Page 49 of Black Wing and Shadows
She looked around and moved toward the Healers. “Healers are unique because most of you don’t have magical abilities, and without a rune, you won’t. However, you are one of the most essential branches we have. Most of us couldn’t live without you. If you are truly High Fae and join the Healers, you will be able to use magic along with healing. Rarely do we see a high-level mender come from the Healer’s branch. Generally, menders come from Riders or Sorcerers. Like my son, he is considered a mender. However, he is a medium level. That means he can mend flesh wounds, small fractures, and some poisons. High-level menders can heal larger wounds and broken bones."
“And let me guess, what about the nerds?” the cocky Shapeshifter said, looking at the Historian cadets.
“Watch your tongue before you find yourself out of my classroom. Historians are what keep the college running. They help professors and cadets with textbooks and document events that are happening so we can have an accurate record in the future. They may not be able to fight you hand-to-hand, but they can beat you in any kind of quiz.” She turned to him. “And before you get any ideas, Historians typically don’t spar, and killing one without reasonable cause will definitely land you in more trouble than you think.”
“For any High Fae who joins as a Historian, they have the option to add wielding and sparring to their course load. Most only choose wielding. Oftentimes, if you are a High Fae Historian, you are assigned to battlefields to document the events that occur because they can protect themselves better. Does anyone know the duration of a military term?” She looked around.
“Regardless of whether they are conscripted or not, once you have entered, you are required to complete four years of college and two years of service, unless you’re a Rider,” I said.
“And what about Riders?” she probed.
“They are a lifetime service,” I replied.
“Yes, but there are exceptions. All branches, except the Riders, can re-enlist and stay for various terms. However, if someone chooses to be a Rider, they will be committed for years to come. Fliers are dedicated to protecting their young and our continent, and when they take on a bonded Rider, it means they are fighting for the long term. A Rider can leave if the bond with their flier is severed. Doing so would take all the channeled magic with them, and often Riders can’t bear losing their fliers, sometimes dying of a broken heart. Fliers often outlive their Riders, and some have had multiple Riders. They do feel the pain of losing a Rider, and it’s common for them not to bond again for many years. There are cases where dragons bond so deeply with a Rider that they also die of heartbreak if their Rider passes away. A unique aspect of fliers is that they can forma bond with a second person, who is not a Rider.” She looked at me and smiled. Did she know that Kim and I had something special?Wasthere a bond?
She continued, “It doesn’t happen very often, and the bond isn’t the same, meaning they don’t channel power. We often think of it similarly to imprinting that can happen with wolves. In the handful of cases where it does happen, it is usually a mate or a child of the Rider. They sense each other and have a connection that fliers don’t normally get with another Fae. Now that you’ve heard all of that, why do you think children of Riders choose not to become Riders?”
“That’s easy. They don’t want the potential lifelong commitment to the military, especially the daughters who may want a family,” Thora, who sat at the end of my row, stated. I never saw it that way. I knew I wanted a family, but I also watched my dad navigate it with me in tow, even after my mom died. He had a lot of friends, mostly dragon Riders, who also helped take care of me.
“All students have their first hour here. Tomorrow, you will meet my co-professors. That’s enough for today. Class is dismissed. You will go to your second class of the day. And remember, make good choices—a bad choice can leave you with more enemies than you're prepared for.” She shot a look at the cocky Shapeshifter.
We all stood up and made our way out the exit.
“Why did she look at you when she mentioned a second bond?” Sadie asked me quietly.
“I'm not sure. My dad’s dragon and I did have some kind of connection, but I wouldn’t call it a bond.”
We kept walking, and our second class was with Professor Vindex, who taught magic. First Squad stayed together for all lectures, while our platoon’s second squad had many courses that overlapped with ours. My mind raced with everything I learned from Professor Melamora, or rather, all the things she was trying to tell me. I felt a strong connection with Zane. I spent yesterday reflecting on everything.
“Do you think my dad dosed me to keep my powers diminished?”I asked Zane.
“I think it is very possible if you haven’t been exhibiting magic and you’re already twenty,”his voice sounded strained.
“But why? Are you okay? You sound—”
“I am not sure, love. I will come back to this in a bit, getting my ass handed to me on the mat, and you are the distraction they needed…”He told me, and then I felt a wall. It was weird and strange. It was like the connection went from stadium lights to a candle barely holding on.
CHAPTER 19
In our second class of the day, only our wing occupied the seats. I wondered how the situation would change over the next few weeks as we participated in more integrated courses. Honestly, it didn’t matter to me. Being the General’s daughter meant we moved between different forts and interacted with various branches of the military. Before I was attacked, Drusearons didn't bother me. Being here helped me begin to heal and remember that asshole didn’t define all the other great Drusearons.
"If you have ever yielded magic, even unintentionally, move to the left side of the classroom. If you haven’t, move to the right side. I want to be able to see what we're working with. Now, some of you may not yield magic until you channel with your flier because... well, you don’t have parents of High Fae. Don’t worry, once you start channeling, you will be considered High Fae—the perk of surviving as a Rider—and the only branch that can change your status."
Seventeen of our classmates moved to the left, leaving nine of us on the right side. I looked around at the others who weren’t channeling. Professor Vindex looked at our small group. “Now, if you aren’t capable of channeling until you bond, move to the back row.” Five of the nine of us got up and moved. Thora was still sitting next to me, which I figured made sense since she had asked about it in our last class. I also knew both of her parents were Riders. She told me during basic. The other two were in the fire platoon.
“Alright, four of you, for whatever reason, should be yielding and aren’t. The other five of you will go over to the others.” He turned to the otherseventeen cadets. “I want you guys to start working on building shields. You should practice having mental shields up.”
“That’s easy,” one of the fire platoons’ cadets remarked.
Professor Vindex gave him a look.
“Holy shit were you in my head?” the cadet asked.
“By practicing shielding, you might be able to keep me out someday. I am quite powerful, though. Everyone does it a little differently, but the most important thing is to go within and build a wall. Some people imagine building a wall with anything they want, some imagine building blocks, some use water to keep a door closed, and others imagine closing doors. Whatever feels right is fine. It all requires practice and focus inward. Even if you're not channeling, you can learn to lock your mind down. I will be able to feel you building them, and you will feel me glide over them,” he told them.
I absorbed everything he said, remembering what my mom advised—I needed to learn how to shield myself from the overwhelming emotions of both my mate and my dragon or flier because it hadn’t been decided yet.
Professor Vindex approached our small group. “Let’s discuss where your powers are. First, let’s talk about your parents, because that will reveal what kind of power you might be hiding.” He looked at me, then at the name on my tee. “General’s daughter, right?”
