The Bond Begings

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CHAPTER FIVE – “The Bond Begins”

The flames from the Trial had barely cooled before the council summoned her.

Rowan stood in the Tower of Accord, shoulders squared, surrounded by dragons in human form—elders cloaked in silver and crimson, eyes like molten coins, scales glinting along their jawlines and arms like ancient tattoos. Magic thrummed under the marble like a second heartbeat, low and constant.

She didn’t flinch when they circled her. Not this time.

“She holds the flame of the First Bloodline,” one elder intoned, voice ringing like steel.

“She cannot remain unbonded,” said another. “Power like that left to grow wild will destroy her. And the rest of us.”

Headmistress Vale stepped into the center, her tone clipped and precise. “By Arcadian decree, the Dragonheart must choose a bondmate before the next full moon.”

Rowan blinked. “Sorry—what?”

An elder turned toward her, gaze sharp. “You are unclaimed. A storm with no anchor. If you remain unbonded, your fire will collapse inward. And take every soul it touches down with it.”

“Including mine,” came Kai’s voice from behind her.

She turned fast. He stood in the arched doorway like he belonged there—coat dark and scorched, faint scales gleaming along his throat. His eyes burned like coals, steady on hers.

“You didn’t mention that part,” Rowan said tightly.

“I didn’t think we’d get this far.”

Headmistress Vale lifted her hand. A glowing sigil flared in the air. “You have one moon cycle. Refuse the bond, and you will be exiled from Arcadia. Or worse.”

Rowan’s hands clenched. “So those are my options? Bond with someone or explode?”

“You are not being claimed,” Vale snapped. “You are being preserved.”

But to Rowan, it felt like the same cage with different locks.

That night, she climbed Mount Ember alone. The sky was streaked with firelight from distant volcanoes, stars blinking faintly above it all. She sat on the cliff’s edge, hoodie pulled tight around her, hair damp with wind. The cold didn’t touch her. Nothing did anymore.

“Is this where I throw myself dramatically off the mountain?” she muttered.

“I’d catch you,” Kai said behind her.

She didn’t turn. “You always this dramatic?”

“Only when someone sets the gym on fire with ancient magic.”

She sighed. “So you knew. About the bond. About all of it.”

“I knew they’d try to push it,” he said, stepping closer. “I hoped we had more time.”

She kicked a loose pebble off the edge. “They don’t want me to bond. They want me controlled. Contained.”

“I know.”

She turned toward him. “Then why help me, Kai? Honestly.”

He hesitated, something raw flickering across his face. “Because I know what it’s like to burn from the inside out. To feel your own power twist beneath your skin and not know where to put it.”

Rowan blinked.

Kai sat beside her, leaving space between them. “When I was younger, I set half a courtyard on fire because a professor mocked my control. My father called me a disgrace to the fire line. Said I’d never be worthy of the crown. The only thing that kept me from going dark… was the hope that someone out there could match me. Someone who wouldn’t be afraid.”

She said nothing, just listened.

“I used to think the Dragonheart was a myth,” he added. “Until you.”

Rowan stared at her knees, voice quiet. “What if I don’t want a bond? What if I just want to be normal?”

He nodded slowly. “Then we find another way. But your magic… it’s growing. And without balance, it’ll eat you from the inside.”

She laughed, bitter. “So my choices are bond or burn.”

“It doesn’t have to be love,” Kai said suddenly.

She looked at him. “What?”

“The bond. It’s not about romance. It’s about alignment. Stability. You don’t have to feel anything but trust.”

“Do you believe that?”

He hesitated.

“No,” he said finally. “Because when I’m near you, it doesn’t feel neutral. It feels like fire recognizing fire.”

Rowan’s heart skipped. “So what now? You ask me to give in? Let fate decide?”

Kai stood and offered her a hand. “No. I want to show you something.”

She took it.

They climbed higher, to a ridge marked by an obsidian arch. The stone shimmered faintly in the dark, etched with runes and burn marks. The wind howled here, sharper.

“This is where the last Dragonheart made her stand,” Kai said. “She refused the bond. Thought she could bear it alone. She didn’t last the night.”

Rowan’s skin chilled. “Did she die?”

“She burned from the inside out. Her fire didn’t just kill her—it killed the one meant for her, too.”

Rowan turned to him, stunned. “Wait. The bond doesn’t just protect me?”

He nodded. “Our flames are bound now. If you lose control, if you die… I go with you.”

She took a step back. “That’s insane.”

“It’s truth,” he said softly. “You didn’t ask for it. Neither did I. But here we are.”

They stood in silence.

Then Rowan whispered, “I don’t want to be someone’s duty.”

“You’re not,” he said, voice low. “You’re my choice.”

She looked at him—really looked. He wasn’t polished like the council. He wasn’t cold like the professors. He was flame and shadow, grief and loyalty. And somehow, she trusted him.

Still, doubt pressed in. “What if I’m not the answer? What if I’m the mistake? What if I ruin everything?”

Kai stepped closer, eyes steady. “Then I’ll stand in the blaze with you. I won’t run.”

The wind carried the warmth of distant firelight across them. Their shadows tangled in gold.

Rowan’s breath hitched. He was close now. Too close.

The air shimmered.

Their magic pulsed together, soft but undeniable.

Kai leaned in slightly.

And Rowan stepped back.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I can’t. Not yet.”

He didn’t move. Didn’t press.

Just nodded, once. “Okay.”

She turned away, hugging herself.

“You think you’re the monster in this story,” she said quietly.

Kai didn’t answer.

“But what if it’s me?”