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Once again, I stand at the base of the Gauntlet. But this time, the sun is shining, my squadmates cluster around me, and the tension in the air is thoroughly saturated with anticipation and tension. But not for the Gauntlet. No, this apprehension and fear is for what comes after the Gauntlet.

Finally, after these grueling months, it's Presentation day. The day where we will either be alive and well or a very dead pile of ash at the end of it.

This is the one time where I have had to prepare myself to be totally and completely out of control. I can't influence the dragons in any way—if they find me lacking, or unworthy, I'll be toasted to a crisp, and I'll just have to accept my imminent doom.

If they do see something in me, well... great. I mean, at least I'll still be alive for Threshing.

My gaze catches on Liam's where he stands with his squad several yards away. He gives me a thumbs up and a smile, and I return the gestures. When we both turn away from each other, I come face to face with Rhiannon.

"If that wasn't totally and completely true young love, I don't know what is," she states. Loudly.

"Ria's in love?" Ridoc calls. "This I've gotta here."

"Wisteria, Ridoc, Wisteria," I mutter.

"Nah," he grins. "Too many syllables." I smile at him as I flip my middle finger in his infuriating face. 

"Haven't you noticed how much time Liam and Wisteria have been spending together?" Rhiannon points out. "Alone?"

Ridoc gasps. "Have you guys had sex?"

I glare at him. "No," I snap in annoyance. "We're friends. And it's been a week and a half since we started hanging out." It was true that ever since that night on the Gauntlet, Liam and I have spent more time with each other. Whether that's hanging out around the college, talking between  classes, or running more practice runs on the Gauntlet, we always seemed to manage an hour of each other's time each day.

"Mhm, that's what they all say." Rhiannon tsks, shaking her head.

"Yeah, Ria, and a lot can happen in a week and a half," Ridoc says. I roll my eyes.

"Enough chatter, cadets!" Professor Emetterio is overseeing our Gauntlet performance from below again, while the person holding the timer is at the top. I'm convinced I'll be able to make it in at least seven minutes, although I'll probably try for six. I'll have to be quick on the wheel and the three metal poles, but the others I can clear fast and easily.

"Alright. As you all know, today is Presentation! To get to the flight field, you must complete the Gauntlet," Emetterio yells so his voice reaches all of us. "If you don't, you're probably dead, and if you can't, you either jump or do your best. As you can see, there are no ropes here." I scan the course, and see that he isn't lying. If anyone slips, they either grab onto something or fall to a very rocky death.

Just like Aurelie. I shake the thought from my head.

"The dragons willing to bond will be assessing you in every way," the professor continues. "Mentally, physically...they will see your strengths and your weaknesses. Let's hope they don't burn you all to ash. First Squad, Flame Section, First Wing! Connor Hallway, you're up."

Cadets go one by one, several falling to their deaths. The bodies are dragged away before the ground can become too cluttered. Pretty soon, it's my turn, and I'm off like a shot.

I clear the first ascent, the second, third, fourth, with ease, my body rejoicing at being in action again. The Gauntlet felt like a sixth sense at this point for all the practice Liam and I had been doing over the past week and a half, and before I know it, I'm at the top. Ridoc claps me on the back. "Five minutes and forty-seven seconds, Ria! Damn, teach me your ways."

I grin, and finally don't mind the nickname. "What'd you get?"

Ridoc pouts. "Seven twenty-three. Sawyer got five thirty-four."

"Damnit, I really thought I had him that time," I groan. Sawyer laughs from where he stands with the rest of our squad that's made it up the cliff.

"Nah." he smirks. "When you beat me will be the day I'm old and brittle and on death's door."

"Sounds like it's gonna be pretty soon then, from the looks of you," I retort. The older cadet tips his head back and let's out a loud laugh. Maize watches our exchange and rolls her eyes, scowling.

"What, Berring?" I challenge her. "Got a problem with people being friends? I understand you're unfamiliar with the term."

"No," she mutters simply. I narrow my eyes at the woman, expecting some continuation, some nasty retort, but she just folds her arms over her chest and turns her back to me.

I raise my eyebrows at Ridoc questioningly, but he just shrugs as we walk over the rest of our squad.

"I hear she got news last night that her aunt died," Sawyer murmured. "Apparently they were really close." I glance at him in surprise, before my gaze returns to Maize. Trina hesitantly walks over, looking like she wanted to wrap her arms around the taller woman, but also worried that she'd get punched in the face. I try, but I can't seem to muster up even an ounce of sympathy for Maize. She's still a bitch.

Trina's hand drops from where it hovers over Maize's arm, and her head lowers. The timid woman murmurs a few words for Maize's ears only, and eventually the taller cadet glances down at Trina. Something like surprise rests in her eyes as Trina gives her a small smile and beckons her over.

I can practically see the gears whirring in Maize's head as she battles with herself whether or not to follow Trina over to where we stand. Finally, her feet move, and she joins us, but still stands a couple of feet away. I roll my eyes. If she wants to be an outsider, that's her choice.

"Guys! Violet's up!" Ridoc shouts, and we all hurry over to the edge. I know she'd been practicing her ass off, trying to make it past the chimney and up the ramp, but I'm not really sure if she ever figured it out.

