She whipped her head up, and her heart thudded at the sight of Dragon. His scales glimmered violet in the morning light. It had been so long since she’d seen him, and she marveled at how pretty a figure he cut against the pink and orange of the morning sky, even as wary irritation crept into her muscles. He touched down in front of her and surged his head forward, a low, comforting gurgle coming from his throat. He put the warm side of his face to hers, and Yenni found herself closing her eyes, leaning into his touch, as if her tired brain couldn’t remember that the beast and the man were one.

“Stay in dragon form,” she murmured. “Please. Just for a while.”

He silently sank down and curled around her, his warmth warding off the morning chill. Yenni sighed and sat on the wet grass, leaning against him. “So you’ve heard,” she said.

Another low, soothing noise.

“I should have studied more,” she said, stroking the scales of his side, drawing comfort from the warm, rough feeling of them under her fingers. “During meals maybe, or at night until I fainted from exhaustion. I tried hard, Dragon, but I should have tried harder. And now—” Her breath hitched. She hardly wanted to contemplate it, but the Sha were watching, judging her, finding her lacking. She must find a way to stay, or . . .

She yipped as the dragon’s warm bulk disappeared and she fell back, but strong hands caught her by the shoulders.

“Byen, woman,” a deep voice rumbled behind her. “You reek of terror. What are you so afraid of?”

Yenni shook his hands off and scrambled to her feet, but Weysh simply stayed seated on the sand, his violet eyes full of concern.

She looked away. “Failure,” she whispered. Failure and the consequences for her father, for her tribe, for herself.

“I’m so sorry, sweet lovely. This is my fault.”

She squinted down him. “What are you talking about?”

Weysh pushed himself to his feet, dusting off his loose, black trousers. He ran a hand through his hair, which now spilled long and free down his back. “I should have—” His eyes darted away and back, full of turmoil. “I should have been more focused on helping you. This never would have happened if I had been.”

To her surprise, Yenni found herself wanting to laugh. There was such sincerity in his eyes, such arrogant sincerity, as if he truly believed he was all that stood between her and ruin.

She put a hand on her hip and smirked at him. “So if I understand correctly, with you as my tutor, I would have been guaranteed to pass?”

He nodded firmly. “Yes. I would have devoted every free moment to helping you. There’s no way I would have—should have let you fail. As your Given I’ve let you down. I’m sorry.”