The Verum Trilogy - Survivor

Chapter 6

The compound was eerily quiet on the recruits' first day off. Bree guessed that was because a large majority of them were out cold in their rooms, trying to catch up on sleep that was regularly denied them the last six days. She used the opportunity to explore Blackwell's layout without the weight of suspicious eyes following her every step, feeling a certain relief in the emptiness of the halls. She paused in front of a mural several times her height, reaching out to touch the beautifully carven images. The sun crept over the horizon and rays of gold spilled through the window behind her, bringing the stone to life. Deep threads of color wound through and around the images of dragonscale eggs, some whole and others in pieces, the little hatchlings spitting stone tendrils of flame.

"That's the door to the Bondery."

She jumped as her team leader's voice interrupted her thoughts, hand immediately dropping to her side.

"Door?" she repeated quietly, staring up at the mural's sheer size. Sure enough, a seam split the stonework in two. A door this large would be ridiculous for any human, which meant... "Oh," she breathed, realization softening her features. This was where the Rider Corps held Selection. Where dragons would watch recruits fight and make their choices. A sliver of ice lodged itself uncomfortably in her chest. This was where the deathling egg had been stolen from.

She shouldn't have been seen here. She backed away from the door like it might reach for her, turning in the direction of her room. She nodded at Locke and dutifully sidestepped out of his path, but he reached for her arm as she passed. She pulled it quickly out of his grasp, heart thudding in her chest.

"Wait a minute, Squint."

She stopped.

Locke crossed his arms over his chest, and she eyed the hilt of the sheathed knife secured to his belt. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, suddenly very aware of how alone they were in the hall.

"Healers take care of you?" he asked. Her brow furrowed.

"Yes."

"Show me."

She wordlessly pushed up her sleeve and he took her wrist, examining the pressure bandage around her forearm with surprisingly gentle fingers.

"And your ribs?"

"Sore," she admitted. "But the healers gave me ice to reduce the swelling."

"Are you healthy enough to continue training?" he asked, and she nodded. He raised an eyebrow and her cheeks went pink.

"I can train, but they said if I get hit again that hard my ribs will probably break." She said the words calmly, almost casually, like a natural consequence of life. If it rains, I'll get wet. If I get hit again, my bones will break.

A muscle in his jaw twitched.

"Come with me."

He led her to the combatives field but then took a sharp left, leading her down a path that cut directly to the other side. They emerged on the northern face of the peak, and descended a steep path across a series of jutting ridges and sharp precipices that engulfed a gently sloping valley. She knew of this place. The legacy recruits talked about it all the time, though non-Riders were strictly prohibited from entering. This was the flight field, where Riders practiced maneuvers in real time on the backs of their dragons.

"Wh-what are we doing here?" she asked, voice low. He led her to the bottom of the valley, their steps noiseless on the shimmering grass.

"You're going to meet Aethos," he answered, meeting her eyes. No sooner had the words left his mouth when a gust of wind flattened the grass around them, a giant shadow blocking out the setting sun. A massive creature with scales the color of summer sky descended onto the floor of the valley and landed with a staggering impact that forced Bree to drop to one knee.