Chapter 6 #2
So much for him protecting me.
Still, I smiled at Jax weakly. He wasn’t revealing what he saw. He wasn’t calling me out, wasn’t asking questions in front of the others. That meant more than I could say.
The others took their turns using the washroom, voices low as exhaustion settled over the room. But I drifted off before they had even finished, my body demanding rest despite the uneasy weight in my chest.
A soft buzzing in the back of my mind roused me from sleep. It wasn’t unpleasant—more like a ripple of warmth brushing against my consciousness.
Hello, beauty, Siergen’s voice purred in my head.
I sighed, sinking further into my blankets. Hey, Red.
Siergen’s voice purred through my mind, carrying a quiet amusement. You had an eventful day, I hear.
You could say that. I stretched, though every muscle in my body protested. Did you know my dragon was the Sentinel?
I suspected, but could not be sure until you took her pendant.
Well, you were right. And she hates me. I’d be deep-fried by now if it weren’t for…
I stopped myself.
Siergen was silent for a beat before responding. Your abilities. I am aware you have many of your own.
I tensed. It’s just healing.
If you say so.
A cold shiver ran down my spine at the way he said it.
I swallowed. Do you know why she hates me? Did I do something to offend her?
Her name is Kaelith, he corrected gently, and she doesn’t hate you. She hates riders in general.
I frowned. Do you know why?
Yes, but that is her story to tell.
Easy for you to say. She won’t talk to me.
Give her time. This is hard for her. She feels like she is being forced. Siergen sighed in my head.
And I’m not?
Siergen chuckled softly. Give her time to come to that realization. She has not involved herself in human affairs for over six hundred years.
Before the Unification.
Yes.
I exhaled, pressing a hand against my forehead. There was so much I didn’t know.
Siergen’s voice shifted, lighter, as if he were changing the subject. I understand you have a match with the prince.
I groaned. Unfortunately.
He is quite skilled, Siergen admitted. But he drops his left shoulder slightly before he attacks with his right. There is a split second where he is vulnerable.
I blinked. Why are you helping me?
There was wicked amusement in his tone when he responded. The prince has not lost a match in a long time. He needs to be reminded that he is not invincible.
I scoffed. He bonded the largest dragon in the horde. He kind of is.
Hein is the second-largest dragon in the horde.
I sat up. What? There is a bigger one.
Yes.
I stared into the darkness. Who?
The one you humans refer to as the Unifier.
My pulse spiked. The Unifier is still alive?
He is. Now, you must get ready and grab sustenance before your match. I must go.
Siergen—wait ? —
But the connection was gone.
I clenched my fists, frustration burning in my chest. How could he drop a revelation like that and leave?
I rolled out of bed, careful not to wake the others, and dressed in my training gear. My body had fully healed, but I was ravenous.
Slipping out of the barracks, I made my way toward the dining hall.
The First Guild had this meal slot, which meant I was met with more than a few strange looks as I entered the hall. But one glaring, hateful stare stood out above the rest.
Luther.
He sat near the center of the room, his expression tight with rage, his hands clenched around the table. He said nothing, but the anger in his eyes was clear.
I ignored him and moved toward the line, but as I reached for a tray, a voice whispered in my ear, low and taunting.
“You’re in the wrong guild.”
I turned to find a tall, broad-shouldered man with a large sword strapped across his back. He was attractive, with dark curls and sharp cheekbones, probably twenty-four, a few years older than me.
I lifted a brow. “I know, but I have an early date in the ring and won’t have time to eat with my squad.”
The man sighed. “Damn. The major’s putting you through the ringer, huh?”
“Lieutenant Rayne, actually.”
The stranger huffed a laugh. “That makes sense.”
Before I could react, he grabbed my hand and pulled me past the others waiting in line, shoving me to the front.
“Go ahead of me.”
I hesitated but grabbed a biscuit and some grapes. “Thanks. What’s your name?”
He grinned. “It’s Cade.”
“I appreciate your help, Cade.”
He winked, his eyes flicking to my hair. “This really is extraordinary.”
Before I could step away, he reached out and touched a strand of my hair.
And the moment his fingers brushed against it, a jolt of power surged between us, and I was sure it wasn’t me.
Cade jerked his hand back, eyes wide, as if he’d just been burned. “What the actual…?”
We both turned as Zander walked into the dining hall.
His sharp gaze locked onto us immediately, dangerous, assessing.
