DragonRider by S. Rodman
or whatever it is, is lovely. Ornate dark wood bookshelves line the walls and are practically groaning with the weight of all the beautiful books they are stuffed full of. The large desk looks antique and the Persian rug is a vibrant blue that I’ve never seen captured in a carpet before. Everything is illuminated by the sweeping lead-lined windows.
Harlen had to drag me away from Ri to here, but now I’m not even sure I mind. Maybe I should ask if that offer of a tour of the castle still stands. If this is a glimpse of what it looks like, I’d be thrilled to see more.
Though right now, I’d still prefer to spend more time with Ri. He is amazing and I want to get to know him. And I just want to absorb every detail, along with the undeniable reality of him, because even now, ten minutes away from the dragon, I can feel the doubt starting to creep in. I’m starting to wonder if being chosen really did happen.
Mordecai strides in and takes the seat behind the desk. He glares at me with ice-blue eyes. I stare at him in surprise. Not only has he startled me from my thoughts, I wasn’t expecting him at all. This is his office? Damn.
“Flight Commander,” says Harlen and I can hear a trace of mockery in his tone.
Mordecai scowls at him before turning his withering attention to me. It’s so hard not to wilt before him, but I do have a backbone, goddamn it!
“How did you trick Ri into choosing you?” he snaps.
What the hell? How dare he? He has to be the rudest most pompous ass alive. What the fuck is his problem with me?
“I didn’t do anything!” I protest.
Oh shit. That sounded so whiny and petulant when it was meant to sound confident and indignant. This is awful. I need to fix it. I can do this. Taking comfort from Harlen’s presence beside me, I take a deep breath and try again.
“How could I do anything? I knew nothing about dragons until this morning. How would I know how to trick one?”
There, that was much better. I sounded calm and reasonable with just enough of a slightly condescending tone to piss Mordecai off. I can almost feel Harlen’s amusement.
Mordecai’s eyes narrow, and he leans back in his chair before steepling his long fingers. The whole look is giving off strong supervillain vibes. It should be funny, but the bastard can pull it off and I’m actually genuinely intimidated.
“You are going to have to think of something convincing to tell your parents about why you are suddenly living in a castle in Wales.”
Parents? I’m twenty-three years old for flip’s sake. I’m not a child.
“I don’t have any parents,” I snap.
“Why not?” he bites back.
“Because they’re dead, dipshit!” I all but yell.
One perfect eyebrow raises. “Well, that makes things easier.”
My jaw drops open. No apology? No, ‘I’m sorry for your loss’? It is…strangely refreshing. I blink at him in bewilderment. I usually hate the dead parents conversation. People get all awkward and flustered which makes me all flummoxed and uncomfortable. I actually like this version of it. No fuss. No nonsense.
“Girlfriend?” he asks.
I shake my head. “It would be a boyfriend, but no I don’t have one.”
Something flashes across Mordecai’s eyes and his expression shifts ever so slightly. That can’t have been interest? He can’t be pleased that I’m gay. Harlen is clearly into men, so what are the chances that the two hottest guys I have ever seen, both swing my way? Not that it changes anything. They are both stupendously out of my league. And Mordecai is a horrid jerk anyway. But at least I will not be living with homophobes.
“Good. What about friends, your job?”
Great, I can feel my cheeks heating up. Being pale skinned is the absolute worst. I have no wish to display my every emotion.
“A few casual acquaintances. I’ll just tell them I got a job in Wales. And I’m self-employed.”
Mordecai just nods thoughtfully. He doesn’t seem amused by my sad little life and my lack of friends. It doesn’t look like he is going to mock me for it. He is a confusing son of a bitch.
But then again, I’m confusing too. I’ve met a dragon for all of ten minutes and I’m willing to give up my entire life, with no hesitation. Granted, it’s not much of a life, but I swear it’s still an odd reaction. But then, judging by Mordecai’s behaviour, it is certainly the expected one. I can’t even begin to imagine his face if I declined.
Mordecai stares at me intently and then huffs in displeasure.
“Perhaps this won’t be quite such a disaster,” he says grudgingly.
The look in his eyes says very clearly that he still thinks this is going to be a disaster, because he thinks I am a disaster. The man only just met me and he has written me off as a loser. As much as I wish I didn’t care, his judgement hurts.
“Cai,” says Harlen softly, and it sounds like more than an admonishment, it sounds like a warning.
Mordecai’s intense gaze flicks to Harlen and they battle something out until Mordecai looks away first and shifts his position in his chair. When he looks at me again, his expression is softer.
“We’ll do the binding ceremony tonight and you’ll start intensive training tomorrow.” His tone is still curt, but he is no longer looking at me as if I’m something disgusting he found on his shoe.
I nod at him but I’m distracted by what just happened between the two men. I swear Mordecai is in charge here, the office, his attitude, the way Harlen addressed him by his rank or title or whatever it is, all gives that impression. Yet he definitely just seemed to defer to Harlen. I’m so confused.
“Harlen can find you a room and give you the tour.”
“Yes, Flight Commander,” says Harlen and the mockery is super clear this time.
I wince, but Mordecai just glowers at him and says nothing. Surely that counts as insubordination? Why is he letting Harlen get away with it? I don’t get the impression that they are good friends and therefore just rile each other all the time. In fact, it feels like there is a fair bit of animosity between them. Does Harlen think he should be in charge?
Whatever the hell is going on, it’s going to be a lot to untangle. And that’s before you add in dragons and nightly battles with interdimensional beings. What the hell have I got myself into?
Harlen leads me out of the study. As soon as we are in the hallway, he turns to me.
“Don’t mind Cai. He is like that to everyone. Don’t take it personally.”
I give him a disbelieving look. “So when is he adorable?”
Harlen laughs. A deep rich musical laugh, full of glee. He is acting like the fact I recall his words from a few hours ago is deeply hilarious.
He gives me a playful shove with his elbow. “You’ll see,” he says mysteriously.
I hate how intrigued I am. I should stay well away from Mordecai, well as much as I can, given he is a flight commander, whatever that means. I shouldn’t want to unravel his puzzle pieces and try to see what is under his prickly exterior. But I do. Almost as much as I want to see this new home of mine and be bonded to Ri. My priorities are certainly strange.
“Going to show me this castle then?” I ask Harlen.
He gives me a grin and an elaborate, sweeping bow. His head being level with my waist, gives my body all sorts of wrong ideas, even though he is only down there for a second.
“Right this way, kind sir,” he says.
I can’t help but grin back. At least Harlen is nice. And that is far more reassuring than it should be. I thought I’d learnt that lesson the hard way and long ago. People can’t be trusted. I wonder if dragons can be?