I flinch as a bolt zips past my head, so close I feel the wind off its black vanes as it passes by. It hits Astralux and digs between two of her gleaming white plate scales on the back of her neck. She growls as a trickle of bright, glittering blood runs down her neck, and I clamp a hand to the back of my neck, sharing in her pain through our bond. The dragon still has a bolt sticking out of the back of her right leg, somehow running despite the agony, crashing through the forest.
Behind, the sunlight glints off the light bronze scales of Pesokvglazu as he grins with long, sharp teeth, snaking his way between the trees in pursuit. On his back, Vladykar Lochan is calmly loading his crossbow with another black-vaned bolt, his gaze locked on us.
“I can’t outrun them, and I still can’t fly,” Astralux mutters.
Perched awkwardly atop her back in-between her slightly curved spines, I peer around the trees, trying to find something for cover, anything to get away from the Vladykars that chase us. But there’s nothing.
“Can we—” I start to say.
A blast of sand strikes a tree directly in front of us. While it missed Astralux, it bores through the tree and explodes into our faces. Astralux yelps, and I hold a hand over my eyes, trying to rub out the sand.
Astralux jerks underneath me, and I feel a pain on my nose. “I can’t see!” Astralux says.
I hear Pesokvglazu’s deep, throaty laugh behind us growing closer. “Breathe everywhere!” I say.
“What?! But you—”
“—Do it!” I exclaim.
I feel Astralux twist, and there’s a rushing sound. A bright light peeks between my eyelids as I continue to rub my eyes.
“What’s this? You breathe light?!” Vladykar Lochan laughs. “Useless. No wonder your first died.”
What is he talking about? There isn’t time to ask Astralux about it—I finally manage to get one eye open, even as tears stream down my face. Squinting against the bright white light that glitters all around us, and trying not to sneeze, I jump down and run to Astralux’s face. I grab a hold of the small pale blue nub on the tip of her nose and tug. She follows my lead obediently, her steps quiet. I look back but see nothing but light glittering from the leafy floor to the tops of the trees, reflecting off the sand particles.
“Estelle?” Vladykar Lochan calls. “You can’t hide from us.”
Knowing that Pesokvglazu can easily find our scent—because I can smell the sweet iron scent of Astralux’s blood myself—I guide Astralux through the trees until I spot a small dip in the ground that leads to a trickling brook. I quickly lead the white dragon to it and splash the water into her eyes and on my face, cringing as I know the sound will no doubt draw Pesokvglazu and Vladykar Lochan.
“Almost,” Astralux whispers.
“Estelle.”
I spin to see Pesokglazu stepping out of the forest, Vladykar Lochan with his crossbow out and pointed at me, that stupid smug look on his half-charred face.
“While I admire your efforts,” Vladykar Lochan says, “you’re a fool to trust in Astralux.”
Astralux, her eyes open at last, turns, growling.
Vladykar Lochan ignores Astralux, still watching me. “Did she even tell you she lost her last bonded?”
“What?” I glance up at Astralux, who recoils as if she’d been struck.
“If I’m not mistaken, they were only bonded for a year,” Vladykar Lochan drawls.
Pesokvglazu chuckles. “I don’t even remember his name.”
“Wasn’t it Trent?” Vladykar Lochan asked.
“Tristin,” Astralux growls, a pain in her voice like I’ve never heard before.
“Ah, yes.” Vladykar Lochan’s unkind brown eyes turn back to me. “However, unlike Ward Tristin, you’ll be spared, Estelle. If you come here.”
“You keep saying that,” I say, “but there’s no reason I can believe you.”
“You have a fair point.” Vladykar Lochan releases the catch on the bolt on the crossbow and hooks the crossbow to his back, surprising me. He swings his leg over the saddle and climbs down a couple of rungs on the ladder before dropping to the grassy ground. Straightening, he holds out his right hand. “Why don’t we talk for a bit? That might help.”
