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"I don't even know what I was thinking." Violet sits on Rhiannon's bed, and we watch her pack her satchel for the afternoon's lessons. I lay down on the sheets, absentmindedly tossing a dagger from hand to hand as I listen to Violet tell her story.

"I can't believe you waited this long to tell me," Rhiannon says in response, and I nod. She had a moment with Xaden and we didn't find out until now? "And that's not judgemnent. Far from it. I'm all for you exploring...whatever it is you want to explore."

"From what it sounds like, Riorson is what you want to explore," I mutter, grinning as Violet shoots me an exasperated glance.

'I've been with Liam from the second I walked out the door this morning," Violet says as an excuse, "and last night I was a little too discombobulated to put it into words. Between Tairn finally channeling and then everything else, it was just a night."

"Good point," Rhiannon amends. A grin forms on her face and she looks up at Violet mischieviously. "Was it good? Tell me it was good. That man looks like he knows exactly what he's doing."

"It was just a kiss," Violet protests before Rhiannon gets extremely excited. "But yeah. He knows exactly what he's doing."

"'Just a kiss' my ass," I grumble. "You're dragons are mated. How do you think you could have that situation going on and just leave it at a kiss?"

Violet's shoulders slump and she furrows her brows. "I don't know," she groans, covering her face with her hands.

"Second thoughts?" Rhiannon asks as she studies Violet. "You look like maybe there are third thoughts, even."

"No," Violet says immediately, before considering her answer. "Well, maybe? But only if it makes stuff between us weird."

Rhiannon scoffs. "Right. Because you're stuck with him for the rest of your careers. Lives, too," she continues putting books into her bag and I twirl my knife between my hands. "Have you guys talked about what happens after graduation?" Rhiannon looks up and raises her eyebrows. "Oh, I bet you get the choice of duty stations. Wingleaders always get to pick."

"He'll get to pick," Violet mutters. "I will have to follow. Train and Sgaeyl haven't been separated for years. Her last rider died almost fifty years ago, and as far as I know, she flew wherever and whenever she wanted to be near Tairn before Naolin—his last rider—died in Tyrrendor." She pauses, fiddling with a string on her satchel. "It's a two day flight to that part of our border, depending on where he's stationed, so what are we going to do next year and the year after?" She lets out a sigh, her hopeless gaze flicking between Rhiannon and I. I merely shrug.

"Any suggestions?" I ask Saoghal, who seems to be...unleashing a massacre on a herd of sheep?

"My brother's affairs are just that—his," she replies shortly. "The mate bond is unpredictable, however Sgaeyl and Tairn have an unimagineably strong one. I doubt they will tolerate being separated for long." There's a rush of satisfaction through the bond as Saoghal dismembers several sheep with her deadly daggertail. I grimace.

Rhiannon has a look of concern on her face as she replies to Violet. "I'm not sure," she says. "Feirge said we won't be able to be apart more than a couple days, so does that mean that one of you has to follow the other?"

"Most likely," I chime in. "Saoghal says that Tairn and Sgaeyl probably won't like being away from eachother for too long."

"I have no clue," Violet sighs. "I think that's why most mated pairs bond within the same year, so they don't have these issues. How am I supposed to remain competitive next year if I'm constantly flying off to the front line with Tairn? How is Xaden going to be effective if he has to fly back here all the time? He's the most powerful rider of our generation. He's going to be needed on the front, not here."

Rhiannon quirks a brow at Violet suggestively. "For now," she says vaguely. "He's the most powerful rider in our generation for now." Violet must be incredibly oblivious to not grasp the words meaning.

"What—" before she can ask her question, Violet is interrupted by a frantic knock at the door. All three of our gazes swing towards the closed entrance to Rhiannon's room.

"Rhi?" The sound of Liam's panicked voice makes me roll my eyes. Ever the bodyguard. "Is Sorrengail in there with you? Because—" Rhiannon opening the door sends Liam tumbling inside. The handsome blond man quickly catches his balance, and his gaze finds Violet's immediately. His face softens with relief, but then his eyes flick to mine. He opens his mouth as if to say something, but Rhiannon is already shoving him out the door again. 

"No one's trying to assassinate her in my room, Mairi," Rhiannon tells him through the crack in the door. "You don't have to be with her every second of every fucking day. Now, give us five minutes and then we'll start walking to class." She shuts the door in his face and turns around rolling her eyes with a small smile.

"You couldn't have been a little nicer?" I ask, raising a brow, but I'm smiling as well.

"Don't worry, Ria, I doubt yelling at him is going to make him love you any less," Rhiannon quips, coming to sit on the chair pulled up next to her bed.

I frown. "We're not in love."

The only response Rhiannon has for me is a sideways glance, paired with a diabolical eyebrow raise. Before I can think more about what that means, Violet sighs, "He's...dedicated."

"That's one word for it," Rhiannon scoffs. "You'd think that guy owes Riorson his life or something, the way he sticks to you like glue." I nod in agreement. I expected to feel some sort of jealousy, even anger, maybe, at the time Liam and Violet have been spending together, like when I had seen him walk out of his room with that girl after Threshing. But there's...nothing. Whether that's because I trust Violet or whether I trust Liam, or both, I'm not sure. But I know they're relationship is purely platonic.

