Fire Can Not Kill || Fourth Wing

Chapter Two~

Chapter Three~

Dani POV~

Blue dragons descend from the extraordinary Gormfaileas line. Known for their formidable size, they are the most ruthless, especially in the case of the rare Blue Daggertail, whose knifelike spikes at the tip of their tail can disembowel an enemy with one flick.

-Colonel Kaori's Field Guide to Dragonkind

If Jack wants to kill me, he needs to get in line. Besides, I have a feeling Xaden Riorson is going to beat him to it.

"Not today," I respond to Jack, the hilt of my dagger solid in my hand, and I somehow manage to suppress a shudder as he leans over and breathes in. He's scenting me like a fucking dog. No scratch that, I'd hate to insult dogs. Then he scoffs and walks off into the crowd of celebrating cadets and riders that's gathered in the sizable courtyard of the citadel.

It's still early, probably around nine, but already I see there aren't as many cadets as there were candidates ahead of me in line. Based on the overwhelming presence of leather, both the second-and third-years are here as well, taking stock of the new cadets.

The rain eases into a drizzle, as if it had only come to make the hardest test of my life even harder... but I did it. We did it.

I'm alive. Violets alive. Rhiannon and Dylan are alive.

We made it.

Violets body begins to tremble, and a throbbing pain erupts in my right elbow as she bumps into it-the one I slammed on the parapet. I take a step, and it threatens to give out on her. Shit, I think, we need to bind it before anyone notices.

"I think you made an enemy there," the redhead says, casually shifting the lethal crossbow she wears strapped along her shoulder. She glances at me over the scroll with a shrewd look in her hazel eyes as she looks me up and down. "I'd watch your back with that one if I were you."

I nod. I'm going to have to watch my back and every other part of my body.
The next candidate approaches from the parapet as someone grips my shoulders from behind and spins me, Violet stumbling awkwardly next to me, Dylan catching ahold of her.

My dagger is halfway up when I realize it's Rhiannon.

"We made it!" She grins, giving my shoulders a squeeze.

"We made it," Vi repeated with a forced smile. And I frown at her wobbling legs, Dylan keeping her stable as he frowns down at her in concern. And I blink suddenly remembering Mira's words as I sheath my dagger. Can we really trust either of these guys?

"I can't thank you enough. There were at least three times I would have fallen off if you hadn't helped me. You were right--those soles were slick as shit. Have you seen the people around here? I swear I just saw a second-year with pink streaks in her hair, and one guy has dragon scales tattooed up his entire biceps." I smirk slightly, those seem like the type of people I'd like.

"Conformity is for the infantry," I say as she loops her arm through mine and tugs me along toward the crowd, Dylan gently guiding Vi after he, her knee screaming in pain as she limps her weight falling onto Dylan who looks concerned.

Damn it.

"Speaking of which," she says, glancing down. "We need to trade boots. There's a bench-"

A tall figure in a pristine black uniform steps out of the crowd, charging toward us, and though Rhiannon manages to dodge, I stumble smack into his chest.

"Dani?" Strong hands catch my elbows to steady me, though it causes me to hiss as he touches my new bruise, and I look up into a pair of familiar, striking brown eyes, flared wide in obvious shock, holy shit, Dain.