Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Dear Violet,
I’m still relieved to find out from the others that you’re alright after the battle at Basgiath. But I’m shocked that you haven’t come back to Aretia yet. Just like the others still in the college haven’t. If they were holding you captive, Xaden wouldn’t have left. And I might have had to see if your brother would finally clear Deigh and I to fly. There’s no way I would let Garrick and Xaden go to your rescue without me again. You’ve been without your shadow too long. Even if Xaden has shadows covered.
At this rate I’ll be doing the entirety of my second year with my younger sister. Which doesn’t sound all bad at least.
The newly reinstated Duke has returned safely with several of the other children of the apostasy. Brennan sends his regards but couldn’t stay to keep healing your mother, not with us trying to maintain the wards out here in Tyrrendor. And not with what happened with Xaden during the battle. I’m glad your mother survived. I wouldn’t wish the loss of a parent on anyone. Even after everything your mother did.
Take care, Violet, and stay close to the rest of the squad. Ridoc knows what he has to do while I’m not there.
Sincerely,
Liam Mairi
Violet had reread that particular letter three times, relieved to see that Liam seemed to be doing better. After the battle of Athebyne, his recovery had been slow, but not as slow as Deigh’s. There would have been no way for them to lie to command that griffons had been responsible, and so they had to leave Liam behind in Tyrrendor. He wasn’t upset to be at home, but he was more than a little irritated to not be able to help and to leave Violet vulnerable. Then there was the matter of them having to lie to Iron Squad in order to keep the secret of venin under wraps. The cat was out of the bag now.
There was no unringing the bell about venin, not when the grounds surrounding Basgiath were littered with the bodies of dead venin and wyverns.
“And why is Liam writing you letters rather than the rest of us, Vi? You managing to win over the old Wingleader and your body guard?” Ridoc drawled as he leaned against the doorway to her room, the warding keeping him from coming inside.
As soon as the wards had gone back up at Basgiath, Xaden had made sure her room was warded again and had looked like he wanted to kiss her. Kiss her, or eat her alive. Luckily his scent was more muted to her. Had been since she had started at Basgiath. Just like Ridoc’s was more muted. Beta’s scents always were. Even if he smelt like good cocoa butter and citrus, comforting and fresh.
“I am not trying to win over Liam or Riorson,” she drawled, rolling her eyes as she put the letter back down on her desk and pulled on her Riding jacket.
A door slammed closed further down the hall. “If you two don’t hurry up, we’re going to be late for General Sorrengail’s announcement at formation,” Rhiannon called into the hall, not just to their squad, but that was where her focus was.
Ridoc turned to look at Rhiannon, pushing off of the doorframe with a smirk. “You can’t blame them for wanting an eye full of me as we head to formation,” he drawled as he stepped away.
Taking the opportunity while attention was off of her, Violet drew out a small metal tin and dry swallowed a small pill before putting the container away as she followed them out into the hall. The door closed with a soft click as she strode down the hall, strapped up with her daggers and kept her head held high.
“You’re incorrigible,” Sawyer grumbled at them, his prosthetic leg already in place.
Recovering his leg from the belly of the wyvern that had bitten it off hadn’t been an option.
Iron Squad stayed clustered close together, keeping people from jostling Sawyer as they moved through the hallways and out to the courtyard. There were still damages to some of the structures of the keep; cracks littered the walls and claw marks gauged the stone from where dragon and wyvern had both perched along the walls before launching back into a fight. Seeing the damage, and the lingering stains of red on the stone, had her shudder.
“We won this battle, Silver One. As we will win the next.” Tairn rumbled into their bond, sensing her discontent.
A sigh left her lips as she stepped into formation behind Rhiannon and Sawyer. “That doesn’t take away what we’ve lost.” She replied, sparing a glance to a first year from Third Wing that couldn’t stop staring at the blood stains.
She could smell the lingering fear to them, along with the scent of soap, but their scent was more muted than the others. Likely someone who hadn’t presented yet. Late presentations weren’t uncommon, but most of the powerful Riders had presented before Conscription or around when they bonded their dragon.