"Oh!" Rhiannon exclaims, and my head jerks up from its resting place on the bed. Rhiannon comes and sits between us on the bed, and I roll over to lay back on Rhiannon's pillows to watch her curiously. "Something happened to me last night too."

"Yeah?" Violet asks, a small smile gracing her lips as she turns to face her. "Do go on."

"All right. I've only done it three times," Rhiannon says, taking a deep breath and beginning to focus on her desk against the wall opposite from where she sits. "Twice last night and once this morning, so be patient for a second."

"Of course," Violet says as soon as I say, "Yeah, sure."

She instructs us to watch the large history book on her desk, and we do so obediently. My furrow my gaze at the book, waiting in anticipation, my confusion and curiosity steadily growing with each passing second. And then it's gone.

My eyes widen and my mouth drops open in shock as I jolt upward, my eyes flicking furiously between the empty spot on the desk and the book that now rests in Rhiannon's hand. "Holy shit!" I gasp.

"What the hell, Rhi?" Violet cries out, jumping up and spinning to face our friend. "What just—" She catches sight of the book in Rhiannon's hand and leans closer to get a better look. "Is that the same book?"

Rhiannon nods, a grin splitting her face as I clasp a hand over her shoulder, smiling in disbelief myself. "I guess I can summon!"

"That's amazing, Rhi," I say. "That's one hell of a signet!"

Violet agrees with a nod. "I haven't heard of something like that in...a century," she says, shaking her head in shock.

"I can only do it from a few feet away, and I can't go through walls or anything," she says, holding the book tighter to her chest as she looks at us.

"Yet," Violet says encouragingly. "You can't go through walls yet. Rhi, that's the kind of rare signet that's going to make your whole career." Rhiannon gets to her feet, placing the book back on her desk and picking up her satchel. I get up and grab mine, shoving the books splayed on the ground haphazardly back in, starkly different from Violet and Rhiannon's carefully packed bags.

"I hope so," Rhiannon says. "I just have to develop it."

"And you will," I say, clapping her on the back once again as we walk out of her door, heading toward's the academic wing for wielding class.

.  .  .

We walk in to Professor Carr's room, and he immediately approaches us, eyes trained on Violet. "Finally ready to join us, Sorrengail?" He asks bluntly, already sizing her up as he does with me every class. Usually, a look of disappointment flicks over his face when he's done critizising me, but no such thing happens with Violet. Just cool indifference.

"Yes sir," Violet murmurs as she nods.

"Signet power?" he asks, lifting his chin as he continues to stare herdown shrewdly. Violet shakes her head. "I see. You know, your siblings were both gifted by extraordinary signet powers. Mira's ability to manifest a ward around her and her squad has been an absolute asset to her wing, and she's been highly decorated for her valor behind enemy lines."

"Yes," Violet says, forcing a smile onto her face as she lift's her gaze to Carr's. "Mira is an inspiration."

"And Brennan...," Professor Carr turns his head away, "mender's are so very rare, and to lose one so young was tragic."

"I think losing Brennan was the tragedy," Violet replies, her voice tightening sharply. I have to applaud her restraint. "But yet, the loss of his signet was a definite blow to the wings."

"Hmm," is all Carr respondes with. "Well, it seems the Sorrengail line is blessed, even in a rider as...well, delicate as you are. With Tairn having chosen you, we'll expect nothing but an earth-shattering signet from you. Take a seat. You can at least start with the lesser magics through your relic."

Rhiannon, Liam, and Violet walk away, but Professor Carr grabs my upper arm before I can follow. The cold of his bony hands creep through the fabric of my skin tight black shirt, andd I have to refrain from shivering as he pins his cold gaze on me. "And you, Colland? No signet yet from your...dragon?"

I resist the urge to snap at him for his obvious disdain for my dragon. Instead, I return his glare, the need to defend Saoghal battling self-preservation. "No, sir," I say. "Though I'm sure it'll show itself soon. You can trust I'll come straight to you." I give the Professor a saccharrine smile, yanking my arm out of his grip and stalking away. I can feel his eyes on me as I walk away, boring into the back of my head like he's trying to squeeze my brain so tight it explodes. I'm sure  he'd like too.

I sit next to Liam on the floor, and he gives me a curious glance and Carr gives me one final glare before returning to the head of the class. I shoot him a look out of the corner of my eye. Later. He understands, moving his focus to the Professor.

"Now, let's begin!" Carr says.

.  .  .

I'm baaaackk!!

I think it's safe to say the hiatus is officially over after all these long months, so you can expect more updates from here on out! I'm so sorry it took me so long, I just had absolutely no motivation whatsoever, but I'm here now and hopefully I can power through to finish this!

I'm not sure yet if I'm going to start the book I have planned for Iron Flame once this one is done, it all just depends on how I'm feeling about TWD and how it ended loll

Anyways, thank you guys for your patience and support!! Hopefully some of my og readers are still here, but still, all new ones are welcome as well :))