I focus on the path and keep walking.
“What? She’s obviously our weakest link after Pryor, and I don’t blame them for snuffing him out,” she argues. “He could never make a decision, and no one wants someone like that as their rider—”
A blast of heat singes my back and I halt.
Don’t be Ridoc. Don’t be—
“Guess the dragons think she’s insufferable, too,” Ridoc mutters.
Our squad is down to six first-years.
There is nothing quite as humbling, or as awe-inspiring, as witnessing Threshing…for those who live through it anyway.
—Colonel Kaori’s Field Guide to Dragonkind
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
October first is always Threshing.
Monday, Wednesday, or Sunday, it doesn’t matter where it falls on any given year. On the first of October, the first-year cadets of the Riders Quadrant enter the bowl-shaped forested valley to the southwest of the citadel and pray they come out alive.
I will not die today.
I didn’t bother eating this morning, and I pity Ridoc, who’s currently heaving up the contents of his stomach against a tree to my right.
A sword is strapped to Rhiannon’s back, the hilt jostling against her spine as she bounces, stretching her arms across her chest one at a time.
“Remember to listen here,” Professor Kaori says from in front of the 147 of us here, tapping his chest. “If a dragon has already selected you, they’ll be calling.” He thumps his chest again. “So pay attention to not just your surroundings but your feelings, and go with them.” He grimaces. “And if your feelings are telling you to go in the other direction…listen to that, too.”
“Which one are you going for?” Rhiannon asks quietly.
“I don’t know.” I shake my head but can’t ditch the feeling of absolute failure in my chest. At this point, Mira knew she wanted to seek out Teine.
“You memorized the cards, right?” she asks, lifting her brows. “So you know what’s out there?”
“Yes. I just don’t feel connected to any of them.” Which is better than feeling connected to a dragon another rider has their eye on. I have no desire to fight to the death today. “Dain tried talking me into a brown.”
“Dain lost his vote when he tried talking you into leaving,” she counters.
There’s a lot of truth to that. I’ve only talked to him once in the past two days since Presentation, and he tried to get me to run within the first five minutes. We’ve only seen professors this morning, but I know the second- and third-year riders are scattered throughout this valley in order to observe. “What about you?”
She grins. “I’m thinking about that green. The one closest to me when they got all up close and personal with you.”
“Well, it didn’t eat you, so that’s a promising start.” I smile despite the fear racing through my veins.
“I think so, too.” She links her arm with mine, and I focus back on what Professor Kaori is telling us.
“If you go in groups, you’re more likely to be incinerated than bonded,” Professor Kaori argues with someone near the center of the valley. “The scribes have run the statistics. You’re better off on your own.”
“And what if we aren’t chosen by dinner?” a man with a short beard to my left asks.
Looking past him, I catch Jack Barlowe running a finger across his neck at me. So original. Then Oren and Tynan flank his sides.
So much for squad loyalty. It’s everyone for themselves today.
“If you’re not chosen by nightfall, there’s a problem,” Professor Kaori responds, his thick mustache turned down at the ends. “You’ll be brought out by a professor or senior leadership, so don’t give up and think we’ve forgotten about you.” He checks his pocket watch. “Remember to spread out and use every foot of this valley to your advantage. It’s nine, which means they should be flying in any minute now. The only other words I have for you are ‘good luck.’” He nods, sweeping his gaze over the crowd of us with such intensity that I know he’ll be able to re-create this moment in a projection.
Then he leaves, marching up the hill to our right and disappearing into the trees.
My mind whirls. It’s time. I’ll either leave this forest as a rider…or likely never leave.
“Be careful.” Rhiannon pulls me into a hug, her braids swinging over my shoulder as she tightens her arms around me.
“You too.” I squeeze her back and am immediately swept into another pair of arms.
“Don’t die,” Ridoc orders.
That’s our only goal as what’s left of our squad separates, each heading in our own direction like we’ve been flung apart by centrifugal motion, at the mercy of a spinning wheel.
…
Guessing by the position of the sun, it’s been at least a couple of hours since the dragons flew overhead, landing in the valley in a succession that sounded like thunder and making the earth shake.
I’ve come across two greens, a brown, four oranges, and—
