Kerrigan gulped and sat back up, letting the chill from the clouds rush around her. She focused on reaching for her magic. It was still depleted, thanks to her blackout, but it rose to her. She sifted through it until she found that spot where her spirit resided. It wasn’t readily available, but at least she could locate it. It was what allowed her to slip onto the spirit plane, which she would have thought would be enough energy to keep the magic sickness at bay but apparently not.

Then, she focused all of her energy on creating the small golden ball of light that Cleora had shown her. To her relief, it materialized as easily in the real world as on the plane. She took a deep breath and then stretched the ball into a long, thin line of light. It pulsed a little in her hand, and she shivered.

Cleora had made it seem like crux bonds were entirely one-sided. She would be in total control of the dragon she tethered this to, but she didn’t want that. She wanted a two-way connection with Tieran. A makeshift bonding like the ones that the Society used. Even if Cleora had thought it was barbaric.

She focused her intention, shaping the bond. She had no idea if it was working, but she filled it with all the good feelings she had about being bonded. The sarcastic voice he used with her when she was being reckless. The wind in her hair as they flew as a perfect unit. The hours spent at Waisley fighting together. The relief at seeing him after their expulsion. She wrapped it all up in one perfect intention on the crux.

Now, she was supposed to tether it to her dragon. She had no practical idea of what that meant. She tried throwing one end of it down at him, but that did next to nothing. She tried wrapping it around the saddle, but that was futile. She frowned and considered why it wouldn’t do whatever Cleora had said. Maybe because the intent was for them to both be connected, she needed to tether it to herself as well. She looped the end of the crux bond to her wrist three times and then stretched the end and wrapped it the same number of times around Tieran’s neck.

What are you doing? he demanded.

“Tethering it to the both of us,” she said as she finished the loop.

Then, she released both sides of the crux bond, and the gold light vanished. She gasped. “Oh my gods. Do you feel any different?”

No.

She tugged experimentally at her wrist and gasped again. Even though the tether was invisible, she could actually feel her connection to Tieran.

“Did you feel that?”

He pulled up slightly in surprise. I did. It was like you were tugging on me.

“You try!”