his words but an image. Like a memory in his mind. Cath? Dain?
Just rest, Thana. Válka said. You're safe now.
Safe. The word felt foreign. She exhaled, letting the connection between then fade into the background.
A knock at the door drew her back to the present. Garrick stepped inside, a thick tome in his hands. He set it down beside her bed with a deliberate care she rarely saw from him.
"Jessina gave me this. Told me to bring it to you," he said, his voice rougher than usual. His eyes searched her face, a flicker of something vulnerable in them before he looked away.
"It's good to see you awake," he said as he hovered near her bedside.
Thana's gaze flicked to the small cluster of wildflowers on the table. "Who brought those?"
"Imogen," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "She, uh... she's been checking in."
Thana blinked. "Imogen?" At best, they were acquaintances. It wasn't like her to be sentimental. "Huh."
"She's not the only one," Garrick added. He hesitated. "We all thoughtâ" He cut himself off, jaw tightening.
She swallowed. "You thought I wouldn't wake up."
His silence was answer enough.
Something heavy settled between them, thick as smoke. Garrick had always been steady, a constant presence, but now there was something unspoken in the way he looked at her, in the way he lingered, his hand close but not quite touching hers.
"What about Xaden?" she asked, needing to break the tension. "Or Liam?"
Garrick stiffened. "They've been here a lot," he admitted carefully.
"But?"
He exhaled sharply. "They've got a lot going on."
She snorted. "So they're with Violet?"
His smirk was brief, but it was there. "Don't overthink it. They're been worried about here. Liam's been here every moment he can."
Their eyes met, and the air between them changed. His fingers brushed against her wrist, a touch so fleeting she almost convinced herself she imagined it. Almost.
But before either of them could say anything, the door creaked open.
Bodhi.
Garrick stepped back, clearing his throat. "I'll leave you to it," he murmured before slipping past Bodhi and disappearing into the hall.
"Hi," Bodhi said with a bouquet of wildflowers in hand.
"Hey," Thana smiled.
That night, back in her own bed, Thana let exhaustion pull her under. But sleep did not bring peace.
Cold seeped into her fingers, into her bones. A whisper curled at the edges of her mind, distant yet familiar.
She was back in the dungeon. The damp stone pressed against her back, the air thick with rot. She tried to move, but something held her downâ
She woke with a gasp.
The room was dim, moonlight spilling through the window. Her breath came quick and shallow as she scanned the shadows.
And then she saw him.
A small figure sat at the foot of her bed, legs swinging slightly. His face was pale, too pale, his dark curls disheveled. Wide, familiar eyes met hers.
Her stomach lurched.
"Aaric?"
Her little brother grinned, but it was wrongâtoo sharp, too knowing. "Hi, Thana."
She couldn't breathe. "I'm having a nightmareâ"
A chill ran down her spine. He was so small, so youngâjust as he had been when he died.
She begged, "What is happening? Why are you here?"
He tilted his head, considering. "I don't know."
A pause. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, "Do you?"
The room seemed to darken, shadows stretching. The air turned thick, heavy with something unseen.
Her fingers curled into the sheets. "You're not real," she whispered.
Aaric's smile widened. "Are you sure?"
The candle on her bedside table flickeredâthen snuffed out.
Darkness swallowed the room whole.