Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
W e took turns in the washroom, the routine now second nature. There was no modesty left in a shared barracks, not when time slots were tight, and privacy was a luxury we simply didn’t have.
Jax finished first, stepping out with his damp hair sticking up in unruly spikes, stretching his arms. “Hurry it up, ladies. I’d rather not have to throw elbows to get a decent meal.”
Naia rolled her eyes but grabbed her boots. “I wouldn’t get between you and food, Jax. That’s how people lose limbs.”
Once everyone was ready, we headed to the dining hall, the air still cool with the lingering morning mist.
Iron Fang was already seated across from us when we arrived.
Perin, of course, was the first to speak.
“I wonder if Snowtop will anchor today.”
His voice was mocking, but none of his squadmates joined in. If anything, they looked uneasy, shifting uncomfortably, as though they weren’t quite sure they wanted to be associated with him.
I ignored him, focusing on my food, but Riven hummed as she stabbed at her eggs with her fork.
“I wonder if our magic is a reflection of our soul?” I mused as I recalled the magics that surfaced yesterday.
“Maybe,” she said. “Fire definitely suits me. And Cordelle’s power is earth-based. Seems fitting for him.”
I swallowed a bite of toast before glancing up—and met Zander’s gaze.
He was watching me, his expression unreadable.
Beside him, Cade flicked a glance my way, then shook his head, but the slight twitch of his lips told me something.
They were speaking to each other.
And it was about me.
I huffed and turned back to my food, focusing on finishing breakfast before we were called to the Ascension Grounds.
Those of us who had failed to anchor yesterday were sent back to the training grounds, while the others were assigned lessons with Major Ledor and Major Kaler.
Jax and Eilvin walked beside me, our group a mix of Thrall Squad, a handful from Iron Fang, and a few from Warborn and Stormforge.
I noticed, however, that not a single member of Crownwatch had been required to come.
Typical. The highborns were trained to be in the guild since they could walk. Or so I was told.
Zander was already waiting when we arrived, standing in his usual rigid stance, arms crossed over his chest, his flight jacket unbuttoned just enough to show the form-fitting black shirt beneath.
He wasted no time.
“Jax, you’re up first.”
Jax cracked his knuckles. “Alright, let’s see what this magic thing is all about.”
He rolled his shoulders, stepping forward with his usual swagger, but there was a tension to him this time—a seriousness that wasn’t normally there. Yesterday, he hadn’t been able to call on his power, and I knew it had irritated him more than he let on.
But today, his dragon was here.
Koddos landed with a thunderous impact, shaking the very ground beneath our feet.
Like all Palisades, he was a massive beast—his thick, bulky scales forming a nearly impenetrable hide.
The double-spiked tail was particularly vicious-looking, but it was his color that stood out the most. Unlike the usual deep blues, Koddos was so dark he was nearly black, an inky shade that seemed to drink in the light around him.
Zander studied him for a beat before giving a curt nod.
“Call on your power.”
Jax inhaled deeply, planting his feet firmly on the ground. He pressed his palm down and closed his eyes, his jaw tightening as he reached for the connection.
For a moment, there was nothing.
Then, the air around him shimmered.
A distortion, like the air itself, was rippling. It expanded outward in a perfect sphere, a translucent bubble that seemed to bend the light around it.
Zander observed it with keen interest, then motioned to Perin.
“Try to hit him.”
Perin’s face lit up with pleasure. “Gladly.”
He stepped forward and threw a brutal punch—aimed directly at Jax’s jaw.
The moment his fist connected with the barrier, a sharp snap of energy discharged, and Perin staggered back violently, clutching his face.
A second later, blood dripped from his nose.
Zander smirked, his gaze flicking to Jax’s invisible shield like he actually envied the power.
“Backlash.” His voice held something almost approving.
Jax grinned, flexing his fingers as if he’d just been gifted an advantage he planned to use to its full extent.
Zander turned to me.
“Ashlyn, you’re next.”
Jax winked as we exchanged places. “Make it rain, sweetheart.”
I rolled my eyes. “No promises.”
I stepped forward, planting my palm onto the stone.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Kaelith? I sent the message telepathically.
Silence.
Not that I was surprised.
The connection remained untouched, a cold, unmoving presence in the back of my mind, like a door bolted shut from the other side.
But that didn’t stop the magic from rising.
This wasn’t like yesterday.
This was more.
More powerful, more consuming—like something vast had just opened inside me, stretching outward like a storm unfurling.
The sky crackled above us.
