Accusing a wingleader of wrongdoing is the most dangerous of all accusations. If you're right, then we've failed as a quadrant to select the best wingleaders. If you're wrong, you're dead.
My Time As A Cadet: A Memoir by General Augustine Melgren
~
Thana was never good at staying still. Even when she thought she could emulate Xaden's statuesque composure, she'd notice herself tapping her foot or twisting her hair between her fingers. Today, as she stood in formation beside Liam, she found herself hyper fixated on the small stone that had lodged itself inside of her boot. She was trying her damndest to manoeuvre it to a position that was less maddening but, her attempts fell short. Despite its infuriating presence, it was a welcome distraction from General Lilith Sorrengail's attendance on the dais.
Why is she here? Thana asked Valka as she glared at the woman who had her father executed. She was getting good at this 'bond' thing. She needed to work on her ability to shut Válka out from time to time. You'll find out soon enough, was all he said in reply.
Thana watched as Xaden descended from the dais and made his way over to Dain Aetos. She suppressed a smirk at the glaring power imbalance that unsettled Dain, all his attempts to assert dominance falling flat. It was obvious he loathed taking orders from anyone, least of all a marked oneâlet alone Xaden Riorson.
When their conversation was finished, Xaden waved Liam over. After a few words back and forth, Liam joined the formation of the second squad, flame section, fourth wing.
What the fuck? Thana asked. More of a statement than a question. It seems Platinum has been moved to the second squad.
She glared at Xaden trying to catch his attention as Captain Fitzgibbons mounted the dais and made his way over to the podium. She could not understand why Liam would be moved and why he went without question. Fitzgibbons lowered his glasses to the tip of his nose, took an exasperated breath and began.
Thana had stopped paying attention as the names were read aloud at formation each morning. It was an unceremonious way to farewell the fallen cadets and she refused to let their sacrifices be reduced to mere names on a list. Plus, if she thought about them too much she'd surely feel the dread pool in her stomach and she had porridge that morning.
As she scanned the crowd, she noticed Violet and Rhiannon gossiping amongst themselves. Violet looked a little worse for wear this morning and Thana couldn't help but think that Amber may have had something to do with it.
Amber Mavis had cornered Thana a few days after Threshing and tried to recruit her to join a few other cadets who wanted to kill Violet Sorrengail. Amber was still pissed that Violet broke codex on the Gauntlet and her little cronies were butthurt that they hadn't bonded a dragon especially since Violet had bonded two. Thana would have said yes if Xaden hadn't asked her more than once to stay away. She still didn't understand why Xaden would want to protect Violet of all people but, she gave up guessing. She knew he'd tell her at the opportune time and, for now, no matter how much the urge for revenge knawed at her, she knew she had no choice but to trust him.
As Captain Fitzgibbons read off the last names on the death roll, Thana stomach sunk. She recognised those namesâmostly unbonded cadetsâall of them recruited to carry our Amber's vendetta. Thana looked around in disbelief trying to find their faces in the crowd. Surely Violet didn't kill them on her own. Surely Amber didn't deceive them only to turn on them at the last minute. After all, she was friends with Aetos and Aetos and Violet were... friends? Fucking? Thana wasn't sure but, there was history there.
How did this happen? she asked Valka, How did they all die? How is Violet -
I believe Shadowspawn is about to answer that for you, Válka replied, his disdain for Xaden palpable.
Xaden made his way to the podium flanked by Garrick and Bodhi. He looked out at the cadets before him, a merciless look in his eye.
"Early this morning," he began, his voice calm but commanding, "a rider in my wing was brutally, illegally attacked in her sleep with the intent of murder by a group of unbonded riders. As we all know, this is a violation of Article Three, Section Two of the Dragon Rider's Codex. It is also a capital offence."
His gaze swept over the crowd, landing on Thana for a fraction of a second. Since when did Xaden care about the codex?
"The attack was orchestrated by a rider who fled before I arrived," Xaden continued. "Wingleader Amber Mavis."
The courtyard erupted into chaos. Thana stood frozen. How had Xaden or anyone else found out?
Thana had spent the last two weeks contemplating whether or not to tell Xaden but, secretly, she didn't want him to know. She didn't want him to stop them. Maybe that makes her guilty of violating Article Three, Section Two of the Dragon Rider's Codex too but, she thought that Xaden would be happy. That he'd be relieved that someone else took the burden off his hands. And that was beside the point. Xaden trusted Amber. He trusted all of the wingleaders. Thana couldn't comprehend why he'd reprimand Amber instead of keeping his mouth shut. It had to have something to do with Violet. Everything seems to have something to do with Violet. With Lilith. Was that why she was on the dais?
Stop overthinking. You can't change this, Valka noted.
As Amber stepped forward, she protested, her voice shrill, "You're only doing this because my family didn't join your father's rebellion."
Xaden seemed unphased as he called upon the other wingleaders to form a quorum. Thana hated the politics of this hellhole. The decision of life or death comes down to the judgement made by three people a few years older than herself. Why not put it to the dragons? Why not give Amber more than 5 minutes to explain her reasons? Why didn't Thana talk her out of it? Surely if she had, the six would still be here and Amberâ
You are not responsible for this, Thana, Válka interrupted.
The sound of wings battering the air above them signalled the approach of the dragons flying in from the valley. Thana would never get used to the sheer size of these creatures as they perched on the citadel walls. She could feel the energy shifting around her, the air thickening with apprehension. Above the silence, she could hear her heartbeat drumming in her ears.
Xaden declared Amber Mavis guilty with the same cold resignation as Fitzgibbons had reading the death roll. Thana was disgusted by him. She couldn't understand how he could be so nonchalant about the death of a peer. A friend. Basgiath had changed him.
The rider's quadrant watched as Amber begged for her life, begged for Claidh. The desperate shrieks of Amber's dragon pierced through the courtyard. Tairn snapped at her as the other dragons remained on their perches. Thana couldn't quite comprehend what was happening.
As Tairn lowered his head, it all seemed to move in slow motion. The crowd retreated toward the courtyard walls as Tairn bared his teeth to Amber Mavis. Lilith Sorrengail looked on with contentment as a roar shook the citadel and a torrent of flames shot from between Tairn's bared teeth. In an instant, the fire surged forward turning flesh to ash in an instant.
Claidh's cries filled the air; the dragon's mourning could be heard for miles as she launched from her perch back toward the valley. As ceremoniously as ever, Fitzgibbons read Amber's name from the death roll before dismissing the cadets from formation.
Thana stood motionless, her feet planted firmly in place, as if her very soul had been held captive by the sight before her. As the other cadets fled from the courtyard, she wished desperately that Liam had been standing beside her to hold her steady or to assure her that this was not her fault.
But he wasn't. And it wasn't Liam who pulled her focus back to the courtyard. It was her squad leader, Exo Halt.
"Are you ok?" he asked. She realised they were the only two people left except for Garrick and Xaden who were in deep conversation on the dais.
She ignored his question. "Did you know?" she asked.
"About Amber? No, I-" he began. "About Liam."
Exo's shake of the head was unmistakably sincere. Thana forced a tight-lipped smile, brushed her hand on his arm and started to make her way to Xaden. Before she could get to the dais, Xaden and Garrick disappeared into a crowded hallway.
Thana stood in the middle of the courtyard, mere feet from Amber's ashes.
What now? She searched for Válka in the confines of her mind.
We keep going.