Violet makes it confidently up the first few ascents, making it through the spinning wheeel, buoy balls, the staircase. Finally she comes to the chimney, and I furrow my brow in confusion when she grabs one of the ropes. She pulls the rope as tight as it'll let her, before placing a foot on the side of the obstacle.

"What are you doing?" Rhiannon shouts at her, voicing all of our thoughts.

If Liam wants interesting approaches, he should ask Violet. I watch as the woman climbs the chimney slowly, leveraging her body weight with the rope. Finally she makes it, up, and I can see her take a breath before sizing up the ramp.

"Can she do that?" Amber Mavis, a wingleader, snaps. No answer follows the question.

"Hell yes!" Ridoc cheers. "That's our girl!"

"Get up! One more!" Rhiannon urges.

My confusion grows when Violet pulls a dagger from a sheath by her hip. It's huge, probably the length of my forearm. And then she runs.

I only realize what she's planning to do with the knife when she's made her leap, and stretches the knife out to sink into the soft wood not two feet below the edge. Violet immediately thrusts her self up the rest of the way, and scrambles unceremoniously onto the ledge with a short scream of pain.

We all rush over, and I'm surprised to see that even Maize makes her way over, albeit very slowly.

Violet reaches down to grab her knife out of the ramp, her face beaded with sweat.

"She can't do that!" Amber Mavis shouts from somewhere behind us.

None of us give her a second thought except for Ridoc, who calls back, "Yeah, well, she just did!"

"You made it!" Rhiannon squeals. "You made it!"

Violet let's out a shaky laugh. "Luck," she breaths. "And adrenaline." I clap Violet on the back lightly.

"Cheating!" Amber marches towards Xaden, her glare so dark I can almost see the smoke coming out of her ears.

"Back the hell up, Mavis," Garrick growls, stepping in front of her.

"The cheater used foreign materials not once, but twice!" Amber shouts. "It's not to be tolerated! We live by the rules or we die by them."

"No need to shout, we're right here," I mutter. "She's going to make me go deaf."

Xaden shoots me a glare over his shoulder at the same time Amber's gaze finds mine. I give them both a dry smile. I can tell Amber wants to march over and shout directly in my face too, but Xaden plants a hand on her chest and pushes her lightly backwards.

"I don't take kindly to calling anyone in my section a cheater. And my wingleader," Garrick says, the threats in his tone obvious, "will handle any rule breaking in his own wing."

"Sorrengail?" Xaden turns his gaze to Violet, who climbs to her feet shakily.

"I expect the thirty second penalty for using the rope," she says. I'm glad to hear that her voice is steady.

"And the knife?" Amber snaps. "She's disqualified!" Xaden stays quiet. "Surely she's out! You can't tolerate lawlessness within your own wing, Riorson!"

Still, Xaden doesn't speak, his gaze still hung on Violet.

"A rider may only bring to the quadrant the items they carry—" Violet begins to recite.

"Are you quoting the Codex to me?" Amber shrieks.

Violet continues unphased by the interruption. "—and they shall not be separated from those items no matter what they may be. For once across the parapet, they are considered a part of their person. Article Three, Section Six, Addendum B."

My face breaks into a small smile as Violet stares at Amber. The wingleader glares back at Violet, fuming. "That addendum was written to make thievery an executional offense."

"Correct," Violet says. "But in doing so, it gave any item carried across the parapet the status of being part of the rider. This—" Violet holds up her dagger, "—isn't a challenge blade. It's one I carried across and therefore considered a part of myself." Violet's gaze moves back to Xaden, and I see a small smirk resting on his lips. "The right way isn't the only way."

"She has you, Amber," Xaden says.

"On technicality!" Amber protests.

"She still has you," Xaden replies.

"You think like a scribe," Amber snarls.

Violet meets the wingleaders searing gaze calmly, eyebrows raised slightly. I cross my arms as Violet says simply, "I know."

.  .  .

All of the first years have scaled the Gauntlet or fallen to their deaths by the time the morning is over. After checking with Violet, I find that there are now only one hundred and sixty-nine of us now. Over three-hundred at the beginning of the year. I guess they are rather good at killing us all off.

Liam, obviously, was the fastest up the Gauntlet. I came in somewhere between fifth and tenth, unfortunately behind Sawyer.

We stand silently, waiting for our turn to pass in front of the dragons.

Finally, after what seems like forever, Garrick calls us forward. "Let's go, Second Squad, you're up next." He ushers us all forward. "Into formation."

Suddenly, the only thing I can hear is the rush of blood in my ears, my heart pounding. I vaguely register the fact that now there are one hundred and one dragons out there waiting for us, but to me that just sounds like higher chances of death.

When we're all in line, Garrick starts sending us through. It'll be the first time I've been in front of a living dragon since parapet, and I try to remind myself that even if I do die, it'll be quick. Yes, Wisteria. Think lovely nice thoughts. 'Oh yeah, if I die, at least I'll be incinerated faster than I can blink.' Yeah, clearly I'm not great at nice thoughts.

My internal dialogue is almost enough for me to let out a small giggle, but I manage to retain it. Just the nerves. Finally, it's my turn to move out.

I breath in and out slowly, trying to calm my racing heart, and when Garrick gives me the go-ahead, I don't hesitate to step out in front of the row of giant dragons, all watching me much too closely with their golden eyes.