Rejected | ? Xaden Riorson

Another Gauntlet training session.

Great.

As if the previous ones weren't humiliating enough for my dear friends.

We haven't lost another member of the squad, so... does that count as a win? Tynan has stopped talking for good in the meantime - which is a small miracle for everyone - because his weakness is balls and mine is actually the ramp, only partially. Sometimes I can do it and sometimes I can't. I'm pretty short for that length. And Vi? She got stuck in the chimney.

So many times I'd rather set the protrusion on fire.

By the ninth training session, which is supposed to be the penultimate one before we go show off our total incompetence to the entire academy, I've already burned every inch of the obstacle course in my mind. Actually, now Riorson's nickname suits me.

Flame.

Ridoc calls me that now whenever he wants to provoke me.

I guess I’m not a complete scumbag because I figured out a way for Vi to get up the chimney. Sure, with a penalty. But at least she can do it. But the slope? That’s a different league. A nasty, slippery, gravity-cursed league. I have a problem with that too.

“Maybe you could climb on my shoulders and then…” Rhiannon starts, but she’s shaking her head before she can finish.

“That’s not a good idea, Rhiannon,” I say, wiping the sweat from my forehead. I’ve managed this training. Now I just have to do it officially.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re not allowed to touch any cadets on the route,” says Sawyer.

“Are you here to crush all hope, or do you have something useful?” Ridoc growls angrily, mirroring my mood. "The presentation is tomorrow, so now is the time to stop being useless."

Damn, I should start counting to calm myself down. There haven't been any arguments between Ridoc, Sawyer, and me, probably because he doesn't know about me smuggling alcohol out of the Healer Quadrant.

But we don't need to start arguing now.

There has to be a way to get up there without breaking the codex. Something that won't blow our entire team up in terms of time.

It's a presentation.

Honestly, I could talk to my 'brother-kissing-codex' and see if the rules can be bent.

But that would mean spending more time with him than just a few moments in the morning and evening. That's barely five minutes a day, and I'm glad we don't see each other.

Good luck with all my sibling relationships.

It’s true that it’s better than it used to be, but I still don’t have a brother, just someone I share a last name with and blood with.

I clench my jaw and immediately slap myself mentally.

I’ve softened.

I mean terribly soft.

The irony is that I didn’t care before, but since the beginning of the parapet, things have been going downhill for me.

I turn around. Vi is sitting on a rock, looking like a pile of misery. Damn.

She can’t die.

Lilith asked me to keep an eye on her.

I can think of one person who might be willing to give me advice. But honestly I don't know how to talk to Garrick like this.

I could ask Liam.

•••

“Hey… Can you come with me?” I mutter as Liam puts on his jacket. My words are quiet, careful, almost inappropriate. In fact, I feel weird asking.