Chapter 14
Tess
"Your cat is going to miss the hell out of you, you know."
Mason’s low, teasing voice rumbled from behind me, breaking through my nervous thoughts. I barely had time to process the cool morning air biting against my skin before his words pulled a smile from my lips. I turned toward him, shaking my head slightly.
"Don't remind me," I sighed, adjusting the strap of my pack on my shoulder. "Pippa promised she'd check on him."
Mason's massive form leaned casually against the sturdy oak tree beside me, arms crossed, looking every bit the mountain he was. Despite the tension in the air around us, the way his dark eyes softened at my obvious concern for my cat made something warm coil in my chest.
"I’d be more surprised if he caused some chaos. He's such a chill cat." He stepped in front of me, barely looking down as he continued in his usual low tone, one that only I could really hear. "Then again, maybe he'll cause some mischief and prove me wrong."
I snorted, shaking my head more forcefully this time, trying to clear the nerves pooling at my stomach. "Yeah, right. Whiskey? Do anything but sleep?" I raised an eyebrow at him, the banter a relief from the worrying thoughts swirling in my head. That ball of tension in my chest loosened, if only a little. "Next, you’ll tell me that Kane actually has a secret talent for knitting."
"Maybe,” Mason replied without missing a beat. "Though he’d probably stab someone in the eye with the knitting needles."
That earned him a full laugh, one that probably caught some attention from the other applicants slowly gathering nearby. We weren’t the only ones who had arrived early for the Survival Challenge, but most of the others stayed quiet, keeping to themselves and their groups as they eyed the growing crowd warily.
The early morning mist clung to the edge of the forest surrounding the training grounds. The air had that same crisp, earthy bite that signaled the first days of autumn slipping in. I pulled my hood tighter over my brown hair, wishing it did more to keep the biting chill from seeping into my bones.
My eyes involuntarily darted to the tree line marking the boundary between the Guild’s grounds and the untamed wilderness beyond. In a few minutes, we would be dropped somewhere out there —deep in the forest, cut off from these grounds and left to fight our way back. The weight of the challenge wasn’t lost on me.
This was wild. Uncontrolled.
This was an actual test of survival—the Guild's way of showing that we weren't just auditioning for some high-status role. We were fighting for it.
"At least you've got me in your corner, little flame," Thalon's voice purred in my mind. "Though I must say, watching you all scurry around like worried mice is quite entertaining."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I shot back, but couldn't help smiling. "And here I thought dragons were supposed to be wise and supportive."
"Oh, I am incredibly wise," he replied with a mental chuckle that felt like warm honey. "Wise enough to know that sometimes laughter is the best medicine for pre-challenge jitters."
"I assume Kane's already run through fifty ways this challenge could go wrong," I said lightly, trying to keep the mood from turning too bleak. "He wasn't at dinner last night, so I kept thinking maybe he was somewhere drawing up plans and strategies all night."
Mason let out a low hum of acknowledgement, glancing over at the pale-haired Fae who stood a little farther off to the edge of the group, dissecting each applicant with calculating eyes that rarely missed anything. Kane looked like a statue—stiff, cold, and terribly efficient, like always.
We hadn’t spoken much since our rather... tense conversation in my office the other day. But I could feel the undercurrent of distance lingering in every interaction between us since then. Even now, his stance screamed strategist in overdrive .
"He doesn’t take chances lightly," Mason murmured, his gaze flickering between Kane and me. "If he needs a strategy, he’ll have ten in his back pocket by the time we get dropped out there."
Part of me found comfort in that. The other part hated the stiffness of it—the way Kane always seemed to calculate every move like it was some kind of chess game where losing was an impossible option.
But Mason...
Mason was different. His presence grounded me in ways I hadn't anticipated. "I'm glad you're here for this," I blurted out softly, the words surprising even me.
"Someone's getting rather cozy with the gargoyle," Thalon's amused voice whispered in my mind.
