As My Worlds Collide

Chapter 2

There's a misconception that it's kill or be killed in the

Riders Quadrant. Riders, as a whole, aren't out to assassinate

Other cadets...unless there's a shortage of dragons that year or a

cadet is a liability to their wing. Then things may get...interesting.

—Major Afendra's Guide to the Riders Quadrant

(Unauthorized Edition)

Rhiannon gives her name to the rider at the opening of the parapet. Xaden continues to stare at us, but I refuse to look at him. Vi stiffens next to me and I squeeze her hand twice, we will make it through this, no matter what people think.

Dylan is probably around a third of the way before they wave Rhiannon through the opening onto the parapet. "I'll wait for you on the other side," she shouts over the wind, fear in her eyes.

"We'll see you on the other side," Vi responds and I nod in agreement.

She steps on to the parapet, arms stretched wide for balance, and starts to walk. I don't really believe the gods help with anything, but I pray to Zihnal anyways.

"Name?" the rider asks me,

"Lia Melgren," I say, the storm somehow becomes stronger, flashes of lightning almost right above us, cracks of thunder seconds later. The rain comes down in sheets and the wind pushes at me, almost as if it's trying to throw me off the platform. The names on the roll are blurring with the water, and by the time the day is done it may be unsalvageable, gods know the scribes will hate that.

"Melgren?" The rider's eyes shoot up. "As in General Melgren?"

"Yep, and the girl behind me is Violet Sorrengail." It's no shock they don't know who I am, and also probably don't know who Vi is. I was kept a secret so that it wouldn't get out that I was still alive, and due to Vi wanting to be a scribe her mother never fully acknowledged her in public.

I look out, the clouds shroud the parapet, making it impossible to see past a certain point. I can vaguely see Rhiannon in the distance—probably about a quarter of the way—and how she keeps having to correct herself as the wind pushes her off balance. Moss grows along the stone, and the rain makes everything slick, and I wonder if General Sorrengail really did want Violet to die, she could have easily pushed away this storm.

"I am near," Taz tells me and I look up, scanning the mountain for her large form.

I find her, mostly hidden between the rain and shadows cast by the clouds. "I will not fall. You should go before someone sees you."

"It is tradition to have dragons watch the candidates cross." she retorts.

"But it is not tradition for a dragon's focus to only be on one," I counter. "Or try and catch a falling candidate."

"I thought you just said you would not fall," she says, "and I will repeat myself, you should not have to do this."

"It's not your choice," I remind softly, and I hear a huff and see her shake up on the mountain.

"I didn't know Melgren had a daughter, or that Sorrengail had two." The other rider says, knocking me out of the conversation I was having with Taz.

"We get that a lot." I say, seeing Vi try and control her breathing.

I glance back, offering a small smile before stepping out onto the parapet, waiting for a moment to get my bearings, before starting across. The wind tries to throw me off, but I push back and keep walking, if I stop, I'll panic.