I flick an itch out of my wing before settling it back into "at attention position" as it is called by my superiors. Shoulders back, chin up, wings cleanly folded. All in order to look identical to the fey next to me, the only difference being our looks. We are lined up on the cliff outside our Academy.

Careful, Kaia, my faithful sidekick. The snake may kick us out for that twitch. I hear a voice in my head say these things, and have to fight to keep a serious face. I answer the voice with my own silent insight.

You are the one who should be careful, Levian. The term sidekick is enough to make me want to 'sidekick' you right in the face. And he's not a snake. He's an evil demon that happens to possess a fey's body.

Out of the corner of my eye and down the line of my troop, I see a quick smirk and laugh cross Levian's face. He is undeniably handsome, floppy black hair, deep blue eyes, and dark silver wings, not to mention how incredibly fit he is, though so is everyone else in my troop, including me.

Right as Levian straightens his face back to seriousness, there is the thunder of flapping wings. A silver-winged fey lands gracefully in front of us. I can tell he planned his entrance very carefully; the darkening blue sky behind him contrasts sharply with his wings, making them look darker than they actually are.

A folds his arms behind him and says sharply, "Troop Alpha minus 18!"

"Lieutenant Nyoka," Levian responds respectfully. As our leader, is the only one of our troop who can speak without express permission during these examinations.

I honestly don't see the resemblance, I tell Levian, careful to keep my thoughts in his channel only, so Nyoka doesn't hear. I seldom have to hide my thoughts, but right now, there is another mindreader around.

In his mind, Levian shows me an image of me and Nyoka side by side, and I finally understand how much I look like him. Of course I do: Nyoka is my older brother. Of course I am related to the snake demon lieutenant who hates my troop because we are seen as more important and special than most other fey.

"Levian, open your mind to me," Noyka commands. I can nearly feel the displeasure radiating off of him. There are several moments of silence while Nyoka narrows his eyes at our troop leader. Finally the lieutenant lets out a cold chuckle.

"That's interesting, little mindreader." Nyoka feels the need to assert his dominance by making Levian feel small. My brother turns to me. "Kaia, young shapeshifter." He signals with one of his hands, and a blue-winged female fey lands next to him. By the way she looks at him, I can tell this blue-winged female is another of my brother's weeklong stands.

"Kaia, try your best to shift into Hydra," he says condescendingly, gesturing to the waterwinder at his side.

Ignore him, Kaia. Levian tells me. You are more skilled than any other shapeshifter in the kingdom.

I focus on Hydra. Her sleek pitch black hair. Icy blue eyes. The lack of marks of any kind on her pale face. I let myself shift. Once I am done, I see Levian nudge Slate, our earthmover. Slate gestures with his hands, and forms a mirror of reflective stone that floats in front of me.

I give Nyoka a subtly smug look. I am the exact replica of Hydra. And shifting took me barely five seconds, whereas it would take most eighteen-year-old trainees a couple of minutes.

My snake of a brother, who is coincidentally is named after a snake god, presses his lips into a thin line. "You may shift back."

I picture myself in my mind. My golden-brown hair. Brown eyes that look amber in the sunlight. Freckles across my face and shoulders like splatters of ink. Semi-tan skin. Two seconds later, I am myself again.

Nyoka turns to Pen. "Penelope, darling, the future?"

Slate tenses as Nyoka calls Pen darling. Our earthmover has always wanted to do anything to protect our futureseer. He is in love. We all know it, except Pen, of course. She's oblivious. She's also beautiful, so we don't judge Slate.

Pen scrunches her nose as she focuses. "There is going to be a flyover of Troop Alpha plus 23 in about two minutes. Their stormguider will lose a feather exactly as they pass us, due to a throwing star that loosens from their mindreader's weaponry belt."

Nyoka frowns. "Violation of weaponry safety code eighty-seven. They'll be punished."

"Also, Hydra," Pen goes on, "I would watch your step. If you shuffle to the left more than four inches, you will be bitten by a cliff snake."

Hydra shrieks, jumping to the right, straight into Nyoka. My brother shoves her off, and I can tell that's the end of her turn with him. "Hydra," Nyoka says with a bitter edge in his voice.

Hydra looks up at him with puppy-dog eyes. "Yes, Nyoka?"

"It's Lieutenant Nyoka. Now go back to your troop and stay there."

Just as she flies away, crying I might add, Troop Alpha plus 23 zooms over us, and a feather and a throwing star land at Nyoka's feet. Nyoka takes the throwing star and slices it across his arm. Golden blood begins to pour from the cut.

Yes, we have golden blood.

Bells steps forward and calmly places her hand on Nyoka's shoulder. She hums quietly. We watch as his wound stitches itself together.

"Thank you, Arabella," Nyoka nods to our songhealer. Even a snake demon could not hate Bells.

Nyoka goes on testing the troop, until he is finally satisfied.

"Well, I suppose your troop is well enough trained," my brother says to Levian, distaste tainting his voice. "I have been informed by General Winslow that all troops not sent to war yet must report to the palace tomorrow for examination. You are also invited, as is Troop Beta minus 18 from the Birch Academy. 5 o'clock tomorrow. Do not be late!" He powers upwards with his wings, an exit that is meant to be awe-inspiring.