"Oh hush," I shot back, though I couldn't help smiling. "Mason's just... Mason."
"Indeed he is," Thalon agreed, his mental tone softening. "And you'd do well to lean on him today, little one. I'll be watching, but this challenge is yours to face without my aid. We don't want anyone questioning your rightful place here."
"I understand," I replied.
Mason's dark eyes met mine, and in the early morning light, they held that same quiet intensity he always carried—one that I found both fiercely protective and disarmingly gentle. He didn't say anything for a moment, but that look alone said more than words could. He was here, and he wasn't just any teammate. He was my anchor in all this uncertainty, even if he didn't fully realize it.
"Wouldn't be anywhere else," Mason grunted, his lips pulling into a barely-there smile. And like that, the warmth between us grew just a fraction stronger, despite the surrounding chill.
Before I could respond to Mason, a familiar figure caught my eye. Anya stood alone near the edge of the gathering, her dark sweater making her look like a shadow against the misty morning. Her violet eyes darted between groups, and something in her solitary stance tugged at my heart.
"Anya!" I called out, waving her over. "Come join us?"
She hesitated for a moment before gliding toward us, her movements graceful despite her obvious tension. As she approached, I noticed the protective charms around her neck gleaming faintly in the dim light.
"Morning," she said softly, offering a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Any theories on the team assignments?"
"Besides hoping we don't get stuck with Valen or Selena?" I grimaced. "I'm trying not to think about it too much."
"A wise strategy," a smooth voice cut in, and I felt my cheeks warm slightly as Draven appeared beside us, somehow managing to look perfectly put together despite the early hour. His hazel eyes sparkled with mischief as they met mine. "Though personally, I'm hoping for a certain librarian on my team. It would make surviving in the wilderness far more... interesting."
Mason shifted almost imperceptibly closer to me, while I caught Kane's attention suddenly snap our way from his position near the tree line. The possessive energy radiating from both of them surprised me.
"I doubt Aelar's considering entertainment value in his team selections," Kane's cool voice carried over as he finally joined our group.
Draven's answering grin was all charm. "No? That's a shame. Some of us work better with proper motivation."
I fought to keep my expression neutral, even as heat crept up my neck. "I think staying alive and not getting kicked out of the program is motivation enough."
"Speaking of staying alive," Anya interjected, her gaze fixed on something behind me, "it looks like some are already plotting ways to ensure others don't."
Following her line of sight, I spotted Selena and Valen with their heads bent together, occasionally shooting calculating glances our way. The sight made my stomach clench. If those two ended up on the same team...
"They can plot all they want," Mason rumbled, his protective instincts clearly kicking in. "They'll have to find us first."
"And survive themselves," Kane added, his tone carrying an edge of satisfaction. "The forest isn't exactly forgiving to those who waste energy on vendettas."
"Still," I muttered, "I wouldn't put it past them to—"
The sudden hush that fell over the gathering cut me off. Aelar had arrived.
The Dragon Rider Guild's instructor stood before us, his piercing blue eyes sweeping across the assembled applicants with calculated precision. Even in the dim morning light, his presence commanded attention, and the weight of what we were about to undertake suddenly felt very, very real.
The randomized team assignments were about to begin, and with them, our real test would start. I found myself holding my breath, unconsciously stepping closer to Mason as Aelar raised his hand for silence.
"Applicants," Aelar's voice cut through the morning air, "this challenge will test more than your physical endurance or magical prowess. It will reveal your true nature under pressure.
He continued, “The rules are simple. Your teams will be transported to separate locations within the wilderness. Your objective is to make it back to the Guild by Friday at noon."
Someone shifted nervously in the crowd. I felt Mason's steady presence at my back, grateful for his unwavering support.
"However," Aelar's voice took on a harder edge, "what you may not have known is that failure to return by the deadline as a team will result in immediate elimination from the Dragon Rider program."
