Please don't be a dead viewer! Comment your thoughts and vote on each chapter. Constructive criticism is welcome, and feel free to point out any mistakes so I can fix them!

Once the wind has died down and all of the dragons are settled, I get a closer look at the dragons. There's a Red Scorpiontail—Nyra's—behind Sgaeyl, who stands menacingly next to Tairn. Septon's Brown Daggertail takes up position opposite Nyra's dragon, and on either end, Commandant Panchek's Green Clubtail and Amber's Orange Daggertail perch.

"Shit's about to get real," Sawyer says, and I see him break formation to stand beside Violet. Ridoc moves in behind her and I move back a step to stand on her other side.

"You can stop this all right now, Violet," Dain continues pleading, his eyes desperate. "I don't know what you saw last night, but it wasn't Amber. She cares too much about the rules to break them."

"Again, Dain, always with your outstanding faith in your 'best friend'," I mutter sarcastically. "Really aiming for an award there, aren't you?" To his credit, he manages to ignore me and keeps his eyes trained on Violet, who doesn't reply.

"You're using this to get revenge on my family!" Amber screams at Xaden, who remains as stony-faced as ever. "For not supporting your father's rebellion!"

Damn. She just went there, didn't she? There's a moment of silence while Xaden confers with the other wingleaders, and suddenly, I'm once again swept into a memory. Only this time, there are no dragons. Only Amber's face as she gives Violet a wide eyed glance and flees the room, leaving the first-year to deal with the six unbonded standing menacingly before her.

When I come out of the memory, several other cadets are gaping at Violet and Amber. "That spineless wretch," Rhiannon hisses, glaring at Amber as if to burn a hole right through her back.

"Believe me now?" Violet shoots at Dain, who looks incredibly shaken up. "You're supposed to be my oldest friend, Dain. My best friend. There's a reason I didn't tell you."

"The wingleaders have formed a quorum and are in a unanimous agreement," Xaden calls, regaining the crowd's attention. "We find you guilty, Amber Mavis."

"No!" She screams, her voice laced with panic and desperation. She spins around, looking for someone to help her, but no one steps up to her defense. "It's no crime to ride the quadrant of the weakest rider! I did it to protect the integrity of the wings!"

"And as is our law," Nyra starts, her voice somber but clear as it carries over the courtyard, "your sentence will be carried out by fire."

"No! Claidh!" Amber turns to her Orange Daggertail, who snarls desperately and lifts her claw as if to attack one of the other dragons. But she is subdued by Tairn, who swings his huge head around and lets out an earth-shattering roar. The smaller dragon hangs her head mournfully and croons low in her throat as she steps back.

"Please don't," Violet is saying suddenly, and I look at her in shock. "Please give her a chance." I see her gaze flick toward the smaller orange dragon and immediately understand. I step forward next to her and place a hand on her forearm.

"Claidh will be alright, Violet," I whisper. "She tried to kill you. It's best that she's gone." Violet doesn't look at me, instead fixing her gaze pleadingly on Xaden. He stares back, emotionless, as Amber lets out a final whimper and the formation splits down the center.

Tairn opens his jaws wide, tongue curling and head lowering so he's aiming directly at the wingleader, who cowers, vulnerable, all alone in front of the crowd. His fire engulfs her in a brilliant golden blast, and her scream rips through the air. And I am frozen in place as the residual heat washes over me, and I'm nearly swept off my feet from the force of it.

. . .

Early the next morning, I wake up and head to the sparring gym. I had gotten into a routine these past few weeks ever since Amber's execution, where I would wake up before my duties and practice. Whether that was with the weights, the punching bags, my throwing knives.

I didn't know if anyone would come after me the way they had Violet. I didn't know if Saoghal made me a target or someone to stay away from. It could go either way, I suppose—the white dragon, an abomination, bound to get her rider killed; or the white dragon, the unique, powerful one, who's rider is destined to have a powerful signet.

