XADEN RIORSON

Even though I was enjoying speaking to my sister about Colm and wanting to ask her more about her Threshing, when I saw Violet and Dain speaking I knew I had to intervene. I never liked that fucking kid, but this year he's really starting to piss me off.

I'm not choosing Violet over Teagan. I'm not. I just know what needs immediate attention and what can wait ... I'll make sure to carve some time out later for my little sister. She'd allow that ... Violet would never allow that which means I need to intercept and now.

"Xaden was there," Dain says quietly, but the gentleness leaches from his voice and is the first part of the conversation I hear.

Oh. so she's telling him.

I'm still trying to gauge how good of friends Aetos and Violet are. She's smart and should know to stay away from him, but she never does. I wasn't sure if she would spill her guts about me being at Threshing to him or not. I guess I have my answer.

I know I shouldn't have been in that field. I know I shouldn't have. But I had to.

"Yes." Violet nods. "But he left after Tairn showed up."

Like a perfect little puppet ... answering every single one of his damn questions.

"Xaden was there when you defended Andarna, and then Tairn just ... showed up?" he asks slowly.

"Yes. That's what I just said. What are you getting at?"

"Don't you see what happened? What Xaden's done?" His grip tightens. My eyes go wide at the way his knuckles tighten around her arm. If it weren't for the armor, Vi would have bruises tomorrow. I narrowed my eyes.

"Please, do tell me what it is you think I've done." I asked sharply. The harsh grip sends me over the edge and I know I have to stop this. I will not be a shadow any longer.

"You manipulated Threshing." Dain's hands drop from Violet's shoulders, and he turns to face me, the set of his shoulders rigid as he puts himself between Violet and me.

Fuck him.

I narrow my eyes.

"Dain, that's..." Violet trails off, side stepping Aetos so that she can fully see me. Good.

The way her gaze shifts around me as the wheels in her head turn lead me to believe she knows that my dragon, Sgaeyl and her dragon, Tairn are a fucking powerful bonded pair. .

"Is that an official accusation?" I turn my gaze back to Dain, like he's a hindrance, an annoyance.

"Did you step in?" Dain demands.

"Did I what?" I arch a dark brow and level a look on Dain that would make a lesser person wither. "Did I see her outnumbered and already wounded? Did I think her bravery was as admirable as it was fucking reckless?" I turn to stare at Violet.

"And I would do it again." She raises her chin.

"Well-the-fuck-aware," I roars, beginign to loose my temper. I take a short breath, closing my eyes slowly as I'm shocked by my outburst.

I need to stay calm. I am always collected.

"Did I see her fight off three bigger cadets?" I glare pivots to Dain again, repeating my previous words. "Because the answer to all of those is yes. But you're asking the wrong question, Aetos. What you should be asking is if Sgaeyl saw it, too."

Dain swallows and looks away, obviously rethinking his position. As he fucking should.

"His mate told him," Violet whispers.

A smirk, not visibly, but I do. She has finally figured out that Sgaeyl called for Tairn. Not me.

"She's never been a fan of bullies," I says to her. "But don't mistake it as an act of kindness toward you. She's fond of the little dragon. Unfortunately, Tairn chose you all on his own."

"Fuck," Dain mutters.

"My thoughts exactly." I shake my head at Dain. "Sorrengail is the last person on the Continent I'd ever want to be chained to me. I didn't do this."

That, and I have two people to look out for this year — Violet because of the bonded pair and Teagan because of the siblinghood that my dragon and hers share. That, and it's my job as her big brother rto always look out for her.

The truth is, bonding with Sgaeyl was a lot different that I'd imagined. You would think she's a loner as she's harsh and things are done her way or no way. But its the opposite. Sgaeyl forever ties me to Tairn and Colm ... even before they bonded the two most important women in my life ... One more important. The one. Violet means nothing to me.

I'd known Tairn for a while as wherever Sgaeyl is not riding with me, she is with him. And before I learned to block her out I would always hear them having interrelations ... it happens a fuck ton of a lot.

I've also known Colm for about as long as Sgaeyl as Sgaeyl loves that dragon more than anything. Colm has always been an outcast ... he is not easy to get along with due to his brooding nature and he had a pretty harsh young life that he had a very hard exterior. He never lets anyone in — that's why he's never bonded before. Teagan will be his first.

Dragons don't do half siblings. They don't do affairs or flings. They have family and bonded mates — people they are loyal to for life. So the fact that Colm comes out of two familial lines and not through a bonded pair took a huge impact on all of dragons. Colm is so powerful that they couldn't kill him — but they can isolate him and they have.

Sgaeyl saw this and hated it. She loves her little brother like he is her child. Kinda like Andarna ... that little golden dragon — I hate her. Sgaeyl is mean and closed off to everyone else ... but to Colm, she is a doting big sister. She's always all up in his business and makes sure he's doing alright. Colm is never left alone in terms of Sgaeyl. So I've definitely met him from time to time. As I've said before, Colm is a loner and he hates everyone. So he and I don't have a relationship of any kind.

Tairn and him do. They hate each other.

Tairn and Sgaeyl have a strong mated bond. So, therefore, they are extremely loyal and possessive of one another. Tairn doesn't like that Sgaeyl is always focused on Colm and not solely focused on him. He's jealous. Colm doesn't like Tairn because Colm is a protective little brother ... he doesn't think anyone is good enough for his sister. Especially not Tairn.

