The Immortal / Fourth Wing

Chapter Fiveteen

POV: Xandor Galadon

"Oren Seifert." Captain Fitzgibbons finished reading the death roll as we stood in formation the next morning. Or the same morning just a few hours later. Unlike the months before, I had joined the formation today and stood between the others of my wing, towering over everyone.

I noticed that the riders closest to me shifted uneasily and slightly broke out of formation to keep their distance. I ignored Violet and Rhiannon's chatter beside me and noticed that Xaden was approaching.

"There's a change to your squad roll."

"Wingleader?" Dain questioned, his spine straightening. "We just absorbed four from the dissolution of the third squad."

"Yes." Xaden looked to the right, where Second Squad, Tail Section stood at Attention, coompletely ignoring Dain's statement. "Belden, we're making a roll change."

"Yes, sir." The squad leader nodded once.

"Aetos, Vaughn Penley will be leaving your command, and you'll be gaining Liam Mairi from Tail Section." Dain's mouth snapped shut, and he nodded. We all watched as the two first-year riders exchanged placed and Liam nodded at Xaden.

"I do not need a bodyguard," I could hear Violet snapping at Xaden. Okay, she slowly got on my nerves. Be grateful, okay.

I discreetly watched Liam from under my hood when he was put right in front of me. My eyes traveled over his figure. He had light-blonde hair and blue eyes. While he was tall, he still didn't reach my chin and he was built very handsome with wide shoulders and slim hips. These pants were really doing their job.

"Liam is statistically the second strongest first-year in the quadrant. He has the second fastest time up the Gauntlet, hasn't lost a single challenge, and is bonded to an exceptionally strong Red Daggertail. Any squad would be lucky to have him, and he's all yours, Aetos. You can thank me when you win Squad Battle in the spring."

Correction, he was mine.

When Violet began to protest again, I blocked her out and close my eyes. I opened my eyes again when Panchek began to speak. This was probably about last night.

"It has been brought to my attention as your commandant that a breach of the Codex has occurred," he called out over the courtyard. "As you know, breaches of our most sacred laws are not to be tolerated," Panchek continued. "This matter will be addressed here and now. Will the accuser please step forward."

Xaden walked from the front of the formation to the dais and climbed the stairs. "Early this morning," he began, "a rider in my wing was brutally, illegally attacked in her sleep with the intent of murder by a group primarily composed of unbondeds." A collection of murmurs and gasps filed the air. "As we all know, this is a violation of Article Three, Section Two of the Dragon Riders Code and, in addition to being dishonorable, is a capital defense. Having been alerted by my dragon, I interrupted the attack with two other Fourth Wing riders." He dipped his chin toward our wing, and two rider - Garrick and Bodhi - broke formation, then climbed the steps to stand behind Xaden, their hands at their sides. A small curl of Garrick's hair fell out and into his face, lying right above his eyes. Cute.

As if he had noticed my gaze, his eyes snapped to me, and I tilted my head slightly to the side. His eyes glazed over slightly, and I knew that he remembered out encounter from last night. With a faint blush on his cheeks, his eyes focused on the wall behind us, and he stoically stared at it.