A slight scoff was her answer from Tairn, even with his bit of understanding. “You saved more than you lost.”
Any argument to the contrary that she had was silenced as she looked up at the dias where command stood. Wingleaders kept their wings and XO’s in control, and she could hear the unsteady clack of a cane meeting stone as her mother came into view.
Lilith Sorrengail, who had always been an imposing figure that stood tall and self assured, now walked with unsteady steps. Her uniform was pressed and perfect as always, her short brown hair slicked back from her face, but there was silver and gray through the strands now. The wrinkles on her face appeared deeper, more severe, with dark circles under her eyes. Her blue eyes looked paler, as if they had been washed out, and she was leaning a bit more on that cane to help keep herself upright. The cane was beautiful carved wood with a grip that looked like a sword hilt.
Violet would have bet money that her mother did in fact have a blade in that cane. Even if if her mother’s hand trembled as she tightened her grip around it.
Color drained out of Sloane’s face, not sparing a glance to Violet, and she wouldn’t look directly at the General as she flexed her hands. General Sorrengail’s hands were even covered with gloves, hiding the worst of the aging that the siphoning had caused.
“Riders,” she called over the low rumble of the wings, getting everyone’s attention. “I know there has been much speculation over what occurred on Winter Solstice. Many of you are still in shock over the realization that the Venin from our Fables actually exist. But many of you saw something and have been spreading rumors,” she stated sternly, her voice holding an edge of distaste for the gossip that she had heard, her gaze briefly roving over Violet and her squad mates before looking back over the rest of the Quadrant. “That they have seen cadets, or recent graduates, with draconic characteristics.”
That one statement had whispers spreading through the ranks for a moment. Bodhi and Imogen exchanged a look, the pink haired woman’s shoulders going as far as to tense.
Lilith allowed the murmuring to spread for a moment, allowing the cadets to get that out of their system. It allowed Violet a moment of reflection from after the battle. Even while she guarded herself from getting pulled in to any romantic entanglements, she couldn’t deny the draw to Xaden and after that intense of a fight, she had to see him. She had been worried, terrified that he would die. And not just due to what that would mean for her, Tairn, Sgaeyl, and Andarna.
A flash of black scales on a human frame. Claws. The golden flecks in onyx eyes spread to take over the entire iris. Sharper canines giving that self assured smirk as he caught his breath, panting, splattered with black ichor from the wyverns.
Why didn’t venin bleed?
Neither Andarna or Tairn answered that question, one of the thoughts she wished they’d butt in and try to answer. But perhaps they didn’t know.
“What you saw was correct. There has always been the knowledge that when a dragon’s magic blends with the lifeforce of their Rider, that this can happen. It is rarer in those that have no family ties to being Riders. But those with the history could access this talent. We thought it was lost to the ages. Apparently, some of your fellow Riders have unlocked this ability,” General Sorrengail’s gaze lingered on the Marked ones in formation, her lip giving a twitch toward a sneer before she continued. “Due to this, we believe it has something to do with the noble houses of Navarre. Each wing will take a rotation to visit each noble house in each province of Navarre. You’ll leave right after breakfast and-”
A cough interrupted General Sorrentail’s announcement, making her have to close her eyes. Nolon quickly strode up onto the dias and passed a glass of water into the woman’s hands. Her pale blue eyes flashed with a bit of anger at Nolon, narrowed in on him even as she took the glass of water and straightened back up.
Clearing her throat, she took another long drink.
Rhiannon looked back at Violet, raising a brow. The silent question was there on her face. Did Violet know about any of this?
After the secrets she kept after Athebyne, she was going to have to explain. She hadn’t thought she had seen what she saw. She had been so close to burnout, and she thought he had been too. That glimmer in their mind connection made her think they were both about to become the monsters they hunted.
She knew that wouldn’t be a good enough excuse for her friends.
“Tairn? Could you-” she began.
Another huff answered. “Speak with Feirge about this new secret you kept?”
Violet could feel her cheeks tinging pink as she let out a breath. “Yes.”