All and all — this is going to be one hell of a crazy year for me and these three dragons that are now tied to me in some way or anything.

"And even if I had." I move toward Dain, towering over him, and ripping myself from my thoughts. Focus, Xaden. "Would you really level that accusation knowing it would have been what saved the woman you call your best friend?"

"There are...rules." Dain tilts his chin to look me in the eyes. Brave.

"And out of curiosity, would you have, let's say, bent those rules to save your precious little Violet in that field?" My voice ices over as I study Dain's expression with rapt fascination.

Dain's jaw flexes, and I see the war in his eyes.

"That's unfair to ask him." Violet moves to Dain's side as the sound of whipping wings interrupts the night.

The dragons are flying back. They've made their decision.

"I'm ordering you to answer, squad leader." I snap, not even bothering Violet a glace.

Dain swallows, his eyes slamming shut. "No. I wouldn't have."

I scoffs. A coward and a pussy ... who could've guessed. Oh wait ... me.

Dain immediately jerks his head toward hers. "It would have killed me to watch something happen to you, Vi, but the rules—"

"It's all right," She forces out, touching his shoulder.

It's not.

"The dragons are returning," I say naturally, attempting to put on a bored expression and tone. "Get back to formation, squad leader."

Dain rips his gaze from Violet and walks away, blending into the crowd of hurried riders and their dragons. At least he follows my orders.

"Why would you do that to him?" Violet hurls at me. "Forget it," She mutters, then march off, heading back toward where she was before.

"Because you put too much faith in him," I answered anyway, following her without even lengthening my stride to catch up. She's so damn short. "And knowing who to trust is the only thing that will keep you alive — keep us alive — not only in the quadrant but after graduation."

"There is no us," She says

"Oh, I think you'll find that's no longer the case," I murmur, gripping her elbow and yanking her out of the path of another rider running from the other direction. "Tairn's bonds are so powerful, both to mate and rider, because he's so powerful. Losing his last rider nearly killed him, which, in turn, nearly killed Sgaeyl. Mated pairs' lives are — "

"Interdependent, I know that." Violet says harshly,

We move forward until we're dead center in the line of riders.

"Each time a dragon chooses a rider, that bond is stronger than the last, which means that if you die, Violence, it sets off a chain of events that potentially ends with me dying, too." I responded. "So yeah, unfortunately for everyone involved, there's now an us if the Empyrean lets Tairn's choice stand." I pause to allow her to think for only a few seconds. "And now that Tairn is in play, that other cadets know he's willing to bond..." I sigh, annoyance rippling over my features, my strong jaw working as I looks away. I need to distance myself.

"That's why Tairn told me to stay with you," She whispers, finally putting the pieces together. "Because of the unbonded."

There are at least three dozen of them standing on the opposite side of the field, watching us with avarice in their eyes. I'll kill every single one of them.

"The unbonded are going to try to kill you in hopes they'll get Tairn to bond them. Tairn is one of the strongest dragons on the Continent, and the vast power he channels is about to be yours. The next few months, the unbonded will try to kill a newly paired rider while the bond is weak, while they still have a chance of that dragon changing its mind and picking them so they're not set back a full year. And for Tairn? They'll do just about anything." I sigh again ... this is like a new full-time job. One that doesn't even fucking pay."There are forty-one unbonded riders for which you are now target number one." I hold up a single finger.

"And Tairn thinks you'll play bodyguard." She snorts. "Little does he know just how much you dislike me."

Little do you know how much that is untrue.

"He knows exactly how much I value my own life," I retorted, glancing down at her body. "You're freakishly calm for someone who just heard she's about to be hunted."

"It's a typical Wednesday for me." She shrugs, looking away from me as it's clear I'm making her uncomfortable.. "And honestly, being hunted by forty-one people is a lot less intimidating than constantly watching dark corners for you."

I smirk slightly,

But without another word, I rip my gaze from Violet's and walks away, cutting a slightly diagonal path across the field to where Sgaeyl overshadows the other wingleaders' dragons.

I have more than one full time job. *sigh*

[A/N]

what do you think about the relationship between Colm, Tairn, and Sgaeyl? How will Teagan and Violet respond to the new information that their dragons hate each other? 

as I'm sure you might have noticed ... this book is getting a sort of updated look! That includes the title and cover. What do you guys think??? 

I'll repeat the message I put on my message board this morning (with some more information) ; I was loosing interest in this book because I really just hated the aesthetic, it was all hastily thrown together and wasn't working for me. I love Fourth Wing and I love sibling relationships so I love this story and I am very excited to become a little more happy about the aesthetic and overall look. Also, I do want to write accompany stories to each of the five Empyrean books still to come out and couldn't have named them all 'Teagan Riorson 1+2+3' hahaha. A new title was very necessary.

Please let me know any and all ideas you have for other things I could include to help with the aesthetic of the book. As well as things you like and don't like! I won't promise I'll do all of them as I have my own style I like to stick to, but I love suggestions to give me some ideas. 

I am wanting to change the character aesthetics at the beginning but don't know what to do ... please help me with some ideas!

Just a note, this does NOT mean I am updating faster. Probably about every month to every other month as stated before. Life is busy!

Sorry for the insanely long authors note --- I was not expecting this, lol. But thank you for all of the continuous support on my story! Please, please, please comments suggestions. 

See everyone soon!!!