now or never

4

 Apparently this Sloane has a huge problem with Violet. Also, Sawyer, Violet and this guy standing in front of me seemed so depressed when Mairi's name was mentioned. I had already tuned out and didn't notice the rest of the conversations and introductions. 

I was deep in thought when someone threw me to the floor and lay protectively over me. Sawyer. He looked at me with a pained face as a wave of heat swept over us. Major Varrish dragon had torched a whole bunch of cadets. "Are you okay?" Sawyer asked me. He was still lying on top of me, his arms beside my head. He was so close.

 I nodded. Sawyer looked at me scrutinizingly, as if to make sure I was really okay before he stood up and offered me his hand, which I grabbed and he pulled me to my feet. It was pure chaos. Cadets and riders slowly got up from the ground and supported the injured. There were piles of ash in some places, former riders and cadets. 

What the hell?! Next to me, Cam helped a redhead to her feet while Violet tended to Sloane. I breathed out a sigh of relief. Cam was fine and that was all that mattered. "Get back in the lineup!" Panchek's voice echoed amplified over the chaos. "Riders don't shy away from fire!" Not his fucking serious! Is he fucking kidding me?! What an ass and why is Varrish smiling when he's broken the rules?!

As if that wasn't enough, Major Varrish stepped to the edge of the dais, completely unfazed by the fact that his dragon had just killed riders who hadn't disturbed the lineup, some of them bound. "It's not just first-years who earn their leather in Basgiath!" he shouts. "The Gescwader are only as strong as their weakest riders."

 All right, the guy's become a bigger asshole since I'd last seen him six years ago. And then, a girl runs off three rows in front of me, running away from our squadron, and my breath catches in my throat. Didn't she notice anything? Cam stiffened and took my hand, squeezing it gently.

 Cath, Varrish dragon opened his mouth again, ready to kill more cadets when Tairn, Violet's dragon appeared. On the one hand, good for us, on the other. Well, all hell broke loose as cadets started screeching and running for their lives. Idiots. Tairn stretches his neck forward, high above our squadron, then snaps his teeth loudly in Solas' direction, clearly and emphatically a threat.Violet has a nice and impressive dragon, I thought. Varrish must have thought otherwise, because he started at Violet in a rage.

And that was the end of it. The lineup broke and we were taken to a large dormitory where we were accommodated for the first night. I was exhausted from this chaos and I didn't seem to be the only one who felt this way, because after a few minutes everyone seemed to be asleep. I closed my eyes and fell into a restless dream.

"Father, please," I pleaded with my father, "How dare you stand up for these families?! Keep up the good work and I might think you're part of the rebellion," my father said. His voice shook with anger as he pushed me to the ground. "These people have turned against me and they will burn for it!" I was desperate. "But their children didn't do anything! You can't kill her, there's no reason for that!" I yelled at my father.

Suddenly, I felt a stinging pain in my left cheek. I looked up and looked into my father's eyes. I flinched when he hit me again, and then again. "I don't understand why you're standing up for these people, they'd kill you right away if they just got the chance," my father calmed down but his voice was soaked in pure hatred. "But put yourself in her position, what would you do if it was Alic?!" I tasted blood.

I was now lying on the floor, curled up in pain. My father kicked me. He kicked and kicked until I was spitting blood. My whole body was shaking but I couldn't give up, I had to protect Xaden and Liam. I straightened up so that I was on my knees in front of my father. "I'll do whatever you want if you let the kids live. I swear to them that I will do anything and if I have to die, but I beg you to spare them. Please."

He didn't say anything for a moment and I knew I had him. Of all his children, he hated me the most because I reminded him too much of my late mother. "That's how it should be," my father finally answered. "You will receive the same punishment as the children of rebellion, but you are not allowed to talk about it with anyone, let alone show it. Xaden Riorson will vouch for the other children, while you will do the same for the Riorson boy. 

If he makes even one mistake, you will get his punishment. Do you understand that?" I nodded silently. "Good," my father said before turning away. "Oh, one more thing. you will watch the execution, you shall see the suffering." And then he walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

I startled and breathed heavily. That was just a dream, Alice, pull yourself together! But I couldn't stop the urge again and stroked my fingers at the sensitive part of my thigh up to my waist. I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair. The sun slowly began to rise in the sky. I changed my clothes and quietly crept out of the hall. Actually, I wasn't allowed to be outside yet, but I needed some fresh air. 

I walked through the corridors until I arrived at the courtyard and leaned against one of the pillars. There was not a soul to be seen and I breathed in and out deeply. No one should see me like that, otherwise they might think I'm weak. All of a sudden, one hand wrapped around my mouth and the other wrapped around my waist, so that my back hit a hard body. "Make a sound and you're dead!" whispered a harsh, masculine voice in my ear. 

I tried to free myself from his grip, but he only held me tighter. "I won't say it again!" and with that he turned me around so I could look into his dark eyes.When I didn't move, he let go of me and crossed his arms in front of his body. "It's a bit early for you to walk around here, don't you think?" Bodhi asked me. "I just needed some air and what are you doing here? Shouldn't you still be in your room?" I reply.

He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "Have we met before, you looked so familiar to me on the parapet?" he asked me. My heart stopped for a brief moment. If I tell him who I am now, he will kill me here and now, and then my brother. "Not that I know of," I replied curtly. "As you mean. But you should go back to the hall now before someone else sees you, like your section leader, you don't want that, do you?" he asked me with a sly smile and only now did I notice the coat of arms on his shoulder. Section leader of Flame Section.

"You're my section leader," I said. He just laughed and came towards me until there were only centimeters between us. My heart began to race and I felt the blush rush to my cheeks. "Exactly." And with that he walked away. I took a moment to compose myself before I quickly went back to my room and threw myself onto my bed. But I couldn't sleep anymore because every time I closed my eyes his dark eyes looked at me as if they were challenging me to see how long I could keep up my facade.