5. CHAPTER 5
I showered fast that night—twenty of us had beaten the rest back to the barracks.
Inside, the room pressed tight, cadets huddled shoulder to shoulder.
A few slipped out, probably chasing the same water.
I claimed a seat, the chatter swelling like we were all supposed to start bonding.
Fantastic. I had no plans to get close. Basic ended with graduation, and after that we’d scatter into different branches. Why bother tying myself down?
“Going around clockwise, what’s everyone’s name and intended branch? I am Callum and… a Shapeshifter.”
“Beau, Infantry.” I chuckled, figures.
“Vivian, Sorcerer.” Fifth squad.
“William, shape shifter.” Fifth squad.
“Blaze.” He motioned his head to his back, where his wings popped out. “Drusearon.” Fifth squad.
“Ophelia, Healer.” Second squad.
“Asher, Infantry.” Second squad.
“Auriella, Rider,” I said.
“Selene, Historian.” Second squad.
“Finn, Healer.” Fifth squad.
“Thora, Rider.” Fifth Squad. I looked at her, locking eyes with her, and we smiled at each other.
They continued around the room, I heard a few more Infantry, another Drusearon and a couple of the others.
Thora and I remained the only Riders in this small group.
I often drifted into my thoughts, lost in memories.
I recalled the earlier encounter when I saw that intense, attractive male, who left me eager to see him again.
Who was he? He wore plain black attire with no visible rank insignia, suggesting he might be a cadet, possibly one of the few who didn’t leave for the summer.
Wearing all black didn’t give me any solid clues, as Riders, Shapeshifters, and Drusearons all wore black.
Professors wore khaki pants with their branch color as their top, Infantry wore navy blue, Healers wore baby blue, Historians wore sage green, and Sorcerers wore dark purple.
The real question was, why did he cause such a physical response when our eyes locked?
Ow.
I felt an elbow nudge my side by Selene, bringing me back to the conversation.
“Sorry, what?” I asked. Callum chuckled as he looked at me.
“I was asking what type of Rider you and Thora are planning to be. Thora said a griffin.”
“Oh, yes, um, a dragon. I hope to be a fourth-generation dragon Rider.”
“That makes sense, as you were unfazed by the dragons when they flew overhead and during the courses.”
“I mean, I wouldn’t say unfazed, I was nervous. It is important to show confidence and respect them. They can be beautiful, but also ruthless.”
“Good to know.” He looked at William and began asking questions about where he lived and which bloodline he belonged to.
The last five days had beaten us raw. Relief came with the promise of a few days off—no drills, no runs, only rest. I slipped away to my bunk, pulled the blanket over my head, and let the weight of it press me down until sleep dragged me under.
****
He stood over me, and I gasped hard. He was here.
No, he couldn’t be. This was impossible.
Run. Roll and run. I rolled off my bed and ran out of the barracks and down the hall.
I could hear him coming for me, his wings moving alongside him.
This couldn’t be happening again. He caught up to me so fast .
“Come on, Auri, I only want to have some fun. You can’t run from me…”
He had me pushed against the wall, my heart beat out of my chest, and my breath ragged.
“Please, no. Please don’t touch me. Please. Please.”
I pleaded with every part of my life. This couldn’t be real. He was dead. I killed him. You’re dreaming, Auriella , I told myself.
Wake up.
Wake up.
Wake up.
“Wake upppppp!” My eyes flashed open, and I gasped in a hard breath as I saw Ophelia next to me.
“It’s merely a nightmare,” she said.
My chest pounded so hard, I felt like my heart might burst out.
I felt like I was struggling to catch my breath.
She placed her hand on mine and reminded me to breathe in and out.
I did precisely that. I took five deep breaths and realized I was beginning to calm myself.
It was a dream, one of many I had over the years.
I was safe. I was okay. I was alive. He couldn’t touch me again.
She gently removed her hand from mine and gave me a soft smile.
“I am sorry if I startled you,” I said.
“It’s okay, I heard something and looked over and saw you thrashing and breathing fast.”
“Do you know what time it is?”
“I think the grandfather clock reads four fifty.”
“Thank you.”
It wouldn’t be long before the platoon would be rising for morning formation and breakfast time, except for the two winning squads.
