Fourth Wing: The Beginning

°•°▪︎|CHAPTER 4|▪︎°•°

"Elena Sosa, Brayden Blackburn." Captain Fitzgibbons reads from the death roll, flanked by two other scribes on the dais as we stand in silent formation in the courtyard, squinting into the early sun.

This morning, we're all in rider black, and there's a single silver four-pointed star on my collarbone, the mark of a first year, and a Fourth Wing patch on my shoulder. We were issued standard uniforms yesterday, summer-weight tight- fitted tunics, pants, and accessories after Parapet was over, but not flight leathers. There's no point handing out the thicker, more protective combat uniforms when half of us won't be around come Threshing in October.

The armored corset Mira made us isn't regulation, but I fit right in among the hundreds of modified uniforms around me. After the last twenty-four hours and one night in the first-floor barracks, I'm starting to realize that this quadrant is a strange mix of we-might-die-tomorrow hedonism and brutal efficiency in the name of the same reason.

"Jace Sutherland." Captain Fitzgibbons continues to read, and the scribes next to him shift their weight. "Dougal Luperco." I think we're somewhere in the fifties, but I lost count when he read Dylan's name a few minutes ago. This is the only memorial the names will get, the only time they'll be spoken of in the citadel. I don't mean to sound rude, but I couldn't care less. I mean people will die every day, as long as we don't graduate, and even after. So as long as I didn't really knew them, I won't really care.

My skin is agitated from wearing the armor all night like Mira suggested. And I have the feeling that for the next three years, the adrenaline will be my new best friend. There are a hundred and fifty-six of us in the first floor of the dormitory building, our beds positioned in four neat rows in the open space. Even though Jack Barlowe was put in the third-floor dorms, I'm not about to let my guard down, not for me end especially not for Violet. Not until I know who I can trust.

Private rooms are like flight leathers—you don't get one until you survive Threshing. "Simone Casteneda." Captain Fitzgibbons closes the scroll. "We commend their souls to Malek." The god of death.

I blink. Guess we were closer to the end than I thought. There's no formal conclusion to the formation, no last moment of silence. The names on the scroll leave the dais with the scribes, and the quiet is broken as the squad leaders all turn and begin to address their squads. "Hopefully you all ate breakfast, because you're not going to get another chance before lunch," Dain the ass says, his eyes clearly meeting Violets. I think I missed something yesterday; I'll have to ask her later.

"He's good at pretending he doesn't know you," Rhiannon whispers at my side, trying to reach Vi on my other side. "He is," she replies just as softly. A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth, but she keeps her expression as bland as possible as she soaks in the sight of him. I fake gag in Rhi's direction. She answers with a silent snicker.

"Second- and third years, I'm assuming you know where to go," Dain continues as the scribes wind their way around the edge of the courtyard to our right, headed back to their quadrant. There's a mutter of agreement from the senior cadets ahead of us. As first- years, we're in the back two rows of the little square that makes up Second Squad. "First-years, at least one of you should have memorized your academic schedule when it was handed out yesterday." Dain's voice booms over us. "Stick together. I expect you all to be alive when we meet this afternoon in the sparring gym."

Oh, shit, I'd almost forgotten that we're sparring today. Since we only have the gym twice a week, I can give tips and practice on the days we don't have sparring. And we have two months to before we have to complete the Gauntlet.

If we can complete the final Gauntlet, we'll walk through the natural box canyon above it that leads to the flight field for Presentation, where this year's dragons willing to bond will get their first look at the remaining cadets. Two days after that, Threshing will occur in the valley beneath the citadel. I glance around at my new squadmates and can't help but wonder which of us, if any, will make it to that flight field, let alone that valley.