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“Yes! Go, Liam!” Sawyer screams from behind me, and Liam drops Mikael to the mat, where he sprawls out, exhausted.

“We won!” Liam rushes for us, and I’m swept up into a tangle of arms and shouting and joyous squadmates.

I’m pretty sure I even see Imogen in this little melee.

But I don’t see Dain. Where the hell is Dain? He would never miss this.

“Your winner!” Professor Emetterio shouts, his voice ringing through the gym and quieting the zealous energy as Liam steps out of our crushing hug. “Liam Mairi from Second Squad, Flame Section, Fourth Wing!”

Liam puts up both hands in victory and turns in a small circle, and the sound of cheering makes my ears ring in the best way.

Commandant Panchek steps onto the mat, and Liam joins the rest of our squad, sweat pouring off his skin. “I know you were all expecting the last portion of the Squad Battle to happen tomorrow, but the cadre and I have a surprise.”

He has every single rider’s attention now.

“Instead of telling you what the final, unknown task will be and giving you tonight to plan for it, your final task will begin this hour!” He grins, throwing out his hands and turning just like Liam had.

“Tonight?” Ridoc whispers.

My stomach hits the ground. “Dain isn’t here. Neither is Cianna.”

“Oh shit,” Imogen whispers, looking over the crowd herself.

“As you may have noticed, your squad leaders and their executive officers have been…shall we say, sequestered with your section leaders and wingleaders, and no, before someone asks, your task is not to find them.” He continues to walk in a small circle, addressing each side of the mat. “You are to break into your squads and accomplish a unique mission this evening without the leadership and instruction of your squad leaders.”

“Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of having squad leaders?” someone asks across the mat.

“The purpose of a squad leader is to form a tightly knit unit that can carry on with a mission after their demise. Consider your leaders…demised.” Panchek shrugs with a gleeful smile. “You’re on your own, riders. Your mission is simple: find and acquire, by any means necessary, the one thing that would be most advantageous to our enemies regarding the war effort. Leadership will serve as unbiased judges, and the winning squad will be awarded sixty points.”

“That’s enough to put us into first!” Rhiannon whispers, linking her arm with mine. “We could win the glory of going to the front!”

“What are the boundaries?” someone to the right asks.

“Anything within the walls of Basgiath,” Panchek answers. “And don’t you dare let me see you trying to haul a dragon back here. They’ll incinerate you out of sheer annoyance.”

The squad to our left mutters their disappointment.

“You have”—Panchek pulls out his pocket watch—“three hours, at which time we’ll expect you to present your stolen treasures in the Battle Brief room.”

We all stare at him in silence. Out of everything I imagined the third and final task to be…well, this wasn’t anywhere near that list.

“What are you waiting for?” Panchek shoos his hands at us. “Go!”

Pandemonium ensues.

This is what happens when you remove our leadership. We’re…a hot freaking mess.

“Second Squad!” Imogen yells, putting her hands up. “Follow me!”

Sawyer and Heaton make sure we’re all ducklings, following in Imogen’s wake as she leads us across the gym to the weight room.

“You did great,” I tell Liam as he walks at my side, still struggling to catch his breath.

“It was epic.” Ridoc hands Liam a waterskin, which Liam promptly drains.

“Let’s go, let’s go,” Imogen says, ushering us through the open door. She does a quick head count and then closes the door, wielding to lock it.

I find a seat on one of the benches, flanked by Rhiannon and Liam.

“First thing. Who wants to be in command?” Imogen asks, looking at the ten of us.

Ridoc throws his hand in the air.

Rhiannon turns and forces it back down. “No.” She shakes her head. “You’ll turn this into some kind of prank.”

“Fair point.” He shrugs.

“Liam?” Quinn asks, lifting her eyebrows.

“No.” He shakes his head, but his gaze darts in my direction, giving his reasoning away.

“No one is going to try and off me while we’re out tonight,” I argue.

He turns back toward Imogen and shakes his head one more time.

Of course she nods. They’re both on Team Xaden.

“You keep command,” Rhiannon suggests, looking at Imogen. “You’ve gotten us this far.”

Are sens

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