Ryse gave me a frown.
“You need it more than I do. Now eat.”
I picked up my spoon and did as he said, trying not to notice the way the Second-years at the table were looking at me. I must seem like Ryse’s little pet—no wonder they were mad that he’d thrown out a perfectly good rider and replaced him with someone who didn’t even have a dragon.
Also, his declaration that I would bond with nothing less than a Gold-wing made me nervous. What would they say when I failed? Ryse would be blamed—he might even lose his status as Wing Leader. I didn’t want all that to happen on my account.
I didn’t understand why he was being so protective of me, either. He was an upperclassman—a Wing Leader. Why should he care about a runty little First-year cadet?
Maybe his attitude had to do with his dragon’s feelings about me. But that was strange too—why was a rare Midnight Gold-wing concerned with insignificant me? Was it my bloodlines? But Professor Leesbruck had said that bloodlines didn’t matter—that every Great House sometimes produced a runt—a genetic throw-back who wasn’t fit to be a rider.
I had no answers to any of my questions and there was nothing I could do but eat the Dragon Custard slowly and wait for the Great Bell to toll in order to make my escape.
32
AURORA
“What was that all about?” Jorn-o asked me as we left the Mess Hall together. I’d been afraid that Ryse might insist on coming with me, but he hadn’t said a word when the bell rang, and I jumped up from my new spot at his table and hurried away.
“I don’t know.” I said, looking away. “I think it might have to do with Larson. Ryse feels responsible because he used to be in his Wing.”
“Used to be in his Wing?” Toady exclaimed, his eyes wide.
“Holy shit!” Bugs exclaimed. “Then it’s true—Skoren kicked him out!”
“Who’s he replacing him with, then?” Leaper wanted to know.
“Me,” I said in a small voice.
“What?” Jorn-o gave me a look that was pure confusion. “But that’s not how it works! You can’t be in a Wing unless you have a dragon to fly.”
“Ryse says I’ll be flying with him until I get my own dragon,” I said.
My friends all shook their heads.
“Never heard of a First-year getting into a Wing before,” Toady muttered.
“I know, but it’s not like I asked to be in a Wing!” I exclaimed. “And anyway, I think it’s just that Ryse wants to protect me from Larson for some reason.”
“I think you’re right,” Jorn-o said thoughtfully. “At least, if what I overheard earlier today is any indication.”
“What? What did you hear?” everyone wanted to know—myself included.
“Well, I spilled something on my shirt at lunch, so I ducked back into the dorm to change between classes,” Jorn-o told us. “But as I was coming out of the bathroom, I saw Skoren talking to our Dorm Monitor. I couldn’t hear everything, but it sounded like he was demanding that Larson get moved out of Dorm A.”
“What?” I exclaimed, barely believing it. Was there no end to Ryse Skoren’s meddling in my life? It wasn’t like I was completely helpless. Why wouldn’t he leave well enough alone?
“Yeah and actually, the Dorm Monitor agreed,” Jorn-o said. “So I don’t think Larson is in our dorm anymore.”
“Just hope he didn’t get moved to ours,” Bugs said dolefully. “He’s a mean bastard.”
“Yeah, and getting kicked out of his Wing and his dorm on the same day is only going to make him meaner,” Bugs agreed.
I didn’t say anything—my mind was still reeling. So Ryse had actually gone out of his way to get Chud Larson moved out of my dorm. I was going to have to confront him, I thought to myself. I couldn’t let him keep solving all my problems—I had to stand on my own two feet, or no one would ever respect me at the Academy. I was already the shortest and the weakest—I didn’t need to look like a coward too!
My chance came later that night. I took my usual quick dip in the Cook-pot, then wrapped myself in towels and waited by the broad, arching entrance to the underground lake until I saw the Second-years coming.
The moment I caught sight of Ryse, I motioned at him. He had been talking and laughing with some of the other Second-years but he nodded at once and came over to me.
