Rejected | ? Xaden Riorson

After Riorson’s speech, the crowd slowly began to disperse. Cadets flocked to the entrances to the dormitories, muttering to themselves, some laughing nervously, others just walking in silence. Inside, it was buzzing like a pressurized hive. I heard Dain yelling some orders about tomorrow’s classes.

Ridoc walked ahead of me, of course with his hands in his pockets and an expression as if he were about to check into a luxury hotel. Violet was running alongside the goddess Amari, carrying a backpack that looked a little smaller than the one I’d seen this morning. Mira might have knocked some sense into her and swayed her.

"Do you think we'll have clean mattresses?" asked the goddess Amari quietly. "Or at least clean sheets?"

"No," Ridoc answered, perfectly calm. "But if you lie down first, you have a chance of getting a bed without any suspicious stains."

She laughed, although I found it a little scary. Supposedly someone had already been killed in their sleep here. Not that it was really public knowledge. That was because it was supposed to be forbidden because of the codex. But as they say, riders often have a hard time following any rules.

As soon as we entered the dormitory building, we were hit by the musty smell of old stone, sweat, and something rusty. Maybe blood. It was hard to tell. Lanterns hung on the walls, casting shadows rather than lighting the way.

"It's not that bad," the one with the fair hair said as we passed the first row of beds. “Well… if you don’t mind the people, the noise, the smells, or the fact that you might not sleep at all.” I was starting to like the boy more and more, and I was determined to keep him. Sawyer was his name, I think.

“So it’s okay,” Violet said, pulling the strap of her backpack back on.

And then Dain appeared. He stood in the doorway, not bothering to hide his distaste for this place, his eyes scanning every movement in the room as if he were about to find death or an answer—maybe both.

When he saw me, his expression broke for a second. Not completely, just enough for me to see pure horror mixed with frustration in his gaze. He stopped in front of me and handed me a folded piece of paper. His fingers were shaking slightly. A message, I suppose.

“Classes start tomorrow. Be there,” he told everyone.

I took the paper and our eyes met.

We didn't speak.

Dain pursed his lips and took a step back. I'd never seen him look at me with that look of—somewhere between reproach and pain. He wanted to say something, but decided not to. Then he turned his head and just walked away. The door slammed behind him.

"Oh my," Ridoc said behind me. "I love the tense silence, is that your brother?"

I grinned. "It's the first time in years that he feels responsible for me like a big brother," I said, and didn't elaborate.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Violet asking Sawyer something. They were chatting, and Ridoc and I moved closer to them to hear Sawyer’s answer.

“Not everyone who sleeps here next to you is going to wake up in the morning,” he says quietly. “Some will want to take you off before you can put on your boots, codex be damned. The training is tough, but the people are worse. Trust no one completely. Not even yourself when you’re exhausted.”

There’s a moment of silence. Violet stops moving too, just staring into space. We all feel the weight of his words.

“Keep your senses alert, even in your dreams,” he added.

“Well, great,” Ridoc said, leaning back on his elbows. “So have pleasant dreams, good luck, and if someone comes to your bed at night, try to convince them that you’re already dead. Maybe he'll leave."