Chapter 5
Chapter
Five
I hit the ocean back first, the impact slamming into me like I’d been thrown against solid rock.
The force of the fall stole the air from my lungs, pain exploding across my spine and shoulders as the icy water swallowed me whole.
My body plunged into the depths, disoriented, my limbs flailing as I struggled to right myself.
The world around me was silent. The murky blue pressing in on all sides, the cold seeping into my bones like a vice. Panic clawed at my chest.
I wasn’t a strong swimmer, and the weight of my soaked clothes dragged me downward. I kicked wildly, forcing my burning lungs to hold on just a little longer, ignoring the sharp, relentless pain radiating through my back.
Don’t panic.
I forced my arms into motion, pushing up, reaching for the surface, even as my body screamed for oxygen. Darkness flickered at the edges of my vision, but then I broke through.
I gasped, sucking in air as saltwater flooded my mouth.
The taste of failure. The waves slammed into me, sending me under again for a brief second before I resurfaced, coughing and sputtering.
I wiped the water from my eyes, dragging myself toward the shore.
One stroke. Another. Keep going. My muscles burned, my limbs sluggish from exhaustion and the chill of the water.
By the time I crawled onto the beach, my body felt like deadwood, my arms trembling as I pushed myself upright. Wet sand clung to me, my breath coming in ragged, shuddering gasps. I barely had time to process the humiliation before the laughter started.
Iron Fang.
Perin, standing at the front, his smug smirk sharpened. “Look at that,” he sneered, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. “Well, that was an epic failure.”
Another Iron Fang recruit, a wiry, sharp-eyed woman, snickered. “She swims like a drowning rat.”
A third, taller man with close-cropped dark hair chuckled, crossing his arms. “Maybe she should just enlist in the infantry.”
Laughter rippled through their ranks, loud, bitter, and merciless.
I clenched my fists, my body still shaking from exertion. Shame burned beneath my skin, hot and unbearable. The Sentinel had tossed me aside like I was nothing, and I had an audience for my failure.
I forced my spine straight despite the ache radiating down my back. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.
Across the beach, Zander stared at me, but he was no longer alone. The massive silver Striker beside him was the largest in the horde. Even a little bigger than the Sentinel.
His expression remained impassive, a mask of detached nobility, but something tightened in his jaw, his lips pressed into a thin, unreadable line.
He wasn’t the only one staring.
Zander’s dragon, Hein, lingered on me .
The massive beast’s golden eyes were locked on me with a sharp, almost predatory focus, his wings shifting with barely contained tension.
I swallowed hard, shoving my humiliation deep, deep down, then turned toward Major Kaler, lifting my chin.
“What’s next?” I asked, my voice hoarse but steady.
I wouldn’t let them see how much it hurt.
Zander moved toward his dragon, not bothering with a rope like the rest of us had.
Instead, he simply grabbed onto Hein’s thick forearm, the dragon lowering its massive limb just enough for him to hoist himself up with effortless ease.
With a quick push, Zander swung onto Hein’s back, gripping his back with his legs before the dragon’s powerful wings flared wide.
Damn show-off.
He didn’t even look back before Hein launched into the air, the downforce from his wings sending a gust of wind strong enough to whip sand into my already-soaked face.
“Prick,” Jax muttered under his breath, shaking sand from his hair.
Zander and Hein soared over the beach, banking toward the castle in a single fluid movement. No rope. No hesitation. Just pure, unchallenged skill.
Major Kaler, still standing by the table, turned to Tae with a clipped nod. “Take Ashlyn and your squad back to your barracks and get changed. Your rider’s armor will be delivered shortly.”
Tae motioned for us to follow, and we made our way back to the rope, our clothes still damp, our boots filled with sand, and our pride in various states of disrepair.
“Are we cadets now?” Riven asked, wiping some of the wet sand from her arms as she walked beside Tae.
Tae exhaled, pushing his blond hair out of his face. “Cordelle is,” he said, nodding toward our poet, who still looked radiant over his easy-bonding experience. “The rest of you are just prospects until your pendant reveals your scale.”
“Figures,” Jax grumbled. “The only one who doesn’t get thrown into the ocean on his first ride ascends first.”
Cordelle grinned, completely unbothered. “Kass and I have a deep connection.”
I smiled. “Kass seems like a nice dragon. I envy you.”
