Page 15 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

Every Aerie has four divisions, named after the cardinal points.

The new runners will be split into flights of ten and will make up two squadrons in every division. After they pass Picking and bond a bird, they will fill up the flights here at the Aerie, while more seasoned riders will be sent off to supplement the borders.

That way, new riders can gather experience alongside more seasoned riders during patrols in their second year of training, after which they will graduate and enter full service.

We cross the atrium, which is seamlessly surrounded by buildings. This creates an easily defendable place for landing and takeoff since the big main gate is the only direct entrance from the outside.

Today, the space is separated into two main areas. Temporary barriers have been set up to help retain order once hundreds of candidates flood the space.

We greet other riders as we pass them. They are busy setting up targets and racks full of weapons and marking down areas for archery, swordplay, and hand-to-hand combat.

Jared is the one who draws the smiles, while the greeting I get is more reserved.

I’m not here to find friends. Coming here was a strategic decision.

I watch the riders bustling around us.

Once they finish setting up, they are free for the day unless they volunteer for additional duties. I give Jared another glare, but he ignores me.

“You are going to do all the talking, jotting down their names and handing out the numbers,” I grumble while we continue toward the gate.

“Deal. It’s better if I do the talking anyway. But try to rein in your charming personality, or you’ll scare them away.” He smirks.

I bare my teeth at him in a mocking smile. I don’t see the benefit in trying to play nice. My reputation will make them wary anyway.

“Yeah, you have to work on that,” Jared tells me, shaking his head.

“If they annoy you, I’ll come over for a snack and abduct you when I leave,”Daeva tells me. Her version of she has my back.

“I’m fine. Jared is here with me.”

“Tell him I’ll slice him into tiny pieces and feed him to the chicks next time he changes plans without consulting us.”Bloody pictures accompany her words.

I chuckle.“Very creative.”

Her pleasure floods me. Daeva is a constant presence in my mind unless I consciously block her out.

“What did the menace threaten me with?” Jared asks, then holds up a hand. “No, wait, I don’t want to know. Zephyr wasn’t happy either, and he is not half as bloodthirsty as your bird.”

That is not surprising since Night Ravens use fear to establish their social standing.

We enter the short tunnel connecting the atrium with the outer courtyard and stop at the main gate. The heavy and iron-enforced wooden door is closed, a rare sight that casts the tunnel into darkness. It seems no one deemed it necessary to light the magic-fueled lights along the wall since it’s a sunny day.

I hear shuffling and muted voices from the other side of the door, where candidates are waiting for sign-up to start.

“Let’s get this over with,” I say, pulling back the gate’s heavy iron bar. I use my gift to open the door with a blast of air, but I overestimate the force needed, and the doors hit the stone walls with a bang.

“Show-off,” Jared mutters and grins before he faces the first in line, ready to take the candidate’s name.

Jared’s gift of Illusion leaves him with fewer chances to use it for everyday tasks than commanding air. Unlike me, he didn’t have a gift before bonding.

I lean against the wall, facing the unbelievably long line of mostly men ready to risk their lives for the slim chance of becoming a skyrider. Only to risk their life some more as soon as they are.

The coldness of the wall seeps through my clothes, another occasion when commanding air comes in handy.

Since Jared took over the tasks concerning sign-up, my only job is to make sure no one passes without entering their name first and to keep an eye out for trouble.

At least we don’t have to check the candidate’s age since Professor Myrsky wards the gate so no one can enter Assessment unless they are old enough.

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