The whole troop relaxes, and I shake my wings out. Axton grabs Bells by the waist and spins her around so he's hugging her from behind. Our songhealer giggles, pressing her white wings tightly to her back to keep them out of Axton's way. Rai pulls a stream of water from out of the ocean at the bottom of the cliff and molds into the shape of a stingray, then a seahorse in the air. While he continues to play around with sea animal shapes, Slate, Pen, and Bea start a quiet conversation.

I lock eyes with Levian. I realize that he and I are the only ones who understand what the examination by General Winslow means.

We knew this would happen eventually. I think, hesitant of his reaction.

Yes, but I did not think it would be so soon. We're only fifteen, he answers.

"We've been training for two years, Levian. Most troops go to war with merely three months of training."

Bells perks her head up to look at me. "War?"

I had not meant to speak aloud. Levian gives me a glare, but responds easily. "Yes, war, Bells. That's what we are trained for. We could be shipped out any time now."

Pen pushes past Slate. "That future is not likely any time soon."

Levian extends his wings. "How about a training session on the simulation?" We all nod and follow him back inside the Academy.

He is in a bad mood. I think privately. Usually, Levian is not this mean or cold to me.

Each troop has their own room inside the Academy. There is an open-air entrance on one wall of the room, which we glide through to enter. The wall opposite to the opening is covered in weapons of all kinds. We have been trained in the use of all of these weapons.

I immediately grab my bow, an impressive curve of silver wood, carved with feather imprints by Levian himself, as a gift for his second-in-command: me. I sling it over my back, as well as a dozen arrows. Next I take a few throwing stars and throwing knives, and tuck them into the sheathes hidden in my skin tight shorts under my skirt.

Our uniforms, at least for females, consist of the skin-tight shorts and short skirts over top that I just mentioned, as well as a top that merely covers our chest and has one strap that goes over our left shoulder. Our stomach and back is left exposed. Unpractical? Maybe. Motivational? Definitely. You fight harder when you have weaknesses.

My eyes scan over the weapons one last time. As part of a last minute decision, I tuck two wickedly sharp daggers carefully into my waistband sheathes.

Ready?

I turn quickly, thinking Levian may be talking to me, but I feel other minds in the channel with us.

Ready! Six voices answer back.

They all make direct eye contact with me. I take a large breath, and look them over. This is part of my job as Levian's second. Our troop may say they're ready, but I must make sure.

Bells carries no weapons, as usual. Axton, who stands next to her with a huge assortment of close-hand weapons that some may call overkill, is her weapon.

Pen has her feather knives in. These knives have been carved to look like feathers, and attach to the bones of wings. They are sharp as any other weapon and a flick of Pen's wing could behead someone.

I barely need to check over Bea, Rai, and Slate. They are quiet but aggressive fey who take every training with complete seriousness.

Lastly, I check over Levian. He has Kaiaca, his sword, in its usual place on his left hip. Larger daggers than the ones I took lay in rows on his chest strap that goes across his bare chest. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see that he has a sheath of arrows across his back.

Arrows for me? I ask him in our personal mind channel. As we trained together, Levian taught me mind tricks to switch between communication channels and see through the persuasions mindreaders use to make themselves invisible to others. In turn, I showed him how to spot my mark, a symbol on shapeshifters necks that is used to distinguish a shapeshifted fey in another form.

Of course, he answers, giving me a small smile. Can't have you getting hurt.

I go back to the troop channel. We're ready, Levian.

We take flight, following Levian about a mile from the Academy where the training simulation lies. It is a clearing filled with ruins. The simulation has already begun. Once we can see the clearing, Levian signals for us to hover.

I hate hovering as a fey. These wings are too big for that. It is much easier as a small bird.

Bea, some cover please, Levian commands. Our stormguider nods, and a thick mist begins to roll over the clearing.

Slate, a ditch for shelter. Slate concentrates for a few moments, then nods to Levian. We move quietly through the air until Levian pushes a command through his mind channel.

Dive!

Wings tucked, we fall from the sky like arrows and land silently in the ditch Slate has made for us. Levian gets straight to business; I can tell from the concentrated look on his face that he has sent out his magic to find enemies. The simulation fey won't be picked up by his radar, as they lack thoughts and a brain, but in a real battle, Levian would be able to detect any fey stupid enough not to guard his or her mind.

He starts to issue orders.

Bea, clear the mist. Kaia, scout. Stay out of sight, please. Rai and Slate, send out your magic to feel the lay of the land. I know it's trivial here, but in war, we won't know our battlefield as well as we know this one. Axton, stand guard while Pen and I discuss strategy. Bells, you can help Axton.

My heart starts to beat faster, the adrenaline of battle rushing into my veins. Telling myself to focus, I take the form of a gull, an animal easily overlooked this close to the sea, and hop onto the ledge of the ditch. Levian and I make eye contact as Slate drops a throwing star at my feet.

Stay safe, Kaia, Levian whispers into my mind. I let out a confident kew! Grabbing the throwing star in my webbed feet, I quickly take to the sky.