Page 8 of Black Wing and Shadows
***
The next day, our squad placed fifth, and we rucked up all those stairs. The griffin obstacle decided it. I fell three times, and Ophelia fell four. She stood an inch shorter than me, and I struggled because I was short. We rucked the ten flights of stairs in the towers with fifty-pound packs on our backs, and it left my body raw. When they dismissed us for the night, I climbed into my bunk, and the moment my eyes closed, I drifted into sleep.
The only positive aspect of running these courses was that the instructors did not wake us in the middle of the night. Our third run went more smoothly, and we made progress. The other squads also improved. We secured third place this time, which spared us from rucking that day, thank the gods. We missed second place by twenty seconds. First place came with an unexpected perk—the instructors dismissed them right after dinner without requiring them to form up. This meant longer, more refreshing showers and rare moments of peace in the barracks, where only ten cadets occupied the space instead of one hundred and ten.
The next day arrived. As our squad prepared to begin, we gathered in a huddle. We exchanged glances that conveyed—We would succeed. One rule was that we had to finish the entire course together, but we agreed that three of the guys would go first, followed by all four of us girls. After we crossed, we’d start tackling the obstacles. Once everyone got past the griffins, we would wait until most of us were across so we could cross the wall together.
We all stood in formation waiting for them to announce the winner.
“In the first place, securing their spot by five seconds… Second squad!”
“Yessss!!!” Our squad shouted together.
“Let’s fucking go,” Callum shouted.
Pascal’s face turned solemn, and he looked towards our very cheering squad. “Get back in formation, before you lose your prize.”
We snapped back to attention, faces locked, before he even finished the order.
“Second squad, dismissed. Eat first, skip formation. Everyone else—chow, then back here.”
We funneled through the dinner line fast. I dropped onto a bench and shoveled food into my mouth like someone might yank it away.
“Think they’ll steal your tray?” Callum asked, one brow arched, a crooked grin tugging at his mouth.
“No. I just want that shower and the silence that comes with it.”
“Want company?” He leaned in as he said it, elbow nudging my side before a laugh broke out of him.
Whatever showed in my eyes made him stumble into an apology. Years earlier, I would have taken it without pause, no thought of what it meant. I had buried emotions under reckless intimacy, chasing escape until the tangle turned into attachment. Now anxiety prowled close, a tightening in my chest and a restless churn in my gut. I shoved it down, sealed it tight, locked the box before it could spill over and drown me.
I took my food tray back to the front and headed back to our barracks. I grabbed my shower bag and went into the shower, and took the most relaxing, peaceful shower I had taken in weeks. I made it back to thebarracks, and it was still only our squad in there. They were all sitting around in a group on the bunks, chatting.
***
The next day, our squad prepared for the final day of the course.. We repeated the previous day's routine, but this time it felt like we moved faster, and none of us fell off the obstacle courses. We completed the usual drills and stood in formation.
My heart jolted, as if it skipped a beat. I took a deep breath, unaware I had been holding it. My eyes fixed on a five-foot-ten, tanned guy leaning against the wall with one leg bent. Blonde, short golden waves, and his pale blue eyes felt like windows into his soul. His gaze met mine, and I couldn’t look away. Electricity surged through my body. Fuck. He was beautiful.
My heart felt as though it would beat out of my chest. My eyes dropped from his eyes, down to his lips… Good gods, his complete, gorgeous lips had this ornery smile across them. My stomach knotted, and I felt tingling in all—
“Second squad is our winner for the day, but Fifth Squad is our overall winner for the week, having the highest average time. Although had second squad not placed fifth the first time, they would have won by a landslide. Both squads will be granted a weekend of rest. I am proud of you, cadets, for working together…”
He kept talking, but the words slid past me. My pulse pounded too loud, my palms slick, my breaths coming sharp and shallow. Gods, who was this man?
At last, he broke our stare, and the spell snapped. I blinked hard, only then realizing how long I’d been caught in him. Minutes gone, stolen without me noticing. He turned and strode out of the courtyard toward the outdoor arena, and I stood frozen, breathless, like he’d taken the air with him.
“Earth to Auriella… Hello?” Callum caught my attention. I clearly had been in a daze and totally missed him releasing us.
“Uh, yeah?”
“You were in left field, you good there?”
“Yep, peachy keen.”
“Well, let’s get to dinner and enjoy the quiet time.”
CHAPTER 4
