I spent that first night back with Irene. I’d missed her so much. The way her fingernails scratched my back told me that I was missed too. I slipped out of her tower early the next day before anyone awoke. Lucian was still sleeping. I went to take a shower. I needed to get Irene’s scent off me. If anyone discovered the truth, I would never be able to cope. First period was bullshit. It was with Professor Pheizer. She thought she knew everything about dragons and their riders, bonds, and ascensions. She was a joke. We got new journals again. I wanted to incinerate mine, but she’d just give me another. The Metallics loved her. They all asked her stupid f*****g questions. Every dragon in this class hadn’t found their riders yet, and she was supposed to help them. They thought Irene was

