Fire Breather

21.

   DECEMBER turned to January, and I had been exhausting myself with grounding, shielding, and being trained like no tomorrow by Garrick who was also the same one to carry me over his shoulder back to my dorm after every session.

When I won my first challenge, earning a dagger from a boy in First Wing, Garrick, and Imogen both congratulated me, and I suddenly didn't feel any hostility toward Garrick for training me like hell.

By the end of the second week in January, I was pretty impressed with myself. I had been working on my power and now I could create chains and whips out of blood and I swore at one point I nearly created a damn blood bird in my room one morning. That I didn't tell Professor Carr who had me in his empty room most days, writing down everything I did or attempted with my power.

Ridoc finally channeled with his dragon and could wield ice, which was a common signet, but it was impressive to see, and he had already blasted me with frost one morning when I fell asleep in Battle Brief.

Liam could see a single tree miles away, which was a pain in my ass because he kept cheating off me during tests.

By the third week in January, I earned another dagger in a challenge against a girl in Second Wing. During the challenge, Nim's anger got the best of me once again and I snapped the girl's neck.

Now, that had me on edge for the rest of the week. I knew I would possibly kill someone during a challenge, but I never expected to do it...through Nim.

And in the fourth week, during the coldest weather at Basgiath, the dragons deemed it too cold to fly so I headed to the sparring gym after formation with Violet and Liam and all the eighty-one of the surviving first-years.

Professor Emetterio called out the challenges one by one, assigning them to a mat. "Mat seventeen, Jack Barlowe from First Wing versus..." His eyebrows raised. "Violet Sorrengail."

"Not fucking happening!" I objected without thinking twice, my hand latching onto Violet's wrist.

"No fucking way," Ridoc muttered from behind us, shaking his head.

"Finally!" Jack threw his hands in the air like he won already.

"This can't be allowed!" I said, my voice raising as I looked at Professor Emetterio. "He'll kill her, and we know it. If she dies, so does my brother and I cannot allow that to happen."

"Let's do this," Violet spoke up, pulling her wrist out of my hold.

I whirled around on her, my anger spiking. "Not happening, Sorrengail," I bit out, stepping in front of her before she could step onto the mat. "My brother's life is connected to yours and I'm not allowing this to happen." I then looked at a guilty Liam beside her, confusing me for a second. "Find my brother and Garrick," I ordered him, but he hesitated, looking at Violet. "Liam Mairi, now!"

Liam nodded and then looked at Ridoc. "Guard her like you're me."

"You mean like I'm six inches taller and built like a bull?" Ridoc sent him a thumbs-up. "Sure. I'll do my best. In the meantime, you'd better run."

Liam looked at Violet. "Stay alive."

"Working on it, and not just for my sake." She sent him a smile. "Thanks for being a great shadow."

Liam's eyes widened for a split second before he sprinted out of the gym.

"Do not talk like that," I snarled at Violet, grabbing her shoulders. "You can't do this, Vi. If you die on this mat, then my brother dies, and I can't watch that happen."

Violet looked up at me with a gulp. "Then don't."

"Garrick!" I practically screamed into my mind, praying I was talking to him like he could talk to me. "Get my brother to the fucking sparring gym, now!"