The shock rippled through the gathering like a physical wave. My heart stuttered in my chest. Elimination? Everything we'd worked for, gone in an instant if we couldn't make it back in time?
"That's insane," someone's voice growled from somewhere to my left. "What about sabotage? Are we just supposed to let others take us out?"
Aelar's expression remained impassive. "Sabotage is permitted." His words sent another wave of murmurs through the crowd. "However, I would suggest focusing on your own survival instead of worrying about others. Your teams will be dropped in different regions, and hunting down other groups might prove... wasteful."
I caught Kane's slight nod from the corner of my eye. Of course he'd appreciate the strategic implications.
"Each team will receive basic supplies only—water bottles, knives, and a backpack." Aelar held up each item as he listed them. "As for your magic..." His eyes narrowed slightly. "While you may use your abilities, know that every magical act will come with... consequences."
The cryptic warning hung in the air like smoke. I could practically feel the tension radiating from the gathered applicants as they processed this information.
"Now," Aelar produced a scroll from his robes, "for the team assignments."
My fingers found Mason's arm without conscious thought, gripping it tightly. Please, please let us be together...
"Team One: Draven Loto, Anya Ravenspell..."
I squeezed Mason's arm tighter as Aelar continued through the list. Each name called that wasn't ours made my heart race faster.
"Team Three: Selena Nightshade, Valen Beaumont, Jareth..."
The predatory smile that crossed Selena's face made my stomach turn.
"Team Four: Tempest Whittaker..."
I held my breath.
"Mason Sharpe..."
Relief flooded through me so intensely my knees almost buckled.
"Kane Ellesar..."
Well, that was... complicated. But at least with Mason there—
"And Raze Ulrich."
I felt Mason relax slightly beside me at the mention of Raze's name. When I glanced up at him questioningly, he gave me a subtle nod that somehow managed to be reassuring.
"Raze is solid," he murmured, low enough that only I could hear. "Good in a fight, better in the woods."
Kane, however, didn't seem to share Mason's confidence. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly as he assessed our newly assigned teammate across the gathering. Raze was impossible to miss – tall and muscular with spiky brown hair. When our eyes met briefly, he gave a sharp nod of acknowledgment.
My attention was pulled away by movement near Draven's group. Anya looked even paler than usual as she stepped toward her assigned team, and my chest tightened with worry. She wasn't exactly known for her combat skills, and the wilderness...
As if sensing my concern, Draven caught my eye. That familiar playful smirk crossed his face as he mouthed, "I'll keep her safe." Despite everything, I found myself believing him.
"Well, well," a silky voice cut through my thoughts. "Looks like some of us got luckier than others with our assignments."
Selena's words dripped with sugar-coated venom as she passed our group, Valen's towering form a dark shadow behind her. The way they moved together, already in sync, sent a chill down my spine that had nothing to do with the morning air.
"Careful, Selena," Kane's voice was arctic. "Luck tends to run out quickly in the wilderness."
She merely laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "We'll see about that, won't we?"
As they walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling that we'd just witnessed the formation of something dangerous. Selena, Valen, and Jareth—it was like watching storm clouds gathering on the horizon.
"Don't let them get in your head," Mason rumbled, his hand finding the small of my back in a gesture that was both protective and grounding. "We focus on ourselves, on getting back on time."
Kane's calculating gaze swept over our newly formed team. "Mason's right. We need to strategize before—"
"Attention!" Aelar's voice cut through all conversation. "Teams will now be transported to their starting positions. Remember, you have until Friday at 0800 hours. The wilderness is unforgiving, and time..." his eyes seemed to pierce right through me, "...time is not on your side."
The morning mist began to thicken around us, swirling with unnatural purpose. The last thing I saw before the transportation magic took hold was Draven giving Anya's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and Selena's triumphant smile as she looked our way one final time.
Then everything dissolved into smoke and shadow, and our real test began.