“Coincidentally, in the same direction as where you’re going. What are you planning?” he asked. “I know you well enough to know you have a plan.”

She glanced up into those smoky-gray eyes. Her heart lurched. She gulped and hastily looked away.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Come on. It’s me.”

“Fine,” she said with a huff. “I’m meeting with Tieran.”

“Flying?” he asked, surprised. “You have to already be the best rider here. You’ve been riding since you were a kid.”

“Tieran and I don’t get along,” she said, giving him a piece of the truth. “We never did. Netta and I were always better matched. I still don’t know why he picked me, but we have to find a way to work together the next year. We need to figure that out before we’re in front of Alura.”

“Fair. I didn’t realize that you didn’t get along. He was worried when you were hurt.”

“Selfish reasons, I assure you.”

He shrugged. “If you say so.”

“And Gelryn? You’re going to ask him about the Great War?”

“Am I that transparent?”

She brushed her hand against his pale skin. “Pretty much.”

His throat bobbed, his eyes drifting to her lips before his expression returned to his careful neutral. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt. I got a letter from Arbor this morning. It arrived by hawk.”

“Really?” Kerrigan asked.

“Yeah. She was worried about us after we vanished.” He grimaced. “There wasn’t exactly a way to let them know.”

“No, there wasn’t.”

“She and Pres heard about what happened with Wynter and said they’d look into it for us there. So, we’ll get some intel into what Wynter is doing while we’re away.”

She relaxed. “That’s good news.”

“This is my turn,” Fordham said, gesturing off to the right.

“Good luck.”

He grinned at her, melting her heart. “You too.”

She watched him jog away for a minute through the stone hall of the mountain and then buried all of her feelings for him in a place she couldn’t reach. The last week of training had been fine between them. They were partners, as they’d been during the tournament. There was nothing romantic at all when they were sweaty and exhausted and fighting to survive this place. But one smile, and it all resurfaced.

She turned away with a sigh and headed up into a private aerie. Tieran had agreed to meet her for Friday afternoon training. The dragons also had that time off for private lessons, which was useful for their purposes.

Tieran waited for her as she trekked up the last staircase. Her legs barely allowed her the option. She thought she’d collapse at the top. They’d run stairs all morning with Alura and then been forced to do more stairs for footwork training with Lorian. It had been brutal.