A deep rumble of irritation answered, no words or thoughts. She had to hope that meant a yes or wherever they were sent would be a long conversation about secrets. At least she was certain that the Marked Ones would get some of that talking to. They had to know…right?
Her mother had kept talking, giving an assignment to two other squads first before her attention turned to Rhiannon. “Fourth Wing, Flame Section, Second Squad. Your first rotation is in Calldyr. Your squad will utilize one of the guest wings that housed General Aetos’s family and mine when I was stationed in Calldyr,” she stated before moving back down the list of assignments. One squad was going to each territory, would complete their rotations, and then another six would get to go.
She shoved down her envy at the squad from second wing tail section that got to go to Tyrrendor first…
*****
Packing took very little time at all. They brought their uniforms, they brought their riding leathers, sleeping clothes, and they were required to bring some of their formal wear. They would be staying with nobility after all. The entire flight from Basgiath to Calldyr had Violet explaining, and apologizing, for not sharing what she had seen on that battlefield from Xaden. She thought she was going insane. Her mother had nearly died and had been unconscious for days. Xaden had been dragged into Senarium meetings that none of them could be privy to. The only one that could have been was Aaric, but no one had exposed him with the aristocracy that had been in and out of Basgiath before scattering.
And now they were returning back to the province that had been Violet’s home for years. She would run into the twins again too, and Aaric would have to avoid running into his siblings or any of the guards that might have recognized him.
Their dragons touched down behind the palace, a small retinue of servants leading the Riders to the guest wing of the castle. They weren’t meant to disturb the royal family, but they did need to spend some time in the city and surrounding area to try and see if they could “activate” this latent gene.
Walking into the wing that she had once shared with her family, Violet froze in the doorway as she looked at the sitting room. There were books that had been placed on the table for her, books her father had been reading before they had left Calldyr for her mother to work at Basgiath. There was a lingering scent in this wing as well. Petrichor, her mother, ink and old parchment with a hint of incense, bergamot and sandalwood, amber, and citrus and vanilla.
The scents were so faint that if she hadn’t gone through a secondary presentation, she might not have picked up on them. But she walked across the room, dropping her bag near the table as she picked up one of the books, one her father had published. She hugged it to her chest, letting out a slow shaky breath.
“Vi?” Rhi spoke softly, walking over to her while Ridoc helped Sawyer get his bag.
Both men stopped bickering as their attention turned to the other two original members of Iron Squad. Concern was clear on Sawyer’s face immediately, but Ridoc slowly approached the two of them, his gaze sweeping the room as if looking for something else that could have triggered that vulnerability in Violet.
She shook her head. “I’m fine…just miss my dad,” she admitted with a small smile and put the book back down on the table.
As a child she had assumed that the books were about dragon history as far as where the dens had come from. But now it seemed more likely it had to do with the talent that she and her other Riders had lost out on over the years. She knew that if her father was here, he might be able to help them riddle out how to make this happen. She wasn’t sure if it was the Irid’s or the shapeshifting that would help them defeat the venin, but one of them had to.
Listening to people filling these halls with life again soothed a part of her as much as it prodded at another part, making her want to go find her childhood bedroom and hole up there. She knew the beds had been changed and it wouldn’t be the exact bed, but it would bring some sort of comfort.
Looking at her squad leader, she arched a brow with a faint smile. “Getting settled, dinner, and then tomorrow start exploring Calldyr? I can show people a few different places that might have some sort of power to them. I’m sure Aaric could help with that too.”
“I thought he was trying to lay low?” Sawyer asked quietly.
“Just trying to avoid his brothers.” Violet replied, not blaming him in the least.
“If we weren’t told not to seek out the royalty, I think I might have tried. I’m sure two infantry princes would be impressed by Riders…as long as they don’t think they’re better due to being Infantry,” Ridoc teased as he nudged Sawyer toward one of the rooms.
Trying not to grimace at the idea of Ridoc seducing one of her ex boyfriends, or his twin brother, made her feel sick to her stomach. At least none of her squadmates were omegas. The idea of any of them being scent matched to Halden Tauri was a nightmare.
