Page 114 of Resurgent

One of the dragon's teeth catches him along the forearm, and the sound of fabric tearing is met with a sharp cry. Blood immediately begins running down his arm.

I flinch.

The dragon recoils with a furious snarl, shaking its head as it stalks away, while the recruit drops to his knees. The assigned healers on rotation are already moving cautiously toward him.

I glance toward Lorenson. “What happens to him now?”

She watches the medics reach the recruit before answering, “He failed. The dragon rejected him.”

“He gets another chance, right?” I ask, though my stomach is already twisting as I anticipate her answer.

Lorenson's expression doesn't change. “No.”

The words settle heavily between us before she continues, “He's dismissed from the academy.”

My eyes flick toward the recruit as one of the healers presses a cloth against his arm.

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“But what does he do?”

“Most run home to their parents…unless they are too ashamed to take them in.” Lorenson's gaze shifts toward the wounded recruit. “In that case, they’re forced to live up to their service contract.”

Something about the way she says it makes my stomach drop. “The front line?”

She nods. “Yeah, they get dropped in with the infantry. Every war needs cannon fodder, and who better to sacrifice than the disheveled and disowned.”

I stare at the recruit who looks far younger now than he did ten minutes ago.

“This particular recruit’s family doesn't have enough influence to get him out of it,” Lorenson continues quietly. “So he'll probably be sent north within the month.”

I don't know what to say, my heart breaking for a guy who’s never cared enough to even say two words to me before.

“That could have been me had you not taken a chance.”

Behind me, Tyr shifts, his enormous body moves closer until I can feel the heat radiating from his scales. “No, Little Faren. He was weak of heart and shallow with his morals. That has never been you.”

We fall into silence, Vivent remaining beside Tyr, as they watch the scene with unnervingly intelligent eyes.

Today was supposed to be about finding the dragon who would choose us, but standing here, watching someone lose everything because a dragon found him wanting, I realize something I hadn't truly considered before—being chosen was never a guarantee.

It's a privilege.

And for some of us, it's the only thing standing between a chance at the life we want and the near promise of death waiting for us beyond these walls.

Chapter thirty-four

Annalise

The chilly breeze is a welcome reprieve as I take long slow pulls of water, trying to force my breath to even out from the exhausting “warm-up” Hunter just put me through before we begin sparring.

After almost being caught kissing in the arena by a recruit showing up early for class a couple of weeks ago, we’ve been working out back at his house on the new mats he added to his home gym.

Which, considering the two dragons stationed at opposite ends of the property like highly judgmental security guards, is probably the safest place we could possibly train.

Kali is sprawled beneath the trees, lounging like the most pampered cat on her throne while Tyr sits only twenty feet away, always watching and full of commentary. Between the two of them, no one is getting anywhere near us without being noticed.