Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 235897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1179(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 786(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 235897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1179(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 786(@300wpm)
“We’re trying to help,” Sloane argues, her cheeks flushing a second before her narrowed gaze drops away from Dain.
“You can help by staying alive,” Dain counters, sliding in to sit on the edge next to Rhi and taking out Dad’s separately bound dictionary for Unnbriel from his pack. “Carr tells me you’re refusing to train your signet.”
“You what?” I shut my book.
“You really going to mourn the loss of another Mairi?” Sloane fires back at Dain.
“His death will always be on my head. Yours will not.” Dain’s tone sharpens. “I don’t coddle first-years anymore, so train. Your. Signet.”
“Asshole,” she whispers, and the flush in her cheeks deepens.
I lift my brows at the look she shoots him, mostly because I can’t tell if she wants to stab him in his seat or—
“Fuck,” Garrick mutters, and all our heads turn toward the pit as fire erupts from Wingleader Kagiso, streaming toward the first-year.
Bodhi takes three quick steps onto the mat, then turns his hand, and the fire dies. An argument immediately ensues with Carr, but I ignore it and pivot my focus to Sloane.
“Why won’t you train?” I ask her.
“Would you train if all you did was destroy things?” She drags her gaze from the pit. “Kill people?”
Power hums along my bones, hot and insistent. “I don’t know,” I say quietly. “Would I?”
She glances at Rhi.
“Don’t look at me. I agree with her.” Rhi shakes her head and flips to the map section of her book.
Sloane’s shoulders fall. “I just want to help in a way that doesn’t suck the magic out of something. And I highly doubt you lot would have been content to sit aside last year while your second-years went off and saved the Continent.”
My words fail, and Aaric lifts a single brow behind her, taking note of my speechlessness.
“Solid point,” Sawyer says slowly as another first-year enters the pit against Kagiso.
“Liam—” I start.
“Made his choice,” Sloane reminds me. “We’re making ours.” She folds her arms. “And he would want me to make sure you’re as prepared as you can be, even if that means none of us go with you.”
Rhi and I exchange a look, and she nods.
“Fine.” I pivot in my seat and grab the heavy pack at Imogen’s feet, then rifle through for the most innocuous-looking texts. “Here you go.” I hand the stack to Sloane. “Read these and write up a one-page report on each—”
“Oh for fuck—” Kai groans from two steps back.
“No whining. You said you wanted to help,” Rhi interrupts as Bodhi returns to the wall.
“And get them back to me as soon as you can,” I finish.
“Thank you.” Sloane gives them to the others, then glances at me, Rhi, and Dain before following the rest of her squad up the steps.
Aaric waits, holding a tome on mythology. “Scribes haven’t released your mission report yet. How badly did it go?”
Ridoc scoffs. “Your arrogant brother—”
“Give us a second,” I cut him off quickly, then set my book on my seat and scoot past Rhi and Dain to get to the steps.
“Halden was Halden,” I tell Aaric, lowering my voice. “He did Halden things and caused Halden-style ramifications, none of which are your fault.”
A muscle flexes in Aaric’s jaw, and his grip tightens on the book. “He get anyone killed?”
I nod. “His guard, Captain Winshire.”
He looks toward the pit. “Did he jeopardize your mission?”
“No. Halden got himself banned from Deverelli, but I was able to accomplish what I needed to.” It just cost Xaden… Gods, I don’t even know how much it cost him this time.
Aaric nods, then looks back at me with eyes that are identical to his brother’s and a gaze that couldn’t be any more different. “Are you in over your head, Violet?” he asks quietly.
“No.” I swallow.
He narrows his eyes, then nods before following his year-mates up the steps.
I turn to find the second- and third-years engaged in a heated debate, all gathered so tightly around Rhi that I can barely see her in the center.
“I think you fly from Deverelli to Unnbriel, then—” Trager starts.
“Back to Deverelli, then Athebyne, then here?” Cat interrupts. “You have no idea how fucking long that flight is. Then you double that journey for Hedotis, then Zehyllna, Loysam, and the minor isles? No.” She shakes her head. “No. Even using Deverelli as a base, it’s a waste of flight time.”
I lean over Dain’s shoulder.
“I fucking hate when you’re right,” Dain mutters.
Rhi drags her finger across the map. “You have predominantly westerly winds until you hit this latitude.” She points to the northern coast of Deverelli. “At which point, they shift, so every time you’re coming back to report, you’re facing a headwind.”
“Dragons can take it,” Maren notes quietly.
“Gryphons can’t,” Bodhi finishes, looking over the wall alongside Garrick.
“So basically, we’re fucked,” Ridoc notes. “It will take us way longer than five months to search all the isles.”