Although it was clear that if we didn’t make breakfast within the time the dining facility was open, we would indeed not be eating until lunch.
I slipped off my bunk, slid on my uniform, and decided to take a tour in the quiet hours.
I also wanted to learn my exits and places to hide .
I left our barracks room, which was on the seventh floor.
Turning left down the hallway led to the stadium classroom and the instructor’s chambers.
Turning right would take me to Watchtower Two and the stairway.
I chose to go right. I went up the stairs.
Although the building only had seven stories, the watchtower extended two more stories higher.
The four sturdy watchtowers at the corners of the cadet housing and classrooms were staffed by cadets on rotation.
During summer, students who chose to remain on base stayed as long as they took turns on watch.
As I reached the top of the stairs, I saw two cadets standing and chatting, overlooking the sprawling campus and the lush valleys.
I made a slight coughing sound to announce my attention. “Hi,” I said.
“Hello… are you lost?” the taller one in navy blue said.
“No, I haven’t been here before and wanted to enjoy the view.”
“Oh… Um… Okay.” He gestured to the wall.
I stepped forward and placed my forearms on the sturdy wall, gazing out over the expansive campus.
The view was breathtaking at this moment.
I admired the deep indigo sky, fading into the vibrant hues of sunrise.
Golden and pink streaks pushed through the horizon, helping me refocus, as they had done over the past several years.
I heard faint wingbeats, a sound I often listened for, and turned my head to see a delicate silhouette of a dragon and its Rider soaring high above.
They appeared to be on patrol. I watched in awe.
Their majestic figures moved gracefully through the sky.
They performed a daring barrel roll, seeming to enjoy themselves during their duty.
I let out a soft giggle, then remembered I was not alone in the tower. I looked over at them and smiled.
“Thank you for letting me have a view, I needed that fresh air.”
They both nodded, and I made my way down the tower.
I heard the bell tower signal that it was now zero-five hundred, and I knew the halls on the seventh floor would soon be filled with cadets heading to formation and the dining hall.
I headed straight down the stairs to the third floor.
Among all the wings, the third floor had a connecting hallway.
The third floor of the Alpha and Charlie Wings housed classrooms, whereas the Bravo Wing was dominated by two large gyms primarily used for sparring.
Although we hadn’t begun sparring yet, I was aware it was upcoming during basic training and would be a significant part of the Rider’s branch training.
I was also curious to see the overall gym and sparring mats.
I pushed the door open, stepped inside, and froze in surprise. Shit.
There was the guy from the courtyard yesterday. Fuck. I expected to be alone in the gym, coming at this hour while most others were lining up. I noticed I hadn’t shifted since walking in, my eyes fixed on him. He cleared his throat, which made me lower my gaze from the floor.
“Um, I’m… I’m… sorry. I didn’t think anyone would be here.” Shit. I was stuttering. This was great. Fan-fucking-tastic.
“No need to apologize, I am only trying to get some weight training done.” Gods, his voice was deep and had that perfect amount of roughness to it.
“That was my plan. I think we will start sparring next week.”
“Yeah, that usually happens during weeks three and four. Although if you want to spar, I am a good sparring partner.”
“Um, what are the rules around here? I don’t want to die during basic, that would be humiliating.” I let out a soft laugh, but the reality was that sparring caused some of the highest numbers of injuries within first and second-years.
“No kill blows, period. I also don’t want to die. No weapons, no intentional bone breaking. First to tap.”
“Sounds easy enough.”
“I am Zane, by the way.”
“Auriella.”
We both stepped onto the mat nearest the gym equipment.
I offered my hand out to shake, and he shook it.
I bounced on my heels a couple of times, feeling the mat becoming one with it.
This was simply like every other sparring I had done.
I threw out a right punch. He backed up just enough to miss it and moved to throw a half-right back towards me.
I bounced a little closer, watching his shoulders, waiting for a strike.
I took a step forward at the same time I threw a right hook, which he moved his shoulder back just in time, which was exactly what I wanted.
I immediately threw a left punch and connected with his chest.