Dark clouds swirled overhead, rolling in fast, and a deep rumble of thunder vibrated through the ground.
I gasped as my veins burned, heat searing beneath my skin like energy trapped inside me.
And then?—
A bolt of lightning tore from the sky.
It came down hard and fast, striking the ground right in front of Jax.
He yelled, stumbling back, grabbing at his eyes as if he had been blinded.
Meri was on me in an instant, gripping my arm, the cooling sensation of her power rushing through me like a calming tide.
Zander was staring at me, unreadable—but I could see it in his eyes.
The truth I had been avoiding.
“Storm Reaper,” he murmured.
The words made my stomach drop.
His expression darkened.
“But you are too dangerous to train with the others until your dragon anchors you.”
Meri released me and rushed to Jax, kneeling beside him as he blinked rapidly, his face raw from the burn.
I felt my chest tighten with guilt.
“Jax.” My voice came out hoarse.
He dropped his hands, his blue eyes finally focusing as the burns on his face began to fade under Meri’s healing touch.
I swallowed hard.
“I’m so sorry.”
Jax huffed out a breath, flashing me a lopsided grin, even as his face continued to heal.
“Damn, Girl.” He exhaled, shaking his head. “If you wanted me dead, you could’ve just pushed me off a cliff.”
I grunted. “Not unless I want to go off the cliff with you. Backlash, remember.”
I was still reeling from the aftermath of my power surge, my veins buzzing from the raw magic that had coursed through them, when Cade appeared at the edge of the training ground.
He strolled over with his usual lazy confidence, though his sharp gaze flicked between me and Jax, then to Zander.
Zander barely spared him a glance before turning to the rest of the group.
“Monitor the rest of the prospects,” he ordered, his voice cold and firm. “I’m taking Ashlyn to the tower.”
That got a reaction.
Perin scoffed from his place among the Iron Fang prospects. “So she gets special treatment just because she can’t anchor?” His lips curled. “Guess someone’s teacher’s pet.”
Zander went still.
The air shifted, a sudden chill creeping over the training grounds.
When Zander turned back to Perin, his eyes were black.
Not just dark—pure void.
A slow, eerie ripple spread over his skin, darkening it like ink spreading through water, as if his very form were turning to shadow.
A predator looming in the dark.
He took a single step forward.
“I am more than willing to give you some one-on-one instruction, Perin,” he murmured.
His voice was serene.
Almost pleasant.
But there was something dark about it.
Perin paled instantly, his earlier bravado crumbling as he stumbled back a step.
“N-No, that’s okay,” he stammered. “Sorry, sir.”
Zander held his gaze for a moment longer—then blinked, and the shadow melted away, his skin returning to its normal color.
Perin looked like he was about to throw up.
Cade let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Damn, Z. Scaring the kids now?”
Zander ignored him, motioning for me to follow.
I hesitated, glancing back at Jax, who still looked a little singed but alive. He nodded slightly, a silent way of saying, I got this.
So I swallowed hard, fell into step behind Zander, and followed him toward the Northwest Tower.
The moment we left the training grounds, the silence between us stretched.
Zander’s pace was controlled, each step deliberate. I could still feel the power radiating off him, like the air around him hadn’t quite settled after the display with Perin.
I wanted to say something.
Maybe ask what the name of Akious that had been. The God of Chaos had to have had a hand in that, but the need for preservation kept my mouth shut.
Instead, I just watched him out of the corner of my eye.
His expression was unreadable, his jaw tight.
He didn’t look at me once.
Just walked.
The Northwest Tower loomed ahead, carved into the very cliffs of Warriath, the stone as old as the kingdom itself.
The stone staircase spiraled up, the air growing thinner with every step. The tower was built into the very cliffs of Warriath, standing against the wind like an unyielding guardian.
Rooms were carved into the inner walls, their wooden doors set deep into the stone, some cracked open just enough to show glimpses of dimly lit chambers within. The warders lived here.
But the halls were eerily empty.
Not a single footstep echoed on the steps but our own.
The higher we climbed, the warmer I felt—a thin sheen of sweat forming on my skin.
By the time we reached the top, my chest was rising and falling quickly, sweat dripping down my face as I stepped out into the open air.
The wind was relentless at this height, roaring against us, cold despite the warmth of the day.
I ran a hand through my damp hair, breathing deep as Zander turned to face me.
“Let’s start again,” he said, his voice even, unreadable.
I wiped the sweat from my brow, already wary. “I need Meri, in case I can’t?—”