Archive of Our Own ^beta

“So all we do is wait for something to happen?” the class clown asks as he leans back in his chair, putting his boots on the end of the wooden table that runs the length of the briefing room.

“Yes,” I say, standing at the head of the table. With a flick of my wrist Class Clown goes flying backward. “And keep your feet off the table.” 

Messina laughs, changing the markers on the large map that consumes the only stone wall in the curved, windowed room. 

I’ve spent the morning with Violet’s squad plus the extra tagalong, Riorson. Last night, when he stepped out of the shadows to ruin our evening, I assessed him for the threat that he is. I’ve been keeping an eye on him ever since, though I feel no need to interact with him directly. He’s not one of our invited guests.

Dain displays a righteous hatred for him. But Violet seems entirely distracted by his presence. I didn’t fail to notice that they are seated next to each other at this afternoon’s session. 

I bring the squad’s attention back to me. “Consider this your Battle Brief,” I say, side-eying Class Clown as he scrambles back into his chair. “This morning was about a quarter of the patrol we’d regularly fly, so normally we’d just be getting back about now and reporting our findings to the commander. But for the sake of killing time, since we’re in this room as the reaction flight for this afternoon, let’s pretend we’d come across a newly fortified enemy outpost crossing our border” - I turn to the map and stick a pin with a small crimson flag near one of the peaks about two miles from the Cygnisen borderline - “here.”

“We’re supposed to pretend it just popped up overnight?” a third-year asks, openly skeptical.

“For the sake of argument, third-year,” I narrow my eyes on him, and h sits up a little straighter.

“I like this game,” Exal says from the end of the table, lacing his fingers behind his back.

“What would our objective be?” I ask, glancing around the table. I skip over Riorson, but Dain is busy staring him down. I’m wondering what his hatred for Riorson stems from - is it a general hatred of the man for what he represents as the son of the Great Betrayer, does it have something to do with his feelings for Violet, or is he bothered that he is no longer the highest ranking leader at the table? Whatever it is, we need to get back to business. I call his attention back to the task at hand. “Aetos?” 

He startles but recovers quickly. “What type of fortifications are there?” he asks as he turns back to the map. “Are we talking a haphazard wooden structure? Or something more substantial?”

“Like they had time to build a fortress overnight,” Class Clown mutters. Dain rolls his eyes. “It has to be wooden, right?”

“You are all so fucking literal,” I sigh and rub my thumbs over my forehead. “Fine, let’s say they occupied a keep that’s already established. Stone and all.”

“But the civilians didn’t call for help?” the curly-haired second-year asks. “Protocol calls for a distress signal this far into the mountains. They should have lit their distress beacon, alerting patrolling riders, at which time the dragons on patrol would have told all available dragons in the area. The very riders in this room would have mounted first as the reaction force and the others would have been woken from their rests, allowing the riders to prevent the loss of the keep in the first place.”

I scoff. For fuck’s sake. Was I this naive when I was at Basgiath? I brace my hands on the end of the table, staring them all down. “Everything you’re taught at Basgiath is theory. You analyze past attacks and learn those very… theoretical combat maneuvers. But things out here don’t always go according to plan. So why don’t we talk about all the ways things can go sideways, so you’ll know what to do when they do, as opposed to arguing that the keep shouldn’t have fallen?”

Curly Hair squirms in her seat. Good, I hope they are all uncomfortable.

“How many of you have been called out as third-years?” I ask, standing up straight and folding my arms over my leathers and the strap that holds my sword to my back.

Third-Year raises his hand and Riorson raises a single finger. 

Dain looks like his head might explode. “That’s not correct. We’re never called into service until graduation.” 

Riorson presses his lips in a tight line and nods, giving him a sarcastic thumbs up. The tension between these two has been obvious all day. I’m going to have to address this. Violet cannot afford to be caught in the middle of them.

Third-Year laughs, “Yeah, all right. Just wait until next year. I can’t count how many times we’re the ones sitting in these very rooms in the midland forts because their riders have been called to the front for an emergency.”