I glance at Astralux, but she hasn’t taken her eyes off of Pesokvglazu or Vladykar Lochan, growling at them both. From the corner of my eye, I notice movement from behind Astralux, and look back just in time to see sand rising out of the water behind us, arching around in the air.
“Astralux!” I shout.
Astralux turns just as the sand drives into her side, burrowing deep. I cry out, sharing in her pain, and then shout again as Pesokvglazu breathes at Astralux’s back legs, the sand rubbing her scales raw enough to bleed in some places. Bringing up my hands, I summon all the energy I have and throw a fistful of yellow flames at Pesokvglazu’s face. The dragon dodges left and the blast of fire peters out in the air beyond him. Growling, Pesokvglazu turns his head to me and starts to open his mouth.
Astralux lunges at Pesokvglazu, bleeding from multiple wounds but her deep blue eyes shining with fury. She bites his right front leg and pulls forward while twisting her head, causing the other dragon to stumble. She swipes her tail across Pesokvglazu’s side, the spines on her tail cutting a couple of scales loose, and Pesokvglazu roars in pain.
I’m so entranced, watching Astralux in her element, that I don’t see Vladykar Lochan running for me until he’s two steps away. My stomach jumping, I lift my hand just as he collides with me, and a small tongue of fire flies off into the sky harmlessly. Struggling, I flail as Vladykar Lochan wrestles with me. Even with my increased strength from the bond, Vladykar Lochan is still much too strong for me, and he pins me down.
“Easy, my little silver fox,” Vladykar Lochan says. I shudder as his warm breath spills over my face. “I still don’t think you realize just what you’re getting yourself into, so I’ll give you another chance to surrender.”
I stare up at him, so frightened that I’ve lost my voice (yet again).
Vladykar Lochan chuckles. “Should I take your silence as—” He interrupts himself with a slight jerk, hissing as if in pain, and he turns his head to the side. I follow his gaze to see that Astralux has pinned Pesokvglazu down and is shredding his chest with her claws, close to getting her teeth over his neck.
Cursing, Vladykar Lochan suddenly stands and lifts me up by my arm, pulling my hands behind my back and looping a rope around my wrists a couple of times before he grabs a hold of my wavy black hair right at the base of my head. Then he pulls out a dagger hooked to the belt around his waist and presses the blade to my neck. “Astralux!” he shouts. “Stop!”
Astralux, her teeth just about to clamp over Pesokvglazu’s neck, glances back and freezes at the sight of us. Her eyes widen on me, and then she glares at Vladykar Lochan.
“Let Pesokvglazu go,” Vladykar Lochan says.
“If you let Estelle go,” Astralux says with her mouth full.
Vladykar Lochan sniffs. “Fine.”
Astralux slowly releases Pesokvglazu, but puts one paw on his chest as he starts to rise. She’s watching Vladykar Lochan intently. “Let her go,” Astralux says. “You know I’ll keep my word. I don’t know that you’ll keep yours.”
A chuckle works its way out of Vladykar Lochan. “Very well.” He slowly pulls my head backwards, toward him, and leans close to my ear. “Even if you two get away again, just know that I won’t stop until I hunt you down, Estelle,” he whispers. “I will find you.” Vladykar Lochan shoves me forward. “Now go back to your pathetic bonded dragon.”
Astralux growls, baring her teeth, but she does let her paw off of Pesokvglazu. I eye the light bronze dragon, and he I, as we pass each other. Catching him glancing over my shoulder, I look back to see Vladykar Lochan holding a hand out—and more sand snaking out of the stream.
“Run Estelle!” Astralux shouts. She dodges to the side as the sand pelts her way.
I turn just as Pesokvglazu pounces for me, tripping my feet. Without the use of my hands I topple over and roll once before catching myself on my knees. I stagger up to my feet and then fall again as Pesokvglazu uses his tail to swipe my legs out from under me again.
Laughing, Pesokvglazu brings a paw around and bats at me when I try to rise, sending me to the ground again. “You have no skill whatsoever! No skill, no training. What can you even do?”
