"It looks like fire," Siddy reported. "Or a dragon. Or fire shaped like a dragon. Or—"
"A dragon's seal," Drakar said, from the alcove entrance, his voice carrying the dry patience of someone who had been describing himself to shorter beings for a very long time. "Every Lord's fealty mark is specific to their element and bloodline. Mine is fire."
"Can I have one?" Siddy asked.
"No."
"What if I asked really nicely—"
"No."
" What if I want them really—"
"No."
Siddy accepted this with the equanimity of someone who intended to ask again later when conditions were more favorable, and returned to examining Alex's forehead with scientific intensity. "It's glowing a little," he said. "Like the stones. But warmer."
[Exactly,] System confirmed. [The fealty mark integrates with the bearer's existing resonance network. It's a permanent mark—it might fade a little but it will visibly remain on your forehead— like the mate bond marks in their resting state.]