Thinking of him must have summoned him. She could hear the door open to this wing of the palace and could hear his voice chattering with one of his guards. Or she thought it was one of his guards. Trying not to curse, she strode to the hall as she heard scrambling in one of the other rooms. Aaric trying to avoid his older brother.
Halden Tauri looked even more fit than he had been the last time that she saw him. He was in the formal dress uniform, sandy brown hair pushed back from his face, and his green eyes bright and smug as they landed on Violet. His signature smirk was on his lips as he walked closer, his guard trailing behind him.
“Welcome back to Calldyr, Violet. You’re looking as lovely as ever,” he drawled, his voice filled with a sticky sweetness as his scent rolled off of him in thick waves, as if he were trying to draw any omegas to him. “I’m glad I have this chance to see you. I have owed you an apology for quite some time, for how things ended between us,” he started.
Violet had to try not to visually cringe or wrinkle her nose. His scent was pleasant enough, she supposed, but as it got closer to when she needed to take another dose of her medicine, the creature in her chest began to recoil. Vetiver and burnt caramel. Alic smelled almost identical but weaker somehow. Fresh cut grass and sugar rather than burnt caramel and Vetiver.
She pitied whatever omega wound up scent matched to this pair.
“And yet you still haven’t apologized,” she drawled with disinterest, crossing her arms over her chest. She could feel eyes on her, from the guard, but also from the doorways leading to the different bedrooms. She didn’t dare look to see who was watching at the moment, not as the guard glared daggers into her.
He frowned a little at that, looking more confused than not. “That’s what I’m doing now,” he insisted. “I am sorry, Violet. It was a stressful time…” he sighed.
“I’m sure it was. So stressful with your father debating which of you, you or Alic, should be crown prince, your alpha manifesting a little late, so you just had to flex those pheromones to seduce your omega instructor of tactics.” Her arms stayed crossed over her chest, her fingers giving a slight twitch, itching for her daggers.
“Now that isn’t fair, Vi…” he breathed.
“Sorrengail.” She snapped before he could try to say something else.
“Violet.” He stated without listening to the reprimand. “Let me apologize properly. I was stupid and young…Let me treat you to dinner,” he insisted, attempting to lace an Alpha’s command into his voice.
There was a slight waver in her chest, the other alphas and betas in the hall watching with rapt attention as Violet kept her head held high.
“I don’t have time for distractions. Your apology is not accepted. We’re settling in and have a mission to do, Your Highness. If you’ll excuse me,” she stated, turning on her heel to head back toward the rooms.
“Now wait a moment - “ A growl rumbled from his voice as Rhiannon caught his wrist as he reached for Violet.
A deep rumbling growl left Rhiannon and the smell of cinnamon filled the hall as she narrowed her eyes at the man, slowly releasing his wrist. “Don’t touch my cadets, your Highness. That Beta is under my protection as my squad mate. Please do leave. We have a lot to prepare for and a limited time here in Calldyr.” She stated, her voice cool and to the point.
“A Beta?” Halden drawled with a bit of a frown as he stared after Violet, his gaze zeroing in on the sway of her hips. “I had always hoped she’d be an Omega. Though I suppose then she couldn’t be a rider…What dragon would choose an Omega?” He chuckled with a shake of his head. “I’ll leave you be, for now, Squad Leader Matthias. Settle in. But I’m sure I’ll see Violet before too long…”
He gave her another lingering look before he turned on his heel with his guard, mumbling irately under his breath as he went. When he opened the door to that wing of the palace, it slammed as he closed it behind him. Imogen, Quinn, Sloane, Bodhi, Ridoc, and Sawyer stared after the prince. Aaric stayed back with Lynx and Baylor, staying out of sight.
The tension was finally broken by Ridoc who pushed past Sawyer and went after Violet.
“You fucked a prince and didn’t tell me?!” He exclaimed.
Holding back a groan, Violet dragged her hand down her face.
Their rotation in Calldyr was going to be a damned nightmare.