Ruthless ??/ Fourth Wing

The sound of footsteps woke me, steady and heavy, breaking through the fog of sleep. I opened my eyes, blinking against the dim light of morning creeping through the window.

It took a second to process, but when I did, I realized Xaden was already up and standing beside the bed, fully dressed in his usual gear, his gaze fixed on me.

"You've got to get up," he said, his voice unusually firm but not unkind.

I rubbed my eyes, groaning quietly. "Do I have to?"

"Yeah," Xaden replied, not bothering to hide the amusement in his voice. "We need to get to the mess hall before it gets too crowded."

I sat up slowly, stretching and letting out a yawn. The weight of the blankets felt heavier now that the warmth of his presence was gone from beside me. I didn't want to get up, didn't want to face another day of uncertainty, but the thought of missing breakfast was enough to get me moving.

"You're a terrible alarm clock," I mumbled, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and rubbing my face.

"I try," he answered with a grin that I could feel even without looking at him. "Are you coming or not?"

With a sigh, I stood up, still half-dazed from sleep. "Give me five minutes. I'll catch up."

Xaden didn't argue. He just nodded, turning to leave. As he opened the door, I caught the faintest hint of a smile on his lips—like he knew something I didn't.

"Don't make me wait too long," he called over his shoulder before disappearing into the hallway.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the day ahead. It was hard to ignore the nagging feeling in my chest.

—-

It didn't take me long to get dressed. The physical act was easy enough—slipping into my usual gear, making sure my hair was out of my face—but what did take time was arranging the daggers. I had at least three on my belt, one hidden in the folds of my jacket, and a few more strapped to my thighs. Each one needed to be placed just right, easily accessible but hidden enough to go unnoticed. A little paranoid? Maybe. But I couldn't afford to be careless.

Xaden could wait.

Twenty minutes later, I finally made my way into the mess hall, the faint scent of bread and roasting meat filling the air. It was busy, as usual, with people milling about, grabbing food and talking in hushed tones. I didn't need to search long. The trio of Xaden, Garrick, and Bodhi were sitting in their usual corner, looking like the same mix of trouble and camaraderie they always did.

I grabbed an apple from the nearest bowl and walked over, sliding into an empty seat across from them. Without a word, I pulled out my dagger and started peeling the apple, the sound of the blade scraping against the skin filling the brief silence.

Bodhi, ever the morning optimist, flashed me a grin. "Good morning, sunshine."

It was a wonder how someone like Bodhi—so cheerful and free-spirited—could be related to Xaden. They were cousins, after all, but the difference between them was night and day.

I didn't bother looking up as I sliced off another wedge of apple, focusing on the task in front of me. "Good morning," I replied, my voice flat, still too tired to fully engage.

Garrick snorted from beside Xaden, his gaze flicking from me to Bodhi. "You're wasting your time with her, man. She's not a morning person."

I shot him a look but didn't respond. The last thing I wanted was to get into a pointless argument first thing in the morning.