The color drains from Dain’s face. I almost feel bad for him. How is he so oblivious to what to expect next year?

“Now that’s settled.” I decide to keep the exercise moving along. I reach under the table and pull out a set of models, putting a six-inch stone keep in the center of the table, repeating an exercise we often carry out in this room. “Catch.” One by one, I toss painted wooden models of dragons at them, keeping one for myself. “Pretend Messina and Exal don’t exist back there, and we’re the only squad available to take back that keep. Think of the power in this room. Think of what each individual rider brings to the table and how you’d use those powers in unison to conquer your objective.”

“But they don’t teach that to first-years,” the blond next to Violet says slowly. 

I notice the whirls on his wrist, his rebellion relic. He’s one of Riorson’s crew, and Violet is sandwiched between the two of them. Before I can think too much about how that happened, I hear Violet clear her throat. She catches my eye and raises her eyebrow. I get the clear message don’t fuck with my friends , but I quickly mask my reaction. 

I turn back to Blond Rebel. “They might not teach you this battle strategy as first-years because you’re all busy trying to stay on your dragons. You had your first taste of strategy during the Squad Battle, and it’s almost May, which means final War Games should be beginning, right?”

“Two weeks,” Dain confirms.

“Good timing, then. Not all of you will survive the games if you’re not prepared.” I hold Violet’s gaze for a beat, willing her to beat the odds. “This kind of thinking will give your squad - your entire wing - an advantage, since I guarantee your wingleader is already assessing every rider for their own abilities.” At least I hope that’s what he is doing - who knows what his rebel upbringing has taught him.

Riorson flips his dragon model over his knuckles but doesn’t reply. He looks bored with these proceedings, which I’m quickly learning is his default expression. He hasn’t spoken a word to me since he arrived, not that I’m complaining.

I bring my attention back to the group. “So let’s do this,” I stand back. “Who is in command?” I glance toward Curly Hair. “And let’s pretend that I don’t have three years of seniority on even the highest-ranked of you.”

“Then I’m in command,” Dain says, taking the lead. He sits up straight, lifting his chin as he steps into the role. 

“Our wingleader is here,” Blond Rebel argues, pointing at Riorson. “I would say that puts him in command.” I’m not surprised to see where his loyalties lie. Also, this seems to clarify that it is the leadership role that is causing the tension between Dain and Riorson.

“We can pretend I’m not here, just for the sake of the exercise.” Riorson says as he sets his dragon on the table, leaning back in his chair while he stretches his arm across the back of Violet’s chair. Dain grits his teeth as Riorson says, “Give Aetos here the position we all know he craves.” Definitely some tension around the leadership role, but does Riorson have to be such an ass? He already has the leadership role. And I’m sensing some intention behind looking at Dain while stretching his arm across the back of Violet’s chair. So maybe there are some hard feelings around Violet after all… I’m going to kill them both.

Violet mutters toward Riorson what sounds like “Don’t be a dick.” I hold back a smirk, great minds apparently do think alike. However, Violet’s relationship with Riorson seems far too familiar given that I had explicitly warned her to stay away from him.

Suddenly her head whips around to face him and her jaw drops. He’s not even looking at her so she just stares at the side of his face. I look for the cause of her reaction, but see none. His arm that’s closest to her is still on the back of her chair. His other hand is on the table. So he didn’t touch her under the table. I’m still trying to figure out what happened when he turns to face her. They stare at each other for several moments before I see her mouth form the word “how?” He continues to look deep into her eyes, his face expressionless. Then he fucking winks at her. I internally groan as I realize I’m going to have to address this, too. He is not good for her and she needs to stay away, mated dragons be damned.

Dain draws me back to the conversation. “You’re. The. Wingleader.” Every word comes out through clenched teeth.