I think Pesokvglazu has a point, but I’m not about to give in. Mom always said to work until the very end to save a patient—I don’t see why now is any different. So instead of standing up I roll closer to Pesokvglazu, trying to use his own body to shield myself from his view, and scurry under his legs.
“Hey! Where are you going?” Pesokvglazu picks up his legs, turning, and I follow underneath him. “Do you want me to sit on you? Because I will.” He laughs. “Although Lochan will miss his pretty Sapphire.”
Pesokvglazu suddenly growls, and I look over to see that Astralux has closed the distance between her and Vladykar Lochan, who now has a gash across his forehead.
“That’s for what you did to Malik,” Astralux growls.
“Stop or I’ll sit on your bonded!” Pesokvglazu shouts.
I rush out, nullifying Pesokvglazu’s threat. But now he knows where I am, and I sprint as he chases after me, his steps causing the ground to rumble underneath my feet. I leap over the small stream and lurch because I’d pushed off with more force than I was used to. I still don’t know my own strength. Tripping on a rock, I topple over yet again, and turn onto my back as Pesokvglazu closes the distance, a grin on his face, his bright copper eyes alight, as his claws start to extend and dig into the ground, kicking up grass and dirt.
“Astralux!” I cry.
My bonded dragon already knew I was in trouble—she collides into Pesokvglazu, bringing him down, but quickly scurries away as another blast of sand pelts the air where she’d been. I manage to get to my knees just as Astralux steps in front of me, growling, her scales on the back of her neck “ruffled” just like a bird’s feathers, or how a dog raises its hackles. She stretches her wings and arches her tail around, nearly blocking my view entirely.
“Run, Estelle,” Astralux whispers. “I’ll hold them off.”
I stagger up. “I’m not—”
We’re interrupted by Pesokvglazu breathing straight at us. Astralux picks me up by my animal skin shirt, and we cringe as the sand catches her back right leg, still wounded from before. She limps a few steps and then sets me down, panting.
“I can’t, I can’t run,” Astralux says.
“Free me!” I exclaim.
Astralux, ducking under a blast of sand from Vladykar Lochan, noses my shoulder. “No time. Go!”
“No!” I say.
Astralux growls. “Estelle, you—”
“—Surrender, and we’ll take you both alive!” Vladykar Lochan says.
Astralux and I turn, eyeing the other pair. Although Pesokvglazu is badly wounded in a few spots, they’re still doing better than us. I fidget with the ropes on my wrists, trying to get free.
“A Ward never surrenders,” Astralux says.
“Hm. But what about you, Estelle?” Vladykar Lochan asks. “Don’t you wish to see your mother again?”
I freeze, suddenly feeling light-headed. “Mom?” I whisper.
Vladykar Lochan gives me a cold smile, holding out his hand. “I’ll take you to see your mother. And you can be done with all of this.”
For a moment, I consider his offer. I want to see Mom so badly that it hurts, and I swallow at the lump building in my throat.
But then it dawns on me that this is probably a trick. Even if Mom still lives—and I don’t know how I will be sure of that one way or another—Vladykar Lochan seems like the type to go against his word.
A tear runs down my cheek as I grab a hold of Astralux’s front right leg. She looks down at me, sorrow in her gaze. Her right wing shifts forward, arching around me a little, as if she wanted to hug me but was holding back.
Vladykar Lochan shares a smirk with Pesokvglazu. He flicks aside a lock of his sandy brown hair—the part that’s not charred. “I don’t know why, but you keep surprising me, Estelle,” Vladykar Lochan says. “I feel like you should be this timid little thing. And yet you won’t be cowed.” He raises his hand, and more sand begins to trickle out of the river, forming into an even larger thread of sand. “You’re going to regret this. Both of you.”
There’s a roar that causes all four of us to jump—me most of all—and I look up and feel my heart sink as I spot another dragon and rider, flying our way.
“Ariadna, please help us,” I whisper aloud.
Tamara Rivers 
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