His face gave him away—he hadn’t expected me to swing. He countered fast, driving a right into my left side. Pain flared, but I sucked in a breath and fired back. Two rights, then a left. The second right barely grazed him. He was quick, already picking apart my combos.
He struck again, fist slamming into my solar plexus. Air tore from my lungs. My body folded forward, chest burning, desperate for breath that wouldn’t come.
I knew I needed to take a breath and straighten the hell up fast. The moment I stood straight up, I felt his legs curl around my ankles, and down we went, him pinning me under him.
Shit. Shit. Shit. I didn’t want to be in this position, not after we basically eye-fucked in the courtyard yesterday. Why did I even agree to spar?
“Now what are you going to do?” he grumbled at me.
“I’m going to work on the problem… in my head.” I lifted my shoulders off the mat by pushing my head backwards, I worked my right arm in between us and did a hard hip thrust and rolled myself onto my stomach. I tucked my chin into my chest and rolled out and jumped to my feet.
“Like that…” I countered him.
“Nice.” He was already on his feet, moving side to side.
I threw a series of precise body shots, landing a few accurately. He countered with a few punches of his own, but I let one strike my shoulder and moved closer to him. I swept my leg, aiming at his feet. He staggered, and I pushed him, causing us to tumble to the ground with me straddling him.
“Now, what are you going to do?” Like, I didn’t realize he was much stronger, holding back on me, and could flip me with ease.
He let out a low growl. “I am going to let you soak in this moment, and I am going to enjoy the view.”
My eyebrows shot up high. He caught me off guard with that.
I shifted my gaze from his chest to his eyes, something I had been avoiding.
Our eyes locked once again, and my entire body tensed with a tingling sensation I couldn’t explain, something I had never felt before.
What about him made my body react this way?
“Your eyes are stunning,” he muttered.
“Thank you.” I shot to my feet before I did something I’d regret.
I had promised myself—no random hookups, not here, not at the school where I’d spend the next four years.
But gods, he was handsome. His eyes caught the light, pulling me in like a bee to a flower.
I told myself to run, but my legs wouldn’t move.
He rose, and I struck first. A right, a left, another right, another right, and a left that cracked hard against his cheek. Dammit—I hadn’t meant to hit that hard. His eyes flared with fury.
I dropped low, grabbed his leg, braced for the next move.
He hooked his arm under mine and yanked me sideways, wrenching me off balance and slamming me onto my back.
His weight crushed my collarbone, pinning me.
I jammed my forearms and elbows up into his ribs, sharp and fast. He grunted, shifted his grip, and rolled us over.
Suddenly I was face-down, his chest pressed to my back, his weight driving me into the floor.
This was a fucked position. I tucked my chin tight, fighting to keep him from locking my head. His breath skimmed my skin, his lips brushing the back of my neck. Heat shot through me, sharp and wrong and wanted all at once.
Trouble—more than sparring trouble. If he pushed, if he took me here on the mat, I knew part of me would yield.
My body betrayed me, aching for it even as my mind screamed no.
I couldn’t give in, not here, not like this.
I thrashed, elbows snapping back, but the strikes hit weak, barely a distraction.
The fight tangled with the pull inside me, every move caught between the need to resist and the dangerous want rising under my skin.
“You know I have you, right?” He growled in my ear.
“Ha. I am fighting until the very end.” I snapped back. He didn’t know how bothered I was at the moment. And I was hot and bothered in all the right places.
He brushed my hair aside and leaned in close to my ear. “Does my presence bother you as much as yours bothers me?” He gently pushed himself up, as if admiring me. I heard him take a deep breath, as if he were startled.
“What?” I didn’t know if that was in response to his slight gasp or to the question.
“That is an interesting mark…”
“Oh, it is a birthmark, my dad has one too.” My father had a similar one—a delicate crescent of five tiny dots positioned behind our right ears.
“I… um… got to go.” Before I could even respond, he was on his feet and shuffling out the door.
What the hell was that about? Maybe he realized we were starting to cross a line and hesitated to go further.
I was glad he pulled away. My self-control often flailed, making my reactions unpredictable.
I stood upright, wiped the sweat off my forehead, grabbed my sparse belongings, and headed for the busy dining hall to get breakfast. My stomach ached with hunger, as if it agreed with my decision.