Free The Bond (Book 2) by Adolfo Garza Jr. Page A

other.”
    “Couples don’t always stay together,” Millinith noted, quietly.
    Aeron looked at her. She stared blankly at a parchment before her. Then he reached over and gave the Willem’s hand a squeeze. “That is true,” he said, looking back at Millinith. “But it is somewhere to start, at least for now. Eventually, it won’t matter anyway. There will be a lot of dragonlinked, so the need for breeding pairs will not be as important.”
    “What about the dragons?” Willem still looked at Aeron. “We’ve been talking about matching dragons to people who are couples, but don’t dragons want to choose a dragon they are in love with to . . . pair with?”
    Aeron hadn’t thought of that. Anaya? Wouldn’t you want to be with a dragon you are in love with? What if you don’t like the dragon who bonds with Willem? What if his dragon is female?
    Dragons can love any dragon, so that is not a large issue. As Sharrah pointed out, however, being able to breed is a consideration at this point. It would be best if Willem bonded with a male dragon.
    “Anaya says that dragons can love any dragon. She isn’t concerned that she won’t like the dragon Willem bonds with. She also said that Sharrah is right about breeding pairs. It would be best if Willem bonded a male dragon.”
    “So many questions,” Master Doronal said. “How soon after hatching must a young dragon be bonded? Can adult dragons be bonded? And if it turns out that bonding must occur within a short amount of time, is it possible to determine the sex of a dragon while it is still in the egg? And does a particular dragon only want a specific person, or type of person to bond with?”
    “I can check with Anaya about those last two,” Aeron said.
    He looked out the door to his bond-mate. Is it possible to tell if a dragon is a girl or a boy before they hatch?
    It is. I remember some of my previous mothers speaking with their children before they hatched. It would be an easy thing to discover.
    “Anaya said that dragons can speak to their children before they hatch. A dragon could ask, or maybe even sense the sex then.”
    “Interesting.” Sharrah wrote in her notebook.
    What about Master Doronal’s last question? Is each dragon fated to be with a specific person?
    A dragon would be happy to choose any good candidate, any candidate, to bond with. That is part of what makes them candidates.
    “For the other question, Anaya said that dragons would be happy with any candidate or good candidate as a bond-mate. That removes one complication, at least.”
    “ A small blessing,” Master Doronal said, “but a blessing nonetheless. Are there any other suggestions or concerns?”
    “ Dragonlinked will have to be trained in magic,” Millinith said, “if they aren’t already.”
    “ Yes, at least to a certain extent. We’ve considered that.”
    “ Certainly enough to kill nahual and for defense,” Master Canneth said. “And for portals.”
    “You know,” Cheddar remarked, “maybe that’s what candidates do in preparation for becoming dragonlinked. Learn how to use magic.”
    “A good suggestion,” Master Doronal said, looking at Master Canneth. “We’ll consider that as we craft a dragonlinked training regimen.” He stood. “But it is nearly time for dinner. I think that’s plenty for now.” He looked at Cheddar. “If you could organize the meeting notes and provide a copy for Master Canneth and myself?”
    “Of course,” the archive apprentice replied, nodding.
    “Excellent. We have a very good start. Keep thinking about dragonlinked ideas and concerns. We’ll meet each afternoon to discuss them.”
    Later, as Aeron walked with his friends to the Dining Hall, he wondered when he and Anaya would be allowed to visit House Yaot. What exactly would he and Anaya say to those dragons? Would her mother help? And would the dragons be friendly or not?
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    Renata put the finishing touch on another pad and tucked it in with the others