Third Wing

Chapter Four

Elise's Perspective:

My body is still trembling from fear as I wrap my twin in between my arms. I yelp as I look over her shoulder and see the distance between us and the bottom of the parapet. McKell pulls me away and holds me at arm's length. 

"It's okay. We're okay," she says calmly, trying to steady me. But we both know it'll be a while before I can breathe steadily again. I'm not afraid of fighting, dragons, or pain. But heights? I was sure I was going to pass out while I was out there. The only thing that got me through it was thinking that I couldn't leave McKell to do this by herself. 

"Let's move away from the parapet, please," I say, my voice pathetically weak. McKell nods, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the other cadets. 

"We made it!" Rhiya says, wrapping her arms around both me and McKell. The nausea hits me all at once, and I have to lean against my twin to keep me on my feet. My head starts screaming at me as white starts clouding the edges of my vision. My hands are shaking so hard they completely stop working.  

"Are you okay?" Rhiya says, looking at me with a concerned expression. 

"Just peachy," I grunt out. 

Suddenly, I notice a tall figure dressed in all black charging for us. Rhiya stumbles out of the way quick enough to avoid him but both me and McKell smack into his hard chest. He wraps his arms tightly around us. 

"McKell, Elise!" I immediately recognize the voice. Deign. 

He sets us down and I look up at him. He's tall, tan, strong, and has a nice smile. Everything about him seems a little harder than last time I saw him, but it works for him. I can't deny that he is completely gorgeous. But like I said earlier... It's hard to think of Deign in any sort of romantic way. He's a good friend, though. 

"What in the world are you doing here?" He barks, the shock in his eyes turning to something deadly. He looks between me and McKell, his jaw tensing. 

"We missed you so much we had to join, just to see you," I say sarcastically. 

"Dang it, Sorrengail!" He curses under his breath, looking over our heads to all the cadets around us. Finally, he looks back at us and nods in the direction of an alcove in the wall close to the defensive turret of the citadel. He starts heading there and we're quick to follow. Or at least McKell is, while I stumble alongside her. 

Once we get there, McKell sits me on a wooden bench. I put my head between my knees and pray that the earth will stop spinning soon. I focus on breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. Calm down, Elise. I put my hand over my heart and attempt to will it to slow down. 

After a moment, McKell stumps down next me, shoving her pack to the side. I look up to notice her hands and knees all bloodied. Shame and guilt consume me all at once. Here I was making my poor sister hold me up while she had real injuries. 

"You're bleeding," I say, sitting up straight. 

"I'm fine," she says dismissively.

"No. You're not," Deign says in a harsh voice, his eyes narrowing in on McKell. I look up at him, surprised. Deign has always been so sweet. I'm not used to him being so... forceful. He sighs, kneeling down in front of McKell. He takes her chin in between his thumb and forefinger, turning her face right then left for inspection. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Worry laces his voice. 

"I'm fine, Deign," she assures him. "I promise." 

He stands back up, his eyes sweeping over McKell like he's never seen her before. For a moment, there's longing in his eyes. For a moment he looks at her like she's the only thing in the world worth anything to him. Then it's gone. 

"I'll be right back. I'll go to my room and get something to wrap your knees and hands with," Deign says, taking one last glance at McKell before he walks away. 

"So, when's the wedding?" I ask, grinning. McKell shoves me and I fall over laughing. "Come on, marrying him wouldn't be all bad." 

"Really?" She says, raising an eyebrow. 

"Weddings mean free cake," I point out. 

"Well in that case..." She says, playfully rolling her eyes. "Can it be Chocolate?" 

"You are the bride, I'm sure you can decide." I nod, pushing myself back up on the bench. 

"Then I'll consider it," she jokes, shrugging her shoulders dramatically. We both laugh, shaking our heads. Deign is our best friend. He has been in our lives since we were little. He held us together when Mya left to become a rider and when Bacon died. It isn't super hard to imagine him and McKell one day getting married. 

Deign speedily walks back to us, self-adherent wrap in his hands. He kneels back down in front of McKell. He doesn't say anything, just starts wrapping her knee up. McKell winces and Deign looks up at her apologetically. "Sorry," he mutters. 

"Are there any more height things? Ya know, besides the whole riding on the back of a dragon thing?" I ask. 

"Well, there's the gauntlet. And the fact that the whole school is built on the side of a cliff." I groan. 

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you were going to join the Healer Quadrant," he says, annoyance evident in his voice. Of course Deign isn't happy to see us. He's always been overprotective, especially over McKell. When we were little, she fell and hit her tooth on a rock. She lost three of her baby teeth. Deign got so mad, he punched the rock as hard as he could. He broke his hand that day.

"Not happy to see us?" McKell asks, a sarcastic smile painted on her face. 

"You know I'm always happy to see you," he half grumbles, half whispers, a blush creeping on his face.

"Me too, right?" I ask, giving him an innocent smile. He glares at me and begins wrapping McKell's other knee. 

"Answer the question," he growls.

"General Sorrengail would never allow her own flesh and blood to be anything other than riders," I say in a matter-of-fact voice. 

"Of course," he grumbles under his breath. He takes in a deep breath and stands up. "Okay, give me your hands," he says to McKell. She reluctantly does and he cleans and wraps them. 

"We should get back soon," I say. "Me and McKell are hoping to be in the same squad." 

"Amber's in charge of putting first years in squads, and she owes me a favor. I'm the leader of Second Squad, Flame Section, Second Wing. I'll have her put you in with me." My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Leader of a Squad? Second years aren't usually allowed leadership positions, which means Deign Aetos made a good reputation for himself here.

We all get up, walking back out to the field, and I quickly spot Rhiya heading for us. "There you guys are! I was starting to worry. Is everything okay?" She looks between us and Deign. 

"Everything's great," McKell says, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Who's this?" Deign asks, stepping in between her and McKell. I try hard not to roll my eyes at the action. I fail. 

"This is Rhiya. She's our friend." Or at least I think she is. 

"I'll go talk to Amber, stay out of trouble," Deign says before leaving us. 

After a couple hours pass, the last of the cadets walk into the courtyard, followed by the three riders from the other turret. I turn back to McKell. I can't help but notice how well she fits in here. You'd never be able to tell this wasn't her first choice.