“I’m not even supposed to be here.” Riorson shrugs, returning to the conversation as if nothing just happened between him and Violet. “But if it makes you feel better, for the purpose of War Games, you’d be getting your orders from your section leader, Garrick Tavis, which he’d get from me. You’ll be carrying out your maneuvers as a squad for the good of the wing. Just pretend I’m another member of your squad and use me as you wish, Aetos.” The pompous ass folds his arms across his chest as if that’s the final word. 

“Why are you even here?” Dain challenges. “No offense, sir, ” he says in a tone that very much implies offense, “but we weren’t exactly expecting senior leadership on this trip.” And we’re back to the leadership tension.

“You’re more than aware that Sgaeyl and Tairn are mated,” Riorson pushes back.  

“Three days?” Dain fires back, leaning in. “You couldn’t make it three days?” I have to admit I agree with him. I’ve heard it said that Riorson is the strongest rider of his generation and he can’t resist his dragon’s urges for more than three fucking days? That doesn’t bode well for Violet’s future.

Violet jumps to his defense, much to my chagrin. “It has nothing to do with him.” She slams her dragon down on the table. “That’s up to Tairn and Sgaeyl.” After a beat, she jabs her elbow into Riorson’s arm. Is she encouraging him to play along? A moment later I see a faint hint of a smile on Riorson’s face, but he says nothing.

“Of course you rush to defend him,” Dain hurls a hurt glare at Violet. “Though how you can forget that this guy wanted to kill you six months ago is beyond me.” That sounds like we are back to tension over Violet. Get it together Dain! But also, fuck, Violet, I told you to stay away from Riorson! I might have to kill her myself if Riorson and their dragon relationship doesn’t do it first.

Violet blinks at Dain. “I cannot believe you went there.” 

“Good job remaining professional, Aetos.” Riorson says as he scratches the rebellion relic on his neck, like a reminder of the traitorous movement he represents. “Really shows those leadership qualities to their best advantage.” 

Messina whistles low from the other end of the table. “Do you boys just want to whip it out and measure? It would be faster.”

I hear snickers around the table. Time to get this back under control.

“Enough!” I shout as I slam my hands on the table.

“Oh, come on, Sorrengail,” Messina whines with a wide smile.

Violet and I both look at him.

“I mean… the older Sorrengail. This is the best entertainment we’ve had in ages.” I resist the urge to roll my eyes. If it wasn’t a dick measuring contest over my baby sister, I would be amused as well. But it is, and I’m not.

Violet shakes her head and looks around the table. “Mira has the ability to extend the shield if the wards are down,” she says, getting down to business, “so the first thing I would do is send her to scout the area with Teine. We need to know if we’re dealing with infantry or gryphon riders.” I have to admit she’s holding her own between the two egos jostling for her attention. Her intellect and strategic mind will serve her well as a rider.

I move my dragon closer to the castle. “Good. Now let’s assume there are gryphons.”

Violet looks at Dain with that fake sweet smile she used to give me all the time when she outsmarted me. “You want to do your job? I mean how you can forget you’re the squad leader is beyond me.” Low blow from Violet, but it seems to do the trick as Dain gets his head back in the game.

He rips his gaze from Violet’s as he grips the dragon model tightly in his hand in an effort to bite back a retort. “Quinn, can you astral project from the back of your dragon?”

“Yes,” Curly Hair answers.

“Then I would have you project into the fortress to check for signs of weakness and have you report back.” Dain says with a look at Curly Hair. He moves his gaze to Blond Rebel and says, “Same with Liam. We’d use your far sight to see if you can locate where the gryphon riders are and if there are any traps.”

Curly Hair and Blond Rebel move their dragons into the positions we’ve discussed. “Good,” I say. “The weaknesses are the wooden gate, and the Navarrian citizens they have captive in the dungeons.” 

“So much for blasting the whole place,” Class Clown says.

Dain turns to Third-Year. “You’re an air wielder, right? So you can shape your dragon’s flames, lead them though the occupied parts of the keep without killing civilians.”

“Yes,” Third-Year answers. “But I’d have to be in the keep.”

“Then you’ll have to get into the keep,” I says with a shrug.

