Sweet Serenity (Fourth Wing) (Xaden Riorson)

Intervention Time

Xaden

The next few weeks are a blur, a relentless cycle of responsibilities, duties, and secrets pulling me in every possible direction. Battle Briefs that eat up hours of my mornings, Rider Survival Course pushing my limits, leadership meetings that drain whatever energy I have left—all of it, leaving me barely any time to breathe, let alone think.

Except for her.

Serene.

I've been trying to convince myself it's nothing, just a convenient distraction. Someone powerful enough to be useful but not someone who should matter. But every time I catch her in the halls, see her fiery blonde hair glint in the dim lighting, or catch a glimpse of her eyes flicking in my direction, I know that's a lie. I'm drowning in a sea of responsibilities, but I'll always find a way to slip through the cracks of my duties if it means catching a moment with her.

There's a moment I can't forget. It's late, the halls deserted, the moonlight casting shadows against the cold stone walls. I'm supposed to be somewhere else—probably sleeping, given how exhausted I've been lately—but all I can think about is her. The way her lips taste like something forbidden, something that I shouldn't want as badly as I do.

I find her outside her room, her silhouette barely visible in the faint light of the torches. She looks up, her eyes catching mine, and for a second, everything else disappears. I don't think. I just act. I grab her wrist and pull her into the alcove, pressing her against the cold wall. She gasps softly, her breath mixing with mine, and then her hands are in my hair, tugging me closer. It's desperate, hungry—like we're both starved for the touch we're denied during daylight.

She tastes of something sweet, like honey laced with poison. My hands roam her waist, her back, the soft curves hidden beneath that damned uniform, and I can't help but groan into her mouth. Every touch of her skin is like fire, a reminder that I'm risking everything for these stolen moments. But gods, I don't care. In these fleeting seconds, there's no rebellion, no enemies, no war—just her, her heat, her taste.

"I thought you were busy," she whispers, pulling back just enough to catch her breath, her fingers still tangled in my hair.

"I am." I lean in, brushing my lips against hers again, unable to stop myself. "But not too busy for this- For you"

And yet, for every moment we steal, there's a cost. I'm running on fumes, hardly sleeping, pushing through the pain and exhaustion because the rebellion needs me. But Serene—she's become a different kind of need, one that I'm too afraid to acknowledge, even to myself.

I tell myself it's about her signet. She's a weapon, a tool to keep out of Melgren's grasp. Her ability to detect and disable other signets just by looking at someone. And then her ability to magnify signets... its limitless... and it's something the rebellion could use. Something I could use. So every time I slip into her room in the dead of night, that's what I tell myself. That I'm there to help her refine her powers, to make her stronger.

Except every time, we barely make it five minutes into training before my hands are on her again, and we're stumbling back into her bed, a mess of tangled sheets and gasps for air. I'm a selfish bastard, using training as an excuse just to be near her. And yet, when she looks at me with those eyes, so full of trust, I almost believe I'm doing the right thing.

But tonight, everything changed.

I've barely had time to catch my breath after a particularly grueling flight exercise when Garrick and Bodhi barge into my room. The door slams behind them, bouncing off the doorframe from the force of the push, the sound like a gunshot in the quiet. They don't even worry about shutting the door as it sits ajar. Garrick doesn't even wait for me to speak before he's throwing himself into one of the chairs by my desk, his expression a mixture of frustration and something else I can't quite place.

"We need to talk," Bodhi says, his voice unusually tense.

I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest. "I've got somewhere to be in ten minutes."

"No, you don't," Garrick shoots back, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "This is an intervention."

I blink, genuinely taken aback. "An intervention? What the hell are you talking about?"

Garrick gets up and pulls the door shut behind them, though it doesn't quite latch—a detail I barely register as I turn my attention back to the two of them. The room feels smaller with them here, the air thick with whatever tension they've brought with them.

Bodhi is the first to speak again. "It's about Serene."

I go still, my hands curling into fists at my sides. "What about her?"

"Don't play dumb," Garrick snaps. "We've seen you sneaking off with her. You're running yourself into the ground just to steal a few moments with her."

"It's nothing, we're nothing." I say, the lie bitter on my tongue. "She's... useful."

Garrick's laugh is sharp, almost mocking. "Useful? Is that what you call sneaking into her room every other night? If it's just about her abilities, then why do you look like you're about to murder me for even mentioning her name? Hell if there is nothing between you then you wouldn't mind if I payed her a visit."

Shadows flicker at the edges of my vision, my temper fraying. Before I can think, I have Garrick pinned against the wall, my fist twisted in his shirt. "Don't talk about her like that," I growl, shadows snapping like a live wire around us.

Bodhi steps forward, placing a firm hand on my shoulder, his touch grounding me enough to let Garrick go, as the shadows ebb away at his touch. "Calm down, Xaden," he says quietly. "We're not your enemies."

I release Garrick, stepping back, my heart hammering in my chest. "She's powerful," I mutter, trying to get a grip on the storm raging inside me. "It's better to have her on our side than theirs."

Bodhi shakes his head. "We get that she's powerful. But this... whatever it is you're doing with her, it's making you reckless."

"She's a liability," Garrick presses, rubbing his throat where my grip had been. "If Melgren of her father finds out—"

"She's more than that," I snap, before I can stop myself. Bodhi and Garrick exchange glances, waiting for me to continue. And gods, it's like the dam breaks. "What can she do that I can't?" Bodhi asked with a nonchalant laugh, "I can disable signets."

"You have to be touching someone to do it... She can disable signets... all of them, with just a look. She can figure out someone's signet with just a glance, sometimes before they even know what their signet is, she does. " I blurt out. "And she can... " I cut off. Shit. 

"What else can she do, Xaden?" Bodhi asked quietly. I fucked up. I really fucked up

"She can.... magnify them too." I'm sorry Serrene. Forgive me, please.

There's a beat of silence. I've said too much, given away secrets that weren't mine to tell.

"Damn," Garrick breathes, his eyes wide. "You've been holding out on us. So you're using her.... that's smart. Nevermind, We won't question you again." Garrick said with a nod

Before I can respond, the sound of the door slamming shut jolts all of us. I spin around, dread sinking into my stomach.

"Fuck."

Without another word, I shove past Garrick and Bodhi, sprinting into the corridor. I round the corner just in time to see Serene's black hood vanish down the staircase, her footsteps echoing like the sound of my own failure.

"Serene, wait!" I call, but she doesn't stop.

And for the first time, I wonder if I've truly lost her.