*Book 2 of 2*
Every year, hundreds die within the walls of Basgiath War College. It's no surprise that many are those who choose the Riders Quadrant. Dragons do not tolerate much, but neither do the ruthless gryphons on the outside of the war...
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・・・ ・・・ ・・・
"He just threatened your life." Xaden's words hardly manage to get into my head. I think they only did because he spoke them in Tyrrish. My heart pounds in my chest, unsteady with no discernable rhythm. My fingers curl until my nails are biting into my palms, but my mind is racing as I stare along the ridge out toward the Gauntlet. Energy whips across my skin. It stings and sizzles each pin-prick of flesh it strikes. Tiny flashes of pale blue light flicker around my feet but the shadows curling around them don't budge. Xaden.
My body burns as hot as dragon fire, only aided by the alcohol in my bloodstream. Xaden steps in front of me. His obsidian eyes settle right in front of mine but I can't seem to focus my gaze. "Let it out," he tells me, his voice invading my mind. Like a command from my own head, my eyes snap shut and white overtakes my vision with a loud crack from the sky.
I blink a few times, now on my knees on the cold stone of the stairs that lead to the flight field. My chest heaves against his arm as his hand holds my shoulder back so I stay upright. My breaths rise when I realize my vision hasn't come back. I can feel my eyes darting around but nothing appears.
Tears sting my sore eyes and I just can't hold it together. I cough out a sob and try to drag in air but it catches on my throat and stabs into my stomach. My hands dig into his forearm, fingernails tearing his skin as I squeeze my eyes shut and then blink them open to see if my sight returned. I can't stop the torrent of sorrow and anger and pain that streams over my face and wracks my vocal chords. Even when I pinch my lips closed, I squeak back cries, still desperately unable to breathe. An ache swirls my head, squeezing it tight with razor-sharp strings.
"I can't see, I can't see," I croak through rasped breaths and swallowed chokes. "It's just shadows," he tells me quietly. His hand slides over my shoulder to around my back and he pulls me toward him. My face sinks into the crook between his neck and his shoulder. It's shockingly comfortable, despite the bones and hard muscles. Nowhere's better to let my tears race. Why can't he just let me in? Why can't he let us have this?
"Fuck," I grumble, releasing my claws from his arm to push on his chest until his arms slide away. I force myself to a wobbly stand as the shadows peel away and show me the moon in the night sky again. Getting drunk this early in the night was a very poor idea. I didn't know Aetos was on campus.
He pulls me forward gently by his arm my hand still rests on. I pull it away to swipe at my eyes before following. "I shouldn't have made you come out here," he says, more to himself than me, with teeth grinding as his jaw flexes. I press two fingers harshly into my chest, desperately trying to push my heart back into a calmer rhythm before some part of my body gives out again. Xaden places a hand on the small of my back, guiding me carefully up the stairs.
