TEAGAN RIORSON

After a few minutes of the Empyrean debating it was decided that both Violet and my dragon choices shall stand and we are going to be allowed to keep our dragons. Colm was very happy with that as he thought no one — not even the empyrean — should have a say in the decisions of dragons.

Garrick and Bodhi did warn me however that I'll probably be watched to see if I have a second signet as they don't know how the familial rules work with my brother and I and our dragons being siblings. They said it was like that for Xaden.

"Welcome to a family that knows no boundaries, no limits, and no end," my attention is snapped towards General Sorrengail who makes the remark. "Riders, step forward."

Everyone looked around in confusion.

"Just a few steps." Colm muttered to me, snarling slightly as he also took some steps back.

I complied as I saw others following along as well.

"Dragons, it is our honor as always ... Now we celebrate!" General Sorrengail yells.

And just like that I feel heat all around me. My head looked from side to side as I attempted to comprehend what was happening before I felt it. It was like someone had basted lava at me — pain seared in my back as I cried out, stumbling forward a little bit at the sharp blast of it. At first it was like a sharp hit, then just the heat of it burned, moving onto a brief second of agonizing pain before it turned oddly ... cold.

"I'm done." Colm told me.

"Done with what?" I snapped back. "Literally melting the body I need to survive?" I groaned, attempting to get a look at burns on my back now.

"You'll live." Colm said simply but I could sense a smirk in his tone. "Besides, it's tradition."

"I don't like traditions." I murmured.

"Ah, that's why you don't like your rebellion relic." Colm said back to me like he knew everything about me.

I stiled. What the fuck—

Before I could think too much about it, suddenly my vision went black and then I could see again, but this time I was looking at myself, seemingly through my dragon's eyes. Jump scare.

There was a black silhouette — including little blue marks with Colm's discoloration — stretching from the base of my waist on the left side up to almost my right shoulder. Although, there was some abstract fire coming out of the dragon's mouth that went over my shoulder and connected perfectly with the rebellion relic I had going down my arm. The entire thing is a little — sway-ie as if it was a painting someone smudged. But it made it cool ... like the image was distorted from under water or something like that.

My vision blackened again as I returned to my own eyes.

"I like it." I told Colm softly.

Colm chuffed a little in disapproval. "You'll love it. It's my best work." He moped around.

"Maybe." I muttered back for the fun of it.

xxx

After we were 'marked' I guess you could call it, they quickly ushered us away to show the new sleeping arrangements. After sleeping in the crowded barracks for the last two months, it's weird, but also amazing, to have my own room. I'll never take the luxury of privacy for granted again — especially as this is really one of the first time I've had my own room after being in foster care for so long.

It's about breakfast time so I head out of my dorm and towards the cafeteria.

While I'm alone, pretty much everyone seems to be with a group of friends or with someone they had celebrated with the night before. Even Liam wants out with his arm wrapped around the waist of a first-year who conned with a Brown Clubtail. I look at him weirdly but he just waves me away with a laugh.

I miss Liam.

"Let's go, Riorson." Someone states grabbing my arm just as I had gotten into the food line.

"W-what–what?" I mutter, allowing Imogen to pull me away.

"We're going to go sit with Sorrengail." She states bitterly.

"Why?" I say bitterly.

Imogen mutters something under her breath and I am unable to catch what she said.

We walk over to where Violet and her friends are sitting just as someone says hello to Violet.

"It's because you bonded Tairn." Imogen blows her pink hair out of her face and throws her leg over the bench across from us to sit, pushing up the sleeves of her tunic and revealing her rebellion relic. "The morning after Threshing is always a clusterfuck. Power balance shifts, and you, little Sorrengail, are now about to be the most powerful rider in the quadrant. Well ... alongside Teagan of course. Anyone with common sense is going to be scared of you." Imogen states as the two of us sit down.

This is awkward.

"Which is why you're now sitting with us?" Rhiannon arches a brow at the second-year. "Because I can count on one hand the number of nice words you've said to any of us." She holds up a fist with zero fingers raised. "And I can count the number of times Teagan has spoken any words." She again holds up a zero.

Quinn — the tall second-year in our squad who Imogen is friends with— takes a seat next to Imogen, and Sawyer arrives, sitting on Rhiannon's other side. Quinn tucks her blond curls behind her ears and brushes her bangs out of her eyes, her round cheeks rising as she smiles as a greeting. Have to admit, the hooped piercings that line the shells of both her ears are pretty awesome, and among her half dozen patches, it's the dark-green one—the same color as her eyes—with two silhouettes that's most intriguing.

I should have studied up on what all the patches mean, but according to what I've heard, they change every year. Then again, I wouldn't really study so I'm just bullshitting myself.

I don't even know if I should wear my patches yet but so far I haven't.

"Here's four for you." I respond to Rhiannon easily, fixing her with a glare. She doesn't care to reply.

"You weren't interesting enough to sit with before," Imogen cuts into the conversation, then bites into a muffin.

