Child of Ardor

xiii

There are 169 of us by the time the morning is done we've placed eleventh out of the thirty-six squads for Presentation — the piss-inducing parade of cadets before this year's dragons willing to bond.

Now we must walk along the dragons to see if they deem us trustworthy or not.

I did earn the Gauntlet patch which I was pretty proud about. I haven't decided if I want to wear it or not. I think patches are pretty damn cool but at the same time I also think it's cool that Xaden doesn't wear patches. I'll have to ask him why...

The box canyon that makes up the training field is spectacular in the afternoon sun, with miles of autumn-colored meadows and peaks rising on three sides of us as we wait at the narrowest part, the entrance to the valley. At the end, I can make out the line of the waterfall that might be just a trickle of a creek now but will rush at runoff season. The leaves of the trees are all turning gold, as though someone has brought in a paintbrush with only one color and streaked it across the landscape.

And then there are the dragons.

Averaging twenty-five feet tall, they're in a formation of their own, lined up several feet back from the path—close enough to pass judgment on us as we walk by.

"Let's go, Second Squad, you're up next," Garrick says, beckoning us with a wave that makes the rebellion relic on his bared forearm gleam. Dain and the other squad leaders stayed behind. "Into formation," Garrick orders, his tone all business, which doesn't surprise me given that his leadership style is more mission first, niceties last. I notice that the right side of his uniform has a neat line of patches proclaiming him Flame's section leader as well as more than five patches advertising his skill with a multitude of weapons. You would think the best friends coordinate if they're gonna wear patches or not.

Everyone gets into formation on his command. There's a sound like rushing wind in the distance that stops as quickly as it starts, and I know someone else has been found lacking.

Garrick's hazel eyes skim over us. "Hopefully Aetos has done his job, so you know that it's a straight walk down the meadow. I'd recommend staying at least seven feet apart—"

"In case one of us gets torched," Ridoc mutters from ahead.

"Correct, Ridoc. Cluster if you want, just know if a dragon finds disfavor with one of you, it's likely to burn the whole lot to weed one out," Garrick warns, holding our gazes for a beat. "Also, remember you're not here to approach them, and if you do, you won't be making it back to the dormitory tonight."

"Can I ask a question?" Luca says from the front row.

Garrick nods, but the ticking of his jaw says he's annoyed. I can't blame him. Luca annoys the shit out of me, too. It's her constant need to tear everyone down that makes most of us keep our distance.

"Third Squad, Tail Section of Fourth Wing already went through, and I talked to some of the cadets..."

"That's not a question." He lifts his brows. Yep, he's annoyed.

"Right. It's just that they said there's a feathertail?" Her voice pitches upward.

"A f-feathertail?" Tynan sputters from directly in front of me. "Who the hell would ever want to bond a feathertail?"

"Professor Kaori never told us there would be a feathertail," Sawyer says. "I know because I memorized every single dragon he showed us. All hundred of them."

Good for you Sawyer.

"Well, guess there's a hundred and one now," Garrick replies, looking at us as if we're children he'd like to be rid of before glancing back over his shoulder at the entrance to the valley. "Relax. Feathertails don't bond. I can't even remember the last time one has been seen outside the Vale. It's probably just curious. You're up. Stay on the path. You walk up, you wait for the entire squad, you walk back down. It really doesn't get any easier than this from here on out, kids, so if you can't follow those simple instructions, then you deserve whatever happens in there." He turns and heads over to a path before the canyon wall where the dragons are perched.