Chapter 2 Picking The Black Dragon

• The courtyard fell completely silent.
• "Ruth, are you out of your mind?" Elder Vance barked, his voice cutting through the quiet air. He walked over to my cage, his heavy wooden staff clacking against the stone floor. "That black dragon is a throwaway. His spirit core is cracked, his wings are stunted, and he hasn't eaten in three days. He'll die before winter!"
• Beside me, Iris burst out laughing. She didn't even try to hide it. She covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes shining with nasty joy.
• "Let her pick him, Elder!" Iris said quickly, stepping between me and the main stage. Her hands were raised, showing off the heavy iron key to Troy's cage. "Ruth is just being kind. She knows I fell in love with Troy first, so she's leaving the best one for her little sister. Right, Ruth?"
• I didn't answer Iris. I didn't even look at her.
• My eyes stayed on the black dragon inside the dim cage. Up close, I could see the thick dust covering his scales and the ugly iron collar bolted tightly around his neck. But beneath all that dirt, his purple eyes were bright and sharp. He wasn't weak. He was hiding. He was sitting on his pain, waiting for the right moment to bite.
• I know that look, I thought, my heart beating hard against my ribs. That's the look of someone who has been beaten, locked up, and left to die.
• "Are you sure, girl?" Elder Vance asked again, frowning deeply at me. "Once the mark is made, there is no going back. A bad dragon will drag your cultivation down for the rest of your life."
• "I am sure," I said, my voice steady and cold. "I take this one."
• Troy let out a loud roar from inside his cage. He slammed his golden front claws against the iron bars, shaking the whole frame. The crowd cheered, amazed by his strength and noise.
• Iris smirked, walking over to Troy's cage like a proud queen. She unlocked the heavy door and reached her soft hand toward his snorting snout. Troy leaned down and allowed her to stroke his golden forehead, but his eyes moved past Iris and landed straight on me.
• There was a strange, angry flicker in Troy's golden eyes. In my past life, he had been obsessed with being chosen first. He wanted to be the top prize. Seeing me turn away from him to pick a trash dragon clearly hurt his little dragon pride.
• "Look at him, Ruth!" Iris called out, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Troy is so warm! His scales feel like hot sun! Yours looks like a wet pile of coal!"
• A few young girls in the back giggled.
• "Enjoy your sunshine, sister," I muttered under my breath.
• I knew the truth about Troy's "warmth." That golden heat was actually an unstable fire core. In my past life, whenever Troy became angry or overheated, his skin became so hot it blistered my hands. I spent entire nights using my own cold blood to cool his fever, taking his burns onto my own skin so he wouldn't lose control.
• Iris had no idea what she was taking on. She thought she was getting a shiny toy. She was actually holding a wild flame with no handle.
• I turned back to the black cage and unlatched the rusty iron gate.
• The heavy door creaked open. The smell of dust, dried blood, and old iron rushed into my face. The black dragon didn't move. He didn't rush forward or beg for freedom. He stayed crouched in the dark corner, his tail wrapped around his small back legs, watching every move I made.
• "Come here," I whispered softly, stepping into the dark cage.
• I reached into my sleeve and pulled out a small silver pocket knife. Without hesitating, I sliced the edge of my left palm.
• Red blood appeared instantly, bright and wet against my skin.
• Elder Vance gasped. "Girl! You're offering a blood oath before he even bows to you? If he rejects your blood, the backlash will destroy your heart!"
• "He won't reject it," I said.
• I knelt down in the filthy straw in front of the black beast. I didn't hide my hand, and I didn't force him down. I held my bloody palm open in front of his dark snout.
• "I know what it feels like to be trapped," I said, keeping my voice low so only he could hear me. "I know what it feels like to have people look at you like you are nothing. Help me, and I will help you. We burn them all down together."
• The dragon's dark purple eyes widened slightly. His pupils became thin black slits.
• Slowly, very slowly, the black dragon leaned his heavy head forward. He didn't snap. He didn't bite. He pressed his dry, dusty nose against the open wound on my palm.
• The moment his skin touched my blood, a violent wave of power exploded through the cage!
• BOOM!
• A cold, black wind blew through the bars, knocking Elder Vance back two steps. The straw on the floor lifted into the air, spinning around us. The ugly iron collar around the dragon's neck cracked down the middle and fell to the ground with a heavy CLANG.
• Deep inside my chest, my spirit core vibrated violently. A strange, ancient heat rushed from my palm, through my arm, and settled inside my heart.
• The dragon let out a low sound—not a screech and not a roar, but a deep vibration that made the stone beneath our feet tremble.
• When the wind finally stopped, the dust covering the dragon's body was completely gone. His dull black scales were no longer ugly. They were sleek, sharp, and shining like polished obsidian, catching the light like dark diamonds.
• He lifted his head, standing a full head taller than he had been moments before. His wings unfolded slightly, long and wide, hiding me completely behind his shadow.
• I stood slowly, wiping the extra blood onto my skirt. I reached out and gently ran my fingers along the side of his neck. His scales were cool and smooth, like cold water on a hot day.
• "Dean," I whispered, the name slipping from my mouth before I could stop it.
• The black dragon nudged his heavy head against my shoulder, accepting the name.
• Across the courtyard, Troy let out a sharp, jealous screech. He snapped his jaw at Iris, nearly taking off her pink sleeve when she tried to touch him again.
• "Eek!" Iris screamed, jumping back in fear as Troy hissed angrily at her. She looked toward me, her face pale and her eyes wide when she saw Dean standing proudly beside me.
• I looked straight at my sister, letting a small, cold smile touch my face.
• The game has started, Iris, I thought. And this time, you're the one holding the fire.