“And you were tossed into the sea like an unwanted fish,” Perin reminded me loudly from behind, earning a few chuckles from his fellow Iron Fang members.
I clenched my jaw but didn’t look back. Not worth it. Not yet.
Tae shook his head, clearly over it. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get back before Major Ledor finds an excuse to run us through another ‘initiation’ course.”
We climbed the rope, heading back toward the castle.
By the time we reached our barracks, exhaustion was seeping into my bones, the damp chill from the ocean still clinging to my skin. My squadmates filed inside, shaking off the remnants of seawater and sand, but before I could do more than take off my boots, Riven stood in front of me.
“You first,” she said, her tone brooking no argument.
I hesitated, glancing at the others. Jax, Cordelle, and even Tae all gave me the same expectant expression. Naia, of course, just leaned against the far wall with her arms crossed, making no effort to join the little show of camaraderie.
“Fine,” I muttered, grabbing dry clothes from my pack and heading toward the washroom.
The moment I peeled off my wet gear, I realized just how cold I still was.
The saltwater had done a number on me, and despite the warmer clothes, a chill had settled deep in my core.
When I stepped back into the main room, I went straight for my bunk, climbing under the covers to warm up, my muscles aching with every small movement.
I had barely tucked my arms around myself when Cordelle wandered over, hands tucked into his pockets, his ever-present journal tucked under one arm. He grinned down at me.
“You know, your dragon is incredibly impressive,” he said, his voice carrying its usual easy warmth.
“Sure,” I muttered, “if you want to become fish food.”
Cordelle chuckled. “Come on, she’s massive, powerful, completely unlike the others?—”
“And she refused the bond,” I interrupted, my voice edged with more bitterness than I intended.
Cordelle tilted his head slightly, considering my words. “Many do at first.”
I frowned. “How do you know that?”
“My father is the lorekeeper,” Cordelle explained, shifting his weight. “He records the histories for the castle and has access to the library.”
I blinked. “So you actually read about this kind of stuff?”
“Oh yes,” Cordelle said with a soft smile. “It gives me ideas for my poems.”
Of course it did.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small and metallic. “Here,” he said, extending it toward me. “Take this.”
I sat up slightly, my fingers closing around the cool metal. It was a charm, shaped like a dragon’s head, intricate despite its small size.
“What is it?” I asked, turning it over in my palm.
“It’s supposed to help with mental focus, to help you attune to your dragon,” Cordelle explained. “I don’t need it. Kass is very accepting.”
I swallowed, touched by the gesture. “Thank you, Cordelle.”
The moment my fingers fully curled around it, I felt a slight tingle run up my arm, a soft pulse of something unfamiliar but not unwelcome.
I lifted an eyebrow. “It’s imbued with magic.”
Cordelle shrugged. “That’s what my father said.”
I glanced down at my wrist, where a thin leather bracelet sat—a gift from Solei. It had been with me for years, a quiet reminder of the sister who had been more of a parent than Cyran.
“Can you attach it?” I asked, holding out my arm.
Cordelle nodded, his expression warm as he took the bracelet and carefully fastened the charm to it. “Now we’ll always be friends,” he said with a small grin.
I smiled back at him. “Yes, we will.”
The door to our barracks swung open with sharp authority, and Zander Rayne stepped inside, followed closely by a castle guard pushing a small cart laden with dark leather gear. The scent of freshly tanned hide filled the space as the wheels of the cart rattled across the hard floor.
Zander’s sharp gaze swept over us, impassive as ever. “Here is your gear. Put it on and meet me in the ring in ten minutes,” he ordered.
He turned to leave but hesitated just for a second—his eyes flicking toward me. I was still half-buried under my covers, with Cordelle sitting cross-legged at the edge of my bed.
His expression was unreadable, but I knew judgment when I saw it.
Then, just as quickly, he was gone, the wooden door swinging shut behind him.
Jax let out a low whistle and immediately stripped down to his underwear, completely unfazed as he began putting on the new gear. Across the room, Naia followed suit, equally unbothered.
I sighed, realizing I was going to have to get used to everyone being half-naked, considering we had one washroom and limited time. With a groan, I rolled out of bed, stretching stiff muscles before grabbing my new gear from the cart.
Cordelle did the same, though he waited patiently for Eilvin to exit the washroom before ducking inside to change.