Third-Year’s eyes widen. “You want me to leave my dragon and go on foot?” Oh gods, these kids are going to get us all killed if they even make it to graduation.

“Why do you think we get all that hand to hand training? Or are you going to leave all those innocent people to die?” I flick my wrist and Third-Year’s dragon goes flying out of his hand and into mine. I put it in the center of the keep. “The real question is, how do we get you close enough without getting you killed?” I glance around the table. “Since I’m guessing the others will be busy fighting off the gryphons that launch once the fireworks start.”

Curly Hair looks at Aetos. “What’s your signet, Aetos?”

“Above your pay grade,” he says, making me wonder what it could be. He glances around the table,  skipping over Riorson, then making the rounds again, finally sighing. “Any ideas?”

“Sure,” Violet says, picking up Riorson’s dragon and shoving it toward the keep before lifting it with her lesser magic to hover above the structure. “You stop ignoring that you have an incredibly powerful shadow wielder at your disposal and ask him to black out the area so no one sees you land.”

“She’s not wrong.” I say, reluctantly. 

“You can do that?” Dain begrudgingly looks at Riorson.

“Are you seriously asking?” Such a pompous prick.

“Just wasn’t sure you could cover an area that -” he stops short as Riorson lifts a hand a few inches above the table and shadows pour from underneath, turning the room black as midnight in the blink of an eye. 

“Fuck me,” someone says. I concur. I see where the strongest rider in his generation comments come from.

“I can surround the entire outpost, but I think that might freak some people out,” Xaden says, and the shadows disappear, racing back under the table.

I feel queasy about the kind of power he harnesses. I look around the room and see everyone but Emery and Violet reacting the same. Of course they’ve seen him pull this trick before.

I hear Xaden chuckle and I look his way just in time to see Violet giving him the finger. I wonder momentarily if he did something to her in the dark, but I see the look on her face go blank like she is talking to her dragon. She looks unharmed, even gives Xaden a sly side-eye before returning her attention to the conversation. I bring myself back to the conversation at hand as well.

We finish the hypothetical operation, each of us using our power to its best ability. Everyone except Violet, that is, who hasn’t manifested a signet yet. But when it’s time to take the gryphons out in the air, Tairn overpowers every other dragon in the room.

“Good job,” I say, glancing at my pocket watch. “Aetos, Riorson, and Sorrengail, I want to see you in the hallway. The rest of you are dismissed.” 

They follow me out onto the spiral staircase. I shut the door behind us and throw up a line of blue energy that covers the entrance.

“Sound shield,” Dain says with a smile. “Nice.”

“Shut up.” I spin on the top step, putting my finger in Dain’s face. “I don’t know what bug has crawled up your ass, Dain Aetos, but have you forgotten that you’re a squad leader? That you have a very real chance of becoming a wing leader next year?”

Violet recognizes my anger and retreats a step, but bumps into Riorson and can’t go any further.

“Mira -” Dain starts.

This is not a friendly chat in the school yard. “Lieutenant Sorrengail,” I correct.  “You’re blowing it, Dain. I know how badly you want his job next year.” I point a finger at Riorson. “Don’t forget that we’ve grown up about ten feet apart. And you are blowing it, because what? You’re pissed that Violet bonded his dragon’s mate?”

His cheeks darken as he shouts “He is the worst possible thing for her!”

“Oh I’m not arguing that,” I say as I lean in to his space. “But there’s nothing anyone can do about the choices of dragons. They don’t bother with the opinions of mere humans, do they? But whatever is going on between the two of you,” I swing my finger between Dain and Violet, “is fucking up your squad. If I can see it after four days with you, then they sure as hell can tell. And if I’d known that you were going to be such a hard-ass with zero flexibility for the things she can’t control, I never would have told her to find you after crossing the parapet.” I glance at Violet before returning my gaze to Dain. “You two have been best friends since you were five years old. Figure your shit out.”

Dain looks like the tension he’s holding might cause him to explode, but he glances at Violet and nods stiffly. She nods back.

