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)
“Will you always put others before your own interests?” he asks as the snow picks up.
I don’t always put others first. I want plenty of things for myself. I glance to the north, then the south, looking for the best possible route around the rock formation, because I’m sure as Malek not climbing over it.
“Wanting something—someone—for yourself is not the same. It is action that matters, and you have a history of acting in the interest of others.”
Or maybe the interests of others align with mine. I grimace as snow pelts me in the face. Can’t anything here be soft? I change my route slightly, choosing to take the southward path around the boulders. It’s the snowier track, but north feels wrong. And at least I’ll be able to see the footsteps of other cadets in the snow.
“I know all about your interests, Garrick Tavis.” The burr in his tone catches on the Rs in my name. “I know the power you’ll need to pursue them.”
Then you know I’ll do whatever it takes. I shield my eyes with my hand and trudge forward as visibility turns shitty.
“It is why I seek your bloodline.”
That comment raises my brows, but I keep moving forward, curving around the largest of the boulders.
“Why I seek you.”
Earth moves to my right, and I leap out of the way, my heart jumping through my ribs as the boulder unfurls, shaking the snow from its deep-brown scales to reveal a large dragon with a scorpiontail.
I stare up at him, dumbfounded. I’ve always prided myself on my skills of observation, and now I’ve been completely floored for the second time today.
He flares his wings, shaking the snow from their tips and revealing numerous scars in the translucent membrane before he tucks them in again. “I, too, find myself bewildered at your lack of awareness.”
“I’ll do better,” I promise him, studying the pattern of his horns and placing him from the cards Kaori insisted we memorize.
“I know. Yet another reason I have finally chosen to involve myself with your kind again.” He stares at me with unblinking golden eyes.
“You’re Chradh,” I say slowly, just in case I’m wrong, because the again and his voice have definitely thrown me off.
“Now that introductions have been made…” He stands to his full height. “Shall we depart? While the snow doesn’t bother me, I have no wish to lose you to frostbite after finally having chosen you.”
There’s that finally again. “According to Kaori, you’ve never bonded before. You’re only twenty-seven years old.” It doesn’t make sense.
“What even is a year?” He tilts his head. “Now, is the weather too difficult for you?” he asks in snarky challenge.
“It might surprise you to find that nothing is too difficult for me.” I flex my fingers to wake them up, then sprint for his foreleg. The snow causes my right boot to slip on his scales midway through the approach, but my left catches. I muscle my way up, thankful for all the rock-climbing lessons Lewellen forced on me, and make it over his shoulder.
“Quite the contrary. I’m depending on it.”
I brush the snow from his pommel scales, hunker down in the seat, and we launch into the sky.
My heart soars as we land in the flight field a half hour later.
I may be the last to arrive, but all ten of us have bonded. All ten are riders.
Fuck you, Navarre.
632 AU
Cath—Red Swordtail
(Male) Descended from the Berradhdyr Line
Estimated Age: 89
Recorded Riders: 2
—The Compendium of Dragonkind,
last updated by Colonel Valin Kaori
Dain
“The only other words I have to offer you are ‘good luck.’” Kaori takes a long look at us, and I have a sinking feeling that he’s trying to memorize our faces so he can project them later if needed. Then he nods to himself and walks off toward the right, vanishing among the trees that lead up the hill from the bowl-shaped valley that will entomb some of us.
Being the last professor to see us all alive—the professor responsible for preparing us for such a deadly day—must be a tiresome burden to bear.
The squads around me break up, some heading directly into the woods while others hang back to say goodbye to their friends.
“Want to go in together?” Cianna asks, tying up her blond curls behind her head as she turns toward me. Out of everyone in our squad, she’s the one I get along with best.
“We’re supposed to go in by ourselves.” I ignore the impulse to give in to the fear that has me in a choke hold. It would be nice, comforting even, to have a friend out there, but dragons prefer to see if a rider can stand on their own.
“I heard some of the squads in Fourth Wing are planning a team approach.” She glances to the right, where Fourth Wing seems to be forming smaller groups.