Page 477 of The Academy of Blood & Shadow

"You look ridiculous." I tell him.

Caelen turns. "You have followers too."

I look behind me. Three first-years from the briefing are walking several feet back. Oh. No. I stop. They stop. Why.

"See?" Rhyven murmurs.

I glare at him. "Shut up." Caelen smiles. Then keeps walking.

The day becomes one long lesson in absence. Not real absence. Practice. Chiefs removed from drills. Deputies take over. Deputies removed. Third line takes over. Communication crystals disabled. Runners used. One Wing loses its entire command team during a mock breach. They adapt. Slowly. Badly. Then better. Again.

Rhyven disappears from Sky Wing drills halfway through the afternoon. On purpose. No warning. Mara takes command. Thirty minutes later, she is "injured." That leaves the task leaders. For the first time, nobody waits for Rhyven to return. Good. I think that's what he wanted.

My first actual First-Year Response drill begins at fifteen thirty. Not imaginary now. Seventeen first-years report to the lower courtyard. Most look confused. One looks annoyed. I understand him.

A boy from Tide raises his hand. "Why are you leading?" Excellent start.

"Because Chief Corvell hates me." A few laugh. Good.

"Actual answer?"

"He thinks I can." The boy looks toward the observation balcony. Rhyven is there. Of course.

"That's it?"

"Apparently." I look around. Seventeen faces. Different Wings. Different abilities. Different levels of fear. Some I know. Some I don't. None asked for me. Important. "I'm not your Chief." I say. "Good news for all of us." More laughter. Good. "If something happens, I'm not here to turn you into heroes." That quiets them. "I'm here to get you where you're useful and keep you alive long enough to become someone else's problem." A girl smiles. Better. "We're going to learn three things." I hold up fingers. "Where you go. Who you follow. What you do when neither of those works." Now they're listening.

We drill. Rally point. Again. Secondary rally. Again.

Primary corridor blocked. Again. Partner missing. Again. Ward alarm. Again. Dragon anomaly. Again.

One student freezes during simulated smoke. Not because she doesn't know what to do. Because she can't see. I recognize that. Fear. Not failure. I take her aside. "What's your name?"

"Lena."

"Can you hear me?"

"Yes."