Wren never expected her life to change the moment she set foot in the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College. But everything shifted when she met Liam Mairi. Loving him was effortless, bright, and full of promise. Losing him was shattering.
His dea...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Dain is speaking, his voice carrying over the courtyard a half hour later as we stand on the dais in front of formation, the other wingleaders to his right. The sun has fallen beneath the peaks behind us, but there's more than enough light for us to see the disbelief on the face of almost every rider.
It's only the marked ones and my squad who don't begin to argue amongst themselves, some quiet, some outright yelling.
"This is ridiculous." I grumble leaning heavily on Bodhi trying to manage staying on my feet. My uniform is clean, rucksack packed and ready. He objected to wrapping and bracing my broken body, both him and Ryuu agreeing that I should be spending this time being mended. But I outright refused until Vi was also mended. That prompted another argument that neither of them won. It's not surprising more than one cadet was openly gawking at my face, it was pretty hideous.
Nolon must have only mended the most severe of my injuries, because my face is a collage of new and old bruises not to mention how that pattern continues underneath my uniform with a few added wounds that would scar. The cuts burned with every brush of fabric to the exposed wounds. Bodhi shook the entire time it took to help me change.
"If you don't believe me, ask your dragons!" Dain shouts.
Ryuu huffs, "If their dragons agree to tell them." I had finally drank the antidote after Bodhi and Xaden both damn near forced it down my throat. Trust was not as simple as it once was...not anymore. To be honest I almost crawled out of my skin when their hands were on me, mentally reminding myself that Bodhi and Xaden would never hurt me.
"Are the Empyrean's being total douchebags?" I question him.
Another huff, "It will be up to the individual dragon. They will not interfere, nor will they punish those who choose to leave and take their clutches and hatchlings with them."
"Not surprising that they are being neutral." I guess I should be happy that they aren't choosing to slaughter any dragons choosing to fight.
"You're in pain." He states like I have absolutely no idea.
"I will survive." I tell him.
"You should be seeing someone for mending." He orders me, his voice sharp.
I let out a deep sigh, Bodhi raising a brow in my direction. "That would involve me letting someone actually touch me, and for that I need to trust them. And right now....I just can't....even the thought...." My body starts to shake uncontrollably. Bodhi's hold on me tightens which only makes me want to recoil more. "I'm sorry."
"Don't you dare apologize little bird."
"I don't want anyone to touch me....not yet." My voice barely a whisper.
"I will never forgive myself." Ryuu's voice was clouded with sorrow.
