That’s the brutal reality Aeden Harrington faces after bonding with a dragon that should never have hatched, a consecrated egg, hidden, marked as dead and untouchable. Worse still, he formed the forbidden bond before Aviara Academy’s official ceremony, shattering ancient tradition and painting a target on his back before he even sets foot in the sky. Starting as the Academy’s newest Initiate was supposed to be a chance to rise above his past. To master the Weave. To prove himself. But Nyra, the dragon fate chose for him, bears wings too broken to ever fly, a flaw that stains Aeden’s reputation and makes him a target among students and masters alike. As he battles distrust and isolation, Aeden uncovers darker secrets hidden within Aviara’s hallowed halls, whispers of his parents’ deaths and the cover-up that followed. And when two unknown riders arrive, wielding authority and power that even the Academy fears, surviving the deadly trials ahead becomes more than a matter of honor. It becomes a fight for his life and for the truth. In a world where flight means power, what chance does a grounded rider have against enemies who rule the skies?