“Cade,” Zander snapped, his voice cold. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Cade lifted both hands, unapologetic. “What does it look like? I’m getting food. I saw a fellow rider and thought I’d help her skip the line.”
My jaw dropped.
“You’re a rider?”
Cade winked at me. “Of course. Zander and I were in diapers together. Would you believe he was even more of an asshole when he was three? Always stealing my toys.”
Zander exhaled loudly, his patience visibly thinning. “Fuck off, Cade.”
I tried not to laugh, but the strangled sound that escaped me only made Cade’s grin widen.
“You’re the funniest highborn noble I’ve ever met,” I said, shaking my head.
“Highborn’s a stretch.” Cade chuckled. “If my family weren’t dominant riders, I probably wouldn’t be here. I’m one title away from being a commoner.”
I smiled at him. “Must be why I like you.”
Then I turned to Zander.
“You, not so much.”
Cade outright laughed. “You finally found a woman you can’t charm the pants off.”
Zander’s eyes flashed, and for a split second, I actually feared for Cade’s life.
I bit into a grape, ignoring Zander’s glare. “Don’t you and I have a date in the ring?” I smirked. “I mean, if you’re scared, you can totally bow out. I’ll understand.”
Laughter rippled through the First Guild.
Zander’s jaw ticked.
He motioned toward the door. “After you, Miss Rebec.”
A hush fell over the room.
Whispers followed me as I walked out, but I turned toward Zander.
I lifted a hand and scratched my nose with my middle finger.
Rule one of the Order—Never let them see your fear.
Rule two? It’s okay to show your anger.
And your hatred.
The morning air was crisp, the sky still tinged with early dawn hues as Zander and I walked toward the sparring ring.
It was too early for most people to be awake, and with First Guild still lingering in the dining hall for breakfast, the training grounds were nearly empty.
The only sound was the quiet crunch of gravel beneath our boots and the occasional rustle of wind sweeping across the courtyard.
I ate my grapes in silence, pretending like I wasn’t hyper-aware of the man walking beside me.
Zander didn’t speak either.
When we reached the ring, he shrugged out of his jacket, the movement fluid, effortless.
And damn it all, my gaze betrayed me.
The tight black shirt beneath it hugged every defined muscle, the fabric stretching across broad shoulders and a lean, powerful torso. It was unfair. No one should look that good before sunrise.
Sucker for punishment, aren’t you? I mentally scolded myself.
But it wasn’t him. It couldn’t be.
It was Remy. It was the fact that I had been alone since my fiancé, and the dry spell was officially starting to mess with my hormones.
Zander caught me looking.
I shoved the last piece of my biscuit into my mouth, ignoring the way his lips curled ever so slightly, and shrugged off my own jacket before stepping into the ring.
We began to circle one another, our movements slow and measured, testing the distance between us.
I lunged first, fast and low, but Zander slipped away easily, his feet moving with practiced ease.
I tried again, quicker this time, aiming for his ribs.
He dodged. Again. Effortlessly.
“Too slow,” he murmured, his voice infuriatingly calm.
I growled and dropped lower, sweeping a kick toward his ankle. He leaped back, just out of reach, and I barely had time to brace before he countered with a quick pivot, his leg catching the back of my knee.
I hit the ground hard.
Before I could scramble up, Zander crouched beside me, voice low in my ear.
“Keep your weight balanced. You overextend your strikes.”
His lips were too damn close, the heat of his breath far too distracting, and my pulse jumped before I could stop it.
I shoved him away and got to my feet.
We circled again.
This time, I didn’t attack first.
I watched.
Zander moved like a predator, deliberate and waiting for me to make the next mistake.
Not this time.
I waited. Studied him.
It happened just before he struck, a barely noticeable tell, but I noticed it. A slight dip in his left shoulder.
I ducked to the left at the last second, twisted, and threw a sharp right hook.
It connected.
A solid crack echoed through the quiet morning as my fist struck Zander’s jaw.
The moment of impact sent a jolt up my arm, satisfaction curling in my chest just as I heard?—
“Holy shit.”
I didn’t need to look. Jax. My squad had arrived.
The hesitation cost me, though.
Before I could step back, Zander recovered far too quickly.
He grabbed my wrist, yanked me forward, and in a blur of movement, took me down again.
Harder this time.
I gasped as my back slammed into the dirt, and suddenly, Zander was right above me, his weight pressing me into the ground just enough to make me squirm.
His breath brushed my cheek as he leaned in, voice low and teasing, full of something dangerous.
“You will pay for that.”