Bloodwing Academy, #2
The Bond That Burns
by Briar Boleyn
Contents
CHAPTER 7 - MEDRA
Overview
Medra summons Nyxaris to the courtyard, proving the dragon’s autonomy before the Tribunal. Lord Mortis brandishes a dagger and is incinerated by Nyxaris, shocking the houses and elevating the stakes.
Medra then flies with Nyxaris and forges a strained bargain to uncover what happened to the dragons and his missing memories.
Summary
Medra leads the Tribunal and assembled highbloods outside the Black Keep, gambling that Nyxaris will answer her call. After tense silence, the dragon arrives with dramatic force, cowing the crowd and perching on the iron bridge. Medra declares Nyxaris will listen to her and, if allowed, to them—while the dragon quietly mocks the idea.
Lord Mortis denounces Nyxaris as a mindless beast and reveals a dagger. As Mortis confronts dragon and rider, Nyxaris commands Medra to move. Kage Tanaka drags Medra clear a heartbeat before Nyxaris releases a precise torrent of dragonfire that obliterates Mortis. Lady Avari confirms Medra did not order the attack, underscoring that Nyxaris acts by his own will.
Catherine Mortis arrives, impassive at her father’s ashes. Medra affirms she will return to the Tribunal, then approaches Nyxaris and climbs aboard without saddle or straps. With Blake and Kage watching, Nyxaris carries her aloft over the sea.
In flight, Nyxaris demands answers about his kind’s fate. Medra admits the records are fragmentary: dragons perished in the Dragon Wars through battle and perhaps plague, with the truth seemingly hidden. Nyxaris reveals his memory is fragmented since being turned to stone and seethes for restitution. Medra promises to search older texts and seek help from scholars.
The exchange becomes a negotiation: Nyxaris questions the ritual that awakened him and whether others could return, fearing renewed bondage to highbloods. Medra proposes collaboration—projecting the illusion of control to win leverage while secretly elevating Nyxaris. They form a wary pact to recover his missing history and identify those responsible for his petrification.
Who Appears
- Medra PendragonProtagonist; summons Nyxaris to prove him, survives Mortis’s attack, vows to return, rides Nyxaris, and promises to seek answers about dragons.
- NyxarisAncient black dragon; arrives dramatically, incinerates Mortis for insult, asserts autonomy, demands truths about his kin and missing memories.
- Lord MortisHouse Mortis leader; denounces Nyxaris, brandishes a dagger, and is killed by dragonfire.
- Kage TanakaVampire who tackles Medra to safety moments before Nyxaris’s flames strike Mortis.
- Lady Elaria AvariRegent who steadies the crowd, confirms Medra didn’t command the attack, and questions Medra’s intent to return.
- Viktor DrakharrowConfronts Medra after Mortis’s death but keeps distance from Nyxaris’s reach.
- BlakeWatches anxiously as Medra mounts Nyxaris; his conflict with Kage simmers.
- Catherine MortisArrives to her father’s ashes, composed and observant, signaling future political fallout.