The Betrayed Dragon (Cycle of Dragons Book 2), Dan Michaelson [best books to read all time .txt] 📗

they were comfortable with him, and I wondered if others would have been granted the same ability if they had had a chance to meet. Very few people wanted that opportunity though. Most feared what the Djarn might do, believing that they might use their strange magic—and everybody believed they had magic—against them.

When they were past, I stepped out of the trees and started making my way back toward the Academy. It was still early enough that I could try to catch Thomas, though with the sun rising in the horizon, I suspected I might miss him.

I’d have to wait and hope he’d come the next day. I still had my regular classes at the Academy to attend, so staying here was not going to accomplish anything other than drawing attention to my absence.

By the time I reached the part of the city where the Academy stretched into view, I was tired, hungry, and thirsty from the walk. As I headed toward the building, a single figure made its way along the road away from the Academy.

I recognized the dark hair, the loping gait, and the solid form.

“Joran?”

The figure pulled to a stop. I hadn’t been sure, but knowing that he had been heading to the capital had given me hope that it might be him.

“Ashan. Damn, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to find you. I went to the Academy, and some sour-faced woman—well, girl, I think—answered the door and said you weren’t there. She muttered something about you not staying for long, anyway, before she sent me away.”

I snorted. It was probably one of the other students—though which one? At this point, so many of them were annoyed by my presence that it wouldn’t surprise me that they would have told him that I had already been kicked out of the Academy. Not yet, thankfully, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened soon.

“Can you describe her?”

“Short blonde hair. Pretty, though she looked like she just chewed on a sour berry.”

I chuckled. “That would be Cara.” He arched a brow at me, started to grin, and I shook my head. “No.”

“No? I would think that out here, in the city, surrounded by all of this beauty, you would have finally found someone. It’s certainly taken you long enough.”

“I didn’t have time before. I don’t have time now, either.”

Joran laughed and strode across the distance, then wrapped his arms around me in a quick hug.

I stepped back from him. “You stink.”

“Well, I have been on the road for the better part of a week. It takes a while to get some of that stink off of you. I’d say the same about you, but you still smell how you did when you were on the farm.” He laughed and glanced over at the Academy. “So are you really able to use magic?”

There was a hopeful expectation in his voice, and I didn’t want to do anything to disappoint him, but at the same time, I didn’t feel as if what I could do constituted magic.

“I haven’t been here that long,” I said.

“You mean you can’t learn to become a powerful dragon mage in a little more than a few months?”

I laughed. “It’s good to see you.”

I turned my gaze toward the Academy before realizing that Joran had his focus on the dragon pens.

“You know, I have seen dragons flying, and then that time when they got to the city during the testing . . .” He tore his gaze away and looked over to me. “But this is nothing like I would’ve expected.”

There were only three dragons in the pen at this time. Usually there were more, though I didn’t often spend too much time with them during the daytime, so it was possible that the dragons that were typically here had been moved away for the day. Dragon mages worked with them constantly, heading off and taking journeys on behalf of the king, or taking them out into the forest, working with them so that they could continue to strengthen their ability.

“They are impressive,” I said.

“Impressive doesn’t do it justice,” he breathed out. “I mean, these are dragons. And they’re just sitting there in these cages.”

“It’s called a dragon pen, and it really doesn’t do anything to hold them—it just keeps you from going in and getting eaten.”

Joran’s eyes widened, and he shot me a look. “They wouldn’t really eat me, would they?”

I shrugged. “It depends on what you do to them.”

“As if I could do anything to a dragon,” he said. “Well, other than try to ride it. Have you done that yet?”

I shook my head. “Supposedly if I don’t learn to be a dragon mage, I can become a dragon rider.”

Or maybe not. I felt like I wanted to impress him.

“Do you think you will?” he asked.

“I’ve been trying to work with dragon magic. I can feel it, but doing anything more with it is incredibly difficult for me.”

He shook his head, breathing out slowly. “Gods, Ashan. I can’t even imagine what it might be like for you to be able to feel that power. How is it even possible that you can do that?”

“It is not easy.”

“You’re talking about dragon magic! It’s not supposed to be easy.” He looked over at the Academy. “I’m sure you have training you’re supposed to be doing.”

I did—at least, I should—but having him here, and having an opportunity to visit with my oldest friend and the one who had been with me when I had first begun to realize I had some connection to the dragons, made me think better of rushing back to the Academy. Besides, if Thomas were willing to work with me, and if I could learn from him, then it seemed almost more valuable to do that.

“I have time.”

“You can just leave?”

“I’m not a prisoner here,” I said.

“I’m not saying that you’re a prisoner. But could you imagine if you were? What prisoner is getting away from a dragon?”

“Somebody who could control the