"I usually sit with my girlfriend in Claw Section. Besides, no use getting to know you when most of you die," Quinn adds, tucking her curls away again, just to have them spring forward. "No offense."

"None taken?" Violet mutters and then starts on her apple.

I look around suspiciously, when Heaton and Emery, the only third-years in our

squad, flank Imogen, Quinn, and I on the bench. Whole squad together I guess... The only people we're missing are Dain and Cianna, who are eating with leadership as usual. But I'm happy they stayed away.

"I thought Seifert would bond," Heaton says to Emery across the table, as though we've caught them mid-discussion. The normally red flames in their hair are green today. "Other than losing to Sorrengail, he nailed every challenge."

"He tried to kill Andarna." Violet states bluntly. "My guess would be that Tairn told the others."

"But Barlowe bonded?" Ridoc questions. "Though from what I've heard, his Orange Scorpiontail is on the smaller side."

"She is," Quinn confirms. "Which is why he's struggling this morning."

"Don't worry—I'm sure he'll make up for his lack of social standing in other ways," Rhiannon mutters, her gaze narrowing on my tray. "You have to have some protein, Vi. You can't just survive on fruit."

"It's the only food I can be sure isn't tampered with, especially with Oren behind the counter." Violent responds.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Imogen scrapes three pieces of sausage onto her plate. "She's right. You're going to need all your strength to ride, especially with a dragon as big as Tairn."

Me and Violet stare at the sausage, that was weird.

Imogen tilts her head at Violet as if challenging her to not eat the sausage. Violet doesn't, cutting into the link and popping it in her mouth.

I scoff, shaking my head at her. Crazy girls.

"What's your signet?" Rhiannon asks Emery.

Air rushes down the table, rattling the glasses. Air manipulation. Got it.

"That's epic." Ridoc's eyes widen. "How much air can you move?"

"None of your business." He barely spares him a glance.

"Sorrengail, after class is out today, you're mine," Imogen says out of the blue.

"I'm sorry?" Violet asks.

"Meet me in the sparring gym."

"I'm already working with her on sparring—" Rhiannon starts.

"Good. We can't afford her to lose any challenges," Imogen retorts. "But I'm going to help you with weights. We need to strengthen the muscles around your joints before challenges resume. That's the only way you'll survive."

"And since when do you care about my survival?"

"Since now," she says, gripping her fork in her fist, but it's the lightning fast glance toward the dais at the end of the hall that gives her away. Her concern isn't coming from the goodness of her heart. Something tells me it's an order. Xaden's order. "Squads are about to be condensed in morning formation. We'll be down to two in every section," she continues. "Aetos kept the highest number of his first-years alive — hence the patch — so he'll be allowed to retain his squad, but we'll probably gain a few when they strip the squads from those who weren't as successful. I'm thinking—" Suddenly Imogen's voice stopped as she realized something. She taps my arm. "T." She calls my name, nudging her head towards the direction.

"What?" I mutter dumbly, before looking towards there.

My brother was staring right at me.

"You should probably go." Imogen says. 

"What's going on?" Ridoc jumped into our mini conversation.

"Her brother wants her." Rhiannon muttered into his ear to get him to shut up as Xaden kept his eyes level with mine, motioning me over.

"It's fine." I muttered, turning back.

"No, I really think you should go." Imogen tried to sway me.

"Go." Colm entered my head.

"What?" I mind linked him back.

"Go see your brother."

"Fine." I responded to Colm and the rest of the table, slightly louder than necessary, standing up and making my way over to the leadership table.

"Yes?" I asked impatiently, as I came to stand next to my brother.

"Here." He said simply, handing me a peeled apple, as he set down the knife — guess he just cut it.

When I was younger I used to be very paranoid about peels — watermelon, orange, apple, anything that you can name. I was afraid of the peel. So my parents would always peel off the outside because I wouldn't eat it any other way.

I took the apple slowly, rolling it around in my palm for a little. "Thanks?"

"Hey Teag, congrats on your dragon. He's a beaut." Garrick whistled at me.

"I'm not a f'beat' I'm a masterpiece." Colm's voice muttered. 

I couldn't help my smile, ignoring my dragon. "Thanks Gar." I told him, giving him a little half hug.

Xaden grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him and pulling me away from Garrick at the same time. "So... no more of that." He muttered.

"Calm down, Z." I scoffed.

"Anyways, you should probably go back to your squad." Xaden lowered his voice so only I could hear, as he stood up to practically tower over me. "But you need to eat things."

"Okay, I got it." I said, attempting to push away from him as more people started to stare at us, making me uncomfortable.

He grabbed my wrist, pulling me back to him as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Sneak out with me tonight. I'll pick you up around eleven, alright?" He asked.

"Okay." I breathed, nodding my head excitedly.

Xaden shot me a boyish grin, kissing my head before telling me to get lost and walking away with Garrick following behind him. He glances at Imogen with a slight nod as his eyes flicker to me and Violet, as a form of acceptance. That just confirms that he told her. Controlling little freak!