𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𓆩⟡𓆪 𝕏𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕟 ℝ𝕚𝕠𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟

「 ✦ 0.04 ✦ 」

"I don't give a shit!" He moves, but I hold my ground, and my dagger slices through the first layer of his breeches. I feel slightly disappointment that my dagger didn't knick him, even just a little. Just for being an inconvenience to me.

"I suggest you reconsider." I adjust my stance just in case he doesn't. "I might slip."

"Name?" the rider asks again, who was still waiting to hear my name. I glance over at her briefly, before returning my attention back to the boy.

"Ainsley Whitlock." I say loudly and I see the boy falter slightly, finally realizing who he was messing with. I smile wickedly up at him as I hear the rider next to me blow out a surprised breath.

"Not surprised, with that maneuver," the woman says, holding a pen like i've seen my father use over the roll.

I might have smile fondly at the compliment, if I wasn't busy protecting Sorrengail.

"Name?" She asks again and I know she's asking Violet. Once she is done with Violet, she looks over at the boy above me. "And what's your name?"

"Jack. Barlowe." He spits out, pure malice in his features and voice. He would definitely cause some trouble for Violet and probably me now. Joy.

I feel a slight chill, lifting the hairs on my neck, knowing I will have to be careful around him and always have a dagger with me, even when I'm sleeping.

"Well, Jack," the male rider on my right says slowly, scratching the trim lines of his dark goatee. He's not wearing a cloak, and the rain soaks into the bevy of patches stitches into a worn leather jacket. "Cadet Whitlock has you by the actual balls here, in more ways than one. Sorrengail's right. Regs state that there's nothing but respect among riders at formation. You want to kill her, you'll have to do it in the sparring ring or on your own time. That is, if Whitlock decides to let you off the parapet. Because technically, you're not on the grounds yet, so you are not a cadet. She is."

"And if I decide to snap her neck the second I step down?" Jack growls, and the look in his eyes says he'll do it.

"Then you get to meet the dragons early," the redhead answers, her tone bland. I smile widely up at Jack, loving that I get to decide whether he is worthy to be a rider or not. This is going to be so fun. "We won't wait for trials around here. We just execute."

"What's it going to be, Whitlock?" the male riders asks. "You going to have Jack here start as a eunuch?"

Shit. What is it going to be? I can't kill him, not at this angel, and slicing off his balls is only going to make him hate me and Violet more, if possible.

"Are you going to be a good little boy and follow the rules?" I ask, with mock sweetness and can see his eyes narrow into daggers at me. Guess he doesn't like being called little. What a big baby.

"Guess I don't have a choice." A corner of his mouth tilts into a sneer, and his posture relaxes as he raises his hands, palms out.

I pretend to be in deep thought for a moment longer, before I lower my dagger but keep it palmed and ready as I move sideways, toward the redhead keeping roll. Violet follows my lead and steps the side, right next to me.

Jack steps down into the courtyard, his shoulder knocking mind as he walks by, pausing to lean in close. "You're dead, Sorrengail, and I'm going to be the one to kill you. You too, Whitlock."

"Get in line, jackass. I'm sure there's a lot of people who wants me dead, you're not special." I bite back, narrowing my eyes. Is that suppose to scare me? Oh I'm shaking in my boots...Not. There's probably a few people who hate my father and would love to kill me out of spite. This wasn't shocking news.