“Good,” I say, “now get back in there.” I motion toward the door with my head, and Dain leaves, walking through the sound shield.

“And as for you,” I glare at Riorson, walking down two steps toward him, “is this what she can expect next year?”

“Aetos being an asshole? Probably.” His hands are loose at his sides like he might need to wield at any minute.

I narrow my eyes because he knows that’s not what I meant and because his stance indicates he doesn’t trust me. I make sure this time my point is clear. “Mated dragons typically bond riders in the same year for a reason. You cannot expect your assigned wing or her instructors,” I tip my head in Violet’s direction, “to let you both fly off every three days.”

“Wasn’t my choice.” He shrugs. He may be effectively portraying nonchalance in his tone and his facial expression, but his stance remains prepared for anything.

Violet interrupts my silent appraisal. “What are we supposed to do? Tell the giant, flame-throwing dragons how it’s going to be?” sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“Yes!” I shout, turning toward her. “Because you can’t live this way, Violet.” I can’t allow her to be naive about the situation she has ended up in. “You’ll be the one who ends up missing the training you need, because he’s the more powerful of the two of you right now. But if you don’t get to focus on your training, then that’s how it will always be. You won’t ever become who Tairn can push you to be,” which I know is a damn powerful rider. I turn toward the shadow wielder with my next question, “Is that what you’re after, Riorson?”

“Mira,” Violet whispers, shaking her head. “You’re wrong about him.”

Oh gods. I’m not getting through to her! “Listen to me,” I say, grasping her shoulders. “He might wield shadows, Violet, but give him his way, and you’ll become one.”

“That won’t happen,” she says it like a promise. One that she has no power to keep.

“It will if he has anything to say about it,” I flick my gaze toward him, just so he knows that I’m aware he is listening to this whole conversation. I look back at Violet and realize I need to be more clear for her. She has apparently developed some sort of soft spot for this rebel. “Killing someone isn’t the only way to destroy them. Keeping you from reaching your potential seems like a great path to the retribution he swore against our mother.” I try to hold her gaze, but she’s not looking at me. “Think long and hard. How well do you even really know him?”

She sucks in a breath and I can see her wavering. Good, that means I got through to her. “That’s what I thought.” I’m sorry to rip away the security blanket she has wrapped around herself, but she needs to see the truth to protect herself. I soften my gaze as she raises her eyes to meet mine. “Do you even know why he hates our mother so much? Why the kids like him are put on the para – “

Riorson steps up to her side, interrupting me. “I’m right here. In case you didn’t notice.”

“You’re kind of hard to miss,” I sneer.

“You’re not listening,” he shoots back. His voice lowers an octave when he says, “I. Am. Here. Tairn didn’t drag her back to Basgiath. He didn’t break through her shields and pour his emotions into her. He didn’t demand she fly across the fucking kingdom. Your sister is still right here. I’m the one who left my post, my position, and my executive officer in charge of my wing. She’s not missing out on shit .”

That’s a lot to unpack. I’m reminded again that he’s supposed to be the most powerful rider of his generation, but he has just implied that he couldn’t block out his dragon’s urges. He’s angry, but he almost sounds like he cares for Violet, which is a whole other thing I’m going to have to think about later. But first I bring up the most obvious next question. “And next year? When you’re a brand-new lieutenant?” He’ll be back at the bottom of the barrel, not in a leadership position where he’ll have the option to leave whenever he wants. “What shit is she going to miss out on then?” I ask with venom in my voice.

“We’ll figure it out,” Violet jumps in, taking my hand and squeezing. I agree with Dain here about her jumping in to defend him. But she continues before I can point it out. “Mira, he’s taken every spare minute he has to train me on the mat for challenges or take me flying in hopes I’ll finally figure out how to keep my damned seat without Tairn holding me in place. He’s –”

I flinch. “You can’t keep your seat?” I was starting to see why she is defending him, but what?

“No,” she says so quietly I barely catch it. 

