Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
There isn’t a single rider I still speak to from my squad last year. Maybe that’s why they put us in new squads when we repeat, so we won’t dwell in the misery of staring at the could-have-been of our own future every day in formation.
I tilt my head back to watch the riot of dragons as they fly overhead, and what patches of blue sky were there a moment earlier are devoured by swaths of red, orange, brown, and green scales. The ground vibrates subtly as the dragons land within the forest, and the blue skies return, just like last year. But I’m not doing anything like I did it last year.
I try to shake off the heavy weight of foreboding that settles in my stomach while I head eastward, keeping to the perimeter of the forest. A couple of hours later, the sun is shining brightly overhead as I reach what has to be the southern edge. I haven’t seen a single dragon.
Guess this tactic isn’t a winner.
I turn toward the forest, blowing out a frustrated sigh and fighting to get a grip on my emotions, and walk along an enormous cluster of thorn-laden bushes. Dragons appreciate strength and stability, neither of which are qualities I’m feeling endowed with at the moment. Now, if a member of the Empyrean is looking for an agitated, overripe first-year repeat with a growing inferiority complex, I’m their guy.
Swear to Dunne, I need an emotional blacksmith to twist all these feelings back into the unbreakable weapon the quadrant expects them to be. Definitely shouldn’t pray to Dunne about that, though, since she’d probably dismiss me on sight for not having my shit in order.
A hand reaches out of the brush and grabs my arm.
My heart stutters.
“What the—” I fling the hand off my arm and jump backward before drawing my sword.
“Oh, thank Zihnal, Sawyer!” Trina steps out of the bushes, twigs clinging to her red hair.
She has to be kidding me, right? It takes a couple of breaths to get my heart out of my fucking throat.
“That is an excellent way to get run through by a squadmate, Trina.” I sheathe my sword.
“There are no squadmates today, remember?” Her brown eyes are wide as she studies our surroundings. “It’s everyone for themselves.”
“You’re safe with me.” I can’t say the same for other cadets out to settle grudges while our professors aren’t looking. The dragons aren’t the only ones with murderous intentions.
“I know. That’s why I came out when I saw you.” She gives me a tentative smile.
“How long have you been hiding in the bushes?” I lift my brows and pick one of the branches out of her hair. As squadmates go, I respect Trina. She’s quiet, keeps to herself, and avoids the never-ending drama that comes with shoving a bunch of twentysomethings into the quadrant with minimal supervision.
“Maybe an hour?” She wrinkles her nose. “A brown stalked by, and I knew it wasn’t mine, so I took cover.”
“You do know you aren’t going to bond if you spend the day hiding in the underbrush, right?” I snag the last branch out of her hair and drop it to the forest floor.
“You know you aren’t going to bond if you don’t even enter the forest, right?” she counters, folding her arms across her chest.
She’s got me there. Heat stings my neck. I fucking hate that my skin flushes at the first sign of emotional distress. “I’m trying to do the exact opposite of what I did last year, since charging into the middle of the forest didn’t exactly work out for me.”
“How is it working for you this year?” She lifts her brows.
“It’s…not.” I shrug. “Obviously.” Hopefully the others are having better luck, though if Trina and I are any measure of our squad, it’s going to be a shit day.
“Well, we still have at least six hours until nightfall to turn that around,” she says with an optimism I envy, her eyes lighting up. “I’m thinking we head into the forest together.”
“We’re not supposed to go in groups.” I shove a hand into my hair, irritation with everything regarding today getting the best of me.
“Did you go in solo last year?” she asks.
Her tone is innocuous, but the words hit like a punch to the groin, as if I didn’t do every single thing expected of me last year.
“Yes.” My voice rises despite my best efforts to keep calm. “I did everything by the book, if that’s what you’re asking.” I throw my arms out at my sides. “Go ahead and try to determine where I went wrong last Threshing, but I hope you’re prepared for disappointment, because I’ve been trying for twelve straight months, and I’ve got nothing!”
By the time I finish ranting, her eyebrows have reached her hairline.
“Fuck.” I drop my hands to my sides. “I’m sorry.”