Kingdom of Shadows and Wings (Dragons of Tirene, #1)

by Nina Frost

“I know someone who used to be terrified of horses. One reared up and kicked him in the chest as a child, and after that, he refused to go near them. When he decided he needed to get over his fear, we started him out by watching horses from a distance. Once he was comfortable with that, we shrank the distance until he was able to touch them without panicking. Eventually, he was able to ride.” Chagrined, I rub the back of my neck. “Oh.” “Yes. Oh.” My conscience stings. “Now I feel like an ass.” He lifts his eyebrows as if in agreement but says nothing. “Do you really think it will work?” He shrugs. “Won’t know until we try.” “Wait…you said your friend started from a distance. Why do I have to touch and mount the alicorns already if slower is better?” “Because, Duchess, we don’t have the luxury of time. You can only skip class so often before your classmates start to suspect, and if you think the hazing is bad now, imagine how much worse it would get if someone like Durand found out. More importantly, I’m trying to get you ready to fly for the upcoming trial, which can be dangerous for even the most skilled flyers. The quicker you get over your fear, the less likely we’ll be scraping you off the ground.”