“How the hell can you not ?” I see too late that her cheeks are flushed with embarrassment. Her mouth hangs open at my outburst.

“Because I’m not you!” she shouts at me.

Ouch! I guess I deserved that for being insensitive. I drop her hand, trying to recover. “But you…” I look her up and down, seeing the muscles I had noticed when I hugged her right after she arrived, “you look so much stronger now.”

“My joints and muscles are stronger because Imogen makes me lift these horrible weights, but that doesn’t… fix me.” 

I blanch. “No. I didn’t mean it like that, Vi.” I see in her eyes the conviction that she is unworthy thanks to the years of neglect from our mother. I repeat again what I’ve told her hundreds of times. “You’re not anything that needs to be fixed. I just didn’t know you couldn’t hold your seat. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because there’s nothing you can do about it.” She smiles, but I can tell it’s forced. “There’s nothing anyone can do about the way I’m made.” The words almost break me. She has survived nine months in the deadliest war college around, bonded not one, but two dragons, ended up in a convoluted bond with the one person at the school with more reason to kill her than any other, she looks like a complete badass with her muscles showing through her tight leathers, and yet she still thinks she’s less than and unworthy. I’m searching for the right words to get through to her when Riorson speaks up.

“She’s getting better,” he says like a peace offering, his voice calm and even. “The first weeks were… disastrous.” He looks toward Violet. Is that fondness I detect?

“Hey, he caught me before I hit the ground,” Violet chimes in.

“Barely,” Riorson grumbles before turning back to me. “You don’t have to trust me – “

“Good, because I don’t,” I interrupt. “All of that power in the hands of someone with your history is bad enough, but to know your dragons are so tangled up that you can’t be more than three days from Violet is unacceptable in every possible way I can think – “ 

“Enough of this badgering,” Tiene interrupts. “There’s a drift of gryphons headed this way. About twenty minutes out. ”

“Fuck! The wards are down,” I mutter. I have to keep Violet safe. I grab her shoulders and yank her into a hug. “You have to go.”

“We can help!” She pleads, but I hold her tight so she can’t move.

“You can’t,” I say. “And if Tairn is using his power to keep you seated, then he’s diminished as well. You have to go. Get out of here. If you love me, Violet, you’ll go so I don’t have to worry about you, too.” I release her from the hug and look to Riorson. “Get her out of here,” I say just as the rest of the squad pours out of the door above, thundering by as they go down the steps.

“Let’s go!” Dain shouts. “Now!”

“Even if you don’t trust me, I’m the best weapon you have,” Riorson snarls at me.

I consider how to respond for a split second, when my logical green dragon supplies, “He’s the best weapon she has.” She’s right.

“If what you say is true,” and I mean all of it, including what Violet said and the impression I get that he cares for Violet, “then you’re the best weapon she has. The other half of the squad will be here in moments, and Tiene thinks we have about twenty minutes until the gryphons arrive.” I look Violet in the eyes with the most serious expression I can muster. “You have to get to safety, Violet. I love you. Don’t die. I’d hate to be an only child.”

Riorson pins Violet to his side as I run up the remaining stairs to the roof. Violet is not willing to leave. 

“No!” she shouts. “Mira! What if you get hurt? Tairn’s speed could be the only thing that saves you. At least let us stay.” Her voice is desperate. I look over my shoulder and see her straining against Riorson’s hold. He barely looks like he’s putting any effort into keeping her clamped to his side.

“You want me to trust you, Riorson?” His gaze is locked steadily with mine, even as Violet strains to get away. “Get her the fuck out of here and find a way for her to keep her seat. We both know she’s dead if she doesn’t,” I appeal to his apparent care for her. He nods curtly and I rush through the doorway toward the roof. 

I hear Violet scream, “Mira! I love you!”

“He will keep her safe,” Tiene promises. “Tairn will make sure of it.”

That’s the best confirmation I’ll get for now. I make a mental note to think after this battle about who I can be in contact with at Basgiath to keep tabs on Violet until she gets her writing privileges in a few months.