Death, Dragons & Dumb Decisions
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Last published Wed, Nov 12, 2025
Surviving the Riders Quadrant is hard enough, but surviving it while keeping a massive secret? That's just plain reckless.
Nyx Greycastle-well, that's the name she's using-has spent her life surrounded by dragons, but pretending to be just another first-year cadet at Basgiath War College is proving more difficult than she expected. Between sadistic instructors, bloodthirsty rivals, and an annoyingly handsome wingleader who keeps looking at her like he knows something, staying under the radar is impossible.
Oh, and there's also the minor issue of not dying before Threshing.
With secrets, enemies, and an ever-growing number of dumb decisions piling up, Nyx is in for the deadliest three years of her life. But if she wants to claim a dragon-and live long enough to turn the tide of a secret war-she'll have to prove she's more than just a name.
Because in the Riders Quadrant, survival isn't guaranteed.
It's earned.
Updated on AO3 first under the same name.
I do not own the characters, only Aelin Tauri/ Nyx Greycastle, please let me know if you are enjoying
All Rights Reserved
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A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead. - Article One, Section One, The Dragon Rider's Codex "Anyone else feel like changing their mind?" Xaden shouts, scanning the remaining rows of cadets with the same shrewd gaze of the navy-blue dragon behind him. "No? Excellent. Roughly half of you will be dead by this time next summer." The formation is silent except for a few untimely sobs from my left. "A third of you again the year after that, and the same your last year. No one cares who your mommy or daddy is here. Even King Tauri's second son died during his Threshing. So tell me again: Do you feel invincible now that you've made it into the Rider's Quadrant? Untouchable? Elite?" No one cheers. Another blast of heat rushes - this time directly at my face - and every muscle in my body clenches, preparing for incineration. But it's not flames... just steam, and it blows back Rhiannon's braid as the dragons finish their simultaneous exhale. The breeches on the first-year ahead of me darken, the color spreading down his legs. They want us scared. Mission accomplished. "Because you're not untouchable or special to them." Xaden points toward the navy dragon and leans forward slightly, like he's letting us in on a secret as we lock eyes. "To them, you're just the prey." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Who is that?" "Rhae Sorrengail, the forgotten daughter. She's Violet's twin, they're nothing alike though. Violet is the calm before a storm, and Rhae is the hurricane. The anger and stubbornness of that woman are insane." "God forbid she and Xaden stay in the same room for too long. Someone would likely end up dead." Started: June 5, 2025. Finished:
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