I didn't know yet, myself. Of course, Saoghal would never be a mutation in my eyes, but I wasn't sure where being bonded to her would get me. Would I be gifted with a powerful ability? Would something go wrong? Once again, I'm reminded of how utterly out of control I am.

I reach the sparring gym about a half an hour after I wake up and place three of my knives on one of the benches, I strap the other two to the belt on my hip, making sure they are within easy grabbing range.

I stretch for a few minutes before moving onto the punching bag. I throw a few quick punches, the blows on the rough surface of the bag leaving my knuckles raw. I'm about to throw another volley when a sharp tingle runs down my spine.

I pause, furrowing my brow when the feeling dissipates, but when it doesn't return I continue my workout.

A moment later, however, yet another streak of energy shoots down my back. Only this time, it pools at the base of my spine, a crackling flame of power that sends shocking amounts of energy rocketing through my body.

Before I know it I'm on the ground. The pain is unimaginable, and I'm certain that the pure, hot power rushing through my veins like lava is going to make me burst right there and then.

I squeeze my eyes shut tight, and I vaguely realize that someone is screaming.

Me. I'm screaming. A non-stop, primal thing that rips from my throat, as I writhe on the cold stone ground. My skin feels like it's on fire. My head is filled with so much pressure that I can't think.

I don't know how long I'm there on the ground of the sparring gym before someone rushes in. It happens in a blur—one moment I'm gasping for breath on the floor, and the next I'm in someone's strong arms.

I don't have the strength to open my eyes. I'm not even sure if I'm still alive. I'm in an in-between state—floating on the edge of life and death.

The pain is a distant thing now, something far away but still very much there. I don't realize I've blacked out until my eyes are blinking open, my vision blurry.

I furrow my brow as my surroundings come into focus. A stout woman with auburn hair piled into a bun sweeps the floor next to the bed I lie on. The sheets are white and sterile, and I realize that I'm wearing nothing but soft, cotton pants and t-shirt.

I realize that someone is sitting next to the bed, large hand tangled in a head of wild blond hair. "Liam?" I whisper, and frown at how scratchy and raw my throat is.

Liam jerks his head up, his eyes filled with shock and relief. "Wisteria!" A wide smile lights up his face as he looks at me, and he quickly takes one of my hands into his own. "Winifred!"

The healer from the beginning of the year when Imogen wrecked Violet's arm hurried in, a tray of water and medicine in her hands. This makes my frown deepen. "What happened?" I ask, my voice raspy. I realize that my memory of the last...however much time has past us incredibly fuzzy.

"I heard someone screaming in the sparring gym," Liam explains, "and I find you there. You were pale as a ghost and your skin was burning at impossible temperatures. Winifred thinks that Saoghal started channeling to you."

"But...." I process this information. "That wouldn't kill me, would it?"

Winifred sets the tray down on a table next to my bed and drops two white tablets into it. I was as they fizz and dissolve before she hands it to me. "For the fever and concussion—you must have hit your head when you fell," she explains, before further elaborating on Liam's words. "It seems to me that your dragon channeled too much power into you at once, and nearly burned you out."

I turn inward and face toward that door that leads to our bond. "You tried to kill me?" I shout as loud as I can down that glowing thread.

"Nonsense, child," Saoghal says calmly. "I was merely channeling. Everyone's first time is always painful."

"Yeah, well everyone's first time doesn't almost send them to Malek," I hiss angrily.

"If you had died, it would have only proved that you were unworthy of my power," my dragon explains. I fight the urge to scoff.

"So it was a test, then," I say it more as a statement than a question. Saoghal doesn't reply, and I roll my eyes.

"Are you alright, Ria?" Liam asks, concern furrowing his brow.

"How long was I out?" I ask instead of an answer.

"You've been in and out of consciousness pretty much all day. Fever and the sort. I've never seen channeling affect someone like this before, but Nolon couldn't find anything else that it could be," Winifred says. "Your body has finally adjusted to all of this new power in you, and your fever has gone down. You should be clear to go to dinner once Nolon looks you over one more time."

With that, the healer leaves. I turn to Liam, who opens his mouth as if to say something, but Winifred pokes her head back in before he has the chance. "You have another visitor, Wisteria."

I give her a nod and she pulls back, vanishing again behind the white curtain. I don't know who I expect to walk through that same curtain—maybe Rhiannon or Violet, maybe another one of my squad mates. But I don't expect to see a familiar, weathered face in the gap pushed aside by an old, calloused hand.

"Rylan!" I cry, a grin immediately appearing on my face. My old trainer smiles as well as he walks in. He's dressed in his senior rider uniform today, his name written in loopy, cursive letters on a name tag over his heart.

"Wisteria," he says. He conjures up a chair with his signet and sits down next to me, opposite Liam, who glances between us. A look of confusion is plastered onto his face, and I turn to look at him.

"Rylan is—was my trainer before Parapet," I explain. "Rylan, this is Liam. He's my..." I glance uncertainly at Liam, who gives and small shrug of his shoulder. "...friend?" Liam rolls his eyes goodnaturedly.

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Liam says formally. The two reach over me and shake hands.

"You as well, Liam, and please, call me Rylan," Rylan says. "You have to be careful with this one. She's a little bit...unpredictable." He shoots me a smile and I roll my eyes.

Liam smiles slightly as well. "I'll do my best, sir—Rylan," he says, hurrying to correct himself.

"So," Rylan says after a moment, turning his attention to me. "I heard you caused quite the uproar at Threshing. The white dragon?"

"Did everyone know she existed but me?" I frown. That can't be right. Saoghal had said that no one knew who she was.

Thankfully, Rylan shakes his head. "Only a select few knew who she is and where she was hidden. We had hoped no cadets would find her, considering her cave is incredibly out of the way. And even if they did, no one would be crazy enough to jump in." He gives me an incredulous look.

"I was pushed!" I say in my defense.

Rylan frowns. "Why—" he pauses, before shaking his head and sighing. "I knew you were too temperamental and defensive to not make enemies here. It was one of the only things I worried about, watching you climb that tower up to Parapet."

I glower at him. "Rude," I mutter.

Liam stands up and squeezes my hand tightly. "I'll let the rest of our squad know you're alright," he murmurs. He pauses, as if he wants to say something else, but after a quick glance at Rylan he changes his mind. I give him a small, grateful smile and he returns the gesture, finally releasing my hand and vanishing behind the curtain.

After a moment of silence, Rylan says, "if he ever mistreats you in any way, you know where to find me." The warning in his voice is clear.

"Liam is not going to mistreat me," I reply with a scoff. "Just because he has a rebellion relic—"

"Trust me, Wisteria, I couldn't care less about a rebellion relic," Rylan says, leaning back in his chair. "I would say the same for any man who happens to fall for you."

I smile. "It's nice to see you, Rylan," I whisper. "Have you seen Ollie and Bella recently?"

Rylan smiles as well. "Yes, in fact. Oleander was so enamored with me that she refused to let me go," he says. "I have been training both of the twins for the past few months, much to your parent's dismay. It seems that they will have to wait a while for those grandchildren they so desperately desire."

My smile turns into a grin. "They're going to be riders?"

"That's the plan," Rylan says. "Belladonna took quite a bit of convincing, but I think it was more about wanting to stay on your parent's good side than fear of the Quadrant. Besides, her talent with a bow would be wasted in the Healer Quadrant."

"Yeah," I murmur, remembering Bella's joy when she was practicing archery. Oleander had her two vicious throwing axes, but I think the assurance of fighting from a distance comforted Bella.

"I missed you," Rylan says. "I must be going now, but it was good to see you, Wisteria. I wish it was under...better circumstances, but it was good either way."

"Don't tell my sisters about this incident," I plead as he stands up to walk away. "I don't need them worrying about me more than necessary. Just tell them I'm doing well."

Rylan gives me a small smile. "I'll relay the message." With that, I watch as my trainer and friend disappears behind that curtain. I continue staring at it until I know that he's long gone, and I'm left wondering if that was truly the last time I'd ever see him.