“Arise, mortal. Do it quietly,” Boeru whispers in my ear, startling me from a pleasant dream.

  I twitch in my bed, opening my eyes to pitch-blackness. Where am I? No cold snap winds waking me, no House Mother slamming on the door. My mind catches up like a tired mill.

  House Sivus, that’s right.

  All the candles are out, and not an ounce of light comes from beyond the door. It’s still late.

  “Why, Boeru?” I rub my eyes, forcing them to adjust, then stop immediately when a shadow moves darker than the rest near the door.

  The lock slowly unlatches, making the faintest sound, and the shadow slips out.

  “The one you wish to court is on the move.”

  “Will you stop with that!” I get up slowly, careful not to wake Lay or Jurs.

  “Curious, at this time of the night. Her scent grows foul.” Boeru huffs in my mind. “You mortals are vile creatures, altering your likeness on a whim.”

  “Maybe she just can’t sleep, you dramatic beast. Ever think of that?” I grab pants under my arm and tiptoe to the door. As my eyes adjust further, I notice Boeru occupying my shadow on the floor, provoking my warring dark to pulse from my forearms down to my calves. It’s a new sensation. He’s lightening my footsteps for me, otherwise my guard will surely rouse.

  Slipping out of the room, I see it’s true. Renesta’s silhouette darts around the corner and into the next hall. Meanwhile, my warring dark buzzes within me, still syphoning through my body like an oiled machine.

  “How are you doing that?” I ask.

  “I merely urged you to remain silent. This is your body at work, not mine,” Boeru says. “Mph. This woman blocks our connection, separating from our joined mark. She is well versed in the warring dark. More than imagined.”

  My jaw clenches at that proclamation, making me hop into my pants and pick up the pace to ensure I don’t lose her. As I press my back against the next wall, I turn my head to see other students quietly walking the hall. It’s nice to have such freedoms. House Mother would be whipping me bloody if she found me wandering at this hour.

  I drop the sneak routine so as not to look suspicious and turn the corner to the next hall, noticing Renesta is already onto the room beyond. A quick nod at the robed men gets me by without a hitch. They didn’t say anything about me being shirtless. That’s good, I guess. Not too strict.

  As soon as they’re out of earshot, I sprint soundlessly on, noticing she’s nowhere to be found.

  Shit.

  The next hall forks into two paths—one toward the Sivus arena, and another I’m not sure where.

  “That way,” Boeru guides me to the area I don’t recall on our tour. As I inch through the next two rooms, I finally find Renesta seated cross-legged near a hole in the floor that reminds me of the portal in Elshard we flew out of. Darkness rumbles inside the hole… like the sky of the sub-tier. Do all of the houses have a connection below?

  That would make sense, actually. How else would our house parents remit information to tier one? Some sort of magical messenger system, no doubt.

  Her eyes are closed, and her breathing is the same as someone sleeping. Is she meditating into a shade again? Why?

  I inch closer, knowing I have to nip this in the bud now.

  “Is she in the afterlife, Boeru?”

  “I forfeited that knowledge when I joined you, mortal, remember? We are in the dark together.”

  My magical essence syphons uncontrollably around my forearms, telling me something. But what? This attunement business is like a language I don’t understand.

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  As I step closer, I notice faint golden flakes orbit her. Where have I heard of those before? I squint, and the flakes disappear.

  I’m two feet away from her now, soundlessly stepping.

  Fff!

  Shadowy arms suddenly wrap around my neck, putting me into a sleeper hold while covering my mouth. The pressure tightens around my throat.

  As I scratch desperately to get out, Renesta’s eyes burst open, glowing hotly white.

  The anger in her expression is visceral.

  Before she can speak, a blur tackles Renesta flat on the floor. Layla.

  That adrenaline I experienced fighting Grondus returns, my warring dark fighting to vacuum the shadow essence choking me into my own. It’s a struggle this time. Boeru’s right—she’s intensely more powerful than the brute.

  How is she able to command her attunement while being restrained by—

  Another shadow kicks Layla in a somersault off Renesta.

  Renesta then kicks up to her feet with her emerald-steel blade drawn, pointing right at Layla.

  “I’ll rip you in half, bitch. Sword or no sword.” Layla rolls into a hunched wrestling stance, readying to dodge a swing of her blade.

  “Stop.” My strangled voice barely comes through.

  My strength is gaining the closer I get to blackout. The invisible tornadoes around my arms nearly exploding with power. Relias’ words come alive in my mind—the warring dark is deaf, dumb, and blind without bloodshed.

  Fighting evokes it.

  Renesta backs up, commanding the second shadow to step in between her and Layla. “You stalk me. Why?”

  My warring dark bursts into a pulse of black air, knocking the shadow to sand that whirls onto the floor and reforms near Renesta. I hold my neck, trying to relearn how to breathe.

  I did it.

  “Are you—kidding? We’re a fucking unit, Renesta,” I remind her.

  She swings her blade, pointing it my way in case I try anything. Her brow is tense, lips pursed in fury. “Not your prisoner? Are you sure, Haledyn Dragonborn? Perhaps next time you will respect my privacy as I do yours.”

  “The mortal speaks defensively. Her scent reeks of deception.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I ask her to lower her blade with my hands.

  “You conspire with Danes in private, commune in your little clique of three in the bed. These are not my concerns, just like my evening stroll is not yours.” She sheathes her blade and dissolves both shadows into swirling black mist cycling around her legs.

  I’d be lying if she didn’t look like an epic dark warrior in this moment. More experienced than any of us.

  “You’re going to talk, bitch, or Haledyn is going to find a way to rip that mark off your arm,” Layla seethes.

  I’m not sure if I’m being conceited or not, but my gut tells me a part of this is jealousy for the way I look at Renesta. Of course, I could also be thinking like an idiot, considering I was almost choked out by her coaxing shadow.

  “Oh, Layla.” Renesta turns. “Our precious, barren Layla. I see your little bond with our dragonborn. Tell me, Haledyn, how will we ever act as a unit with a grip as tight as hers?”

  “Ladies, please,” I attempt to draw attention. “Renesta—the Dane informed me that my blood brother is alive and also bonded. That’s all that was said.” I tilt my head, testing if she’ll accept my peace offering.

  She sighs, loosening her fists. “I see.”

  “Yes. He’s in the war-tier, my guess, fighting on the front lines against Lacor.”

  Her lip twitches. I’m not sure what to make of it.

  “Her scent,” Boeru growls. “It darkens further.”

  “She is not our enemy,” I bark back.

  “Give me something, Renesta. Please.”

  “I…”

  Layla and I glance at one another.

  “I’m homesick,” Renesta admits, disbanding her warring dark completely. “My house father treated me well. I miss him.”

  She wanted to revisit her old house as a shade…

  Harmless.

  “Well, that’s a relief,” I sigh, then trace a scar down my abs. “This is what House Mother gave me, so forgive us if we don’t share the sentiment.”

  Layla taps the scar on her face, lightening the mood completely, while Boeru riles at my back.

  He’s all snarls and groans. “Shifting her scent like a lizard in the hedge forests. The mortal toys with my senses.”

  “Don’t be so sore about it,” I say.

  Boeru’s sentiment affects me though. I can’t deny it. My skepticism rears inside. It took her quite some time to climb the spire as a shade, and exhausted her greatly. How did she plan to descend the entire thing and fly down to her house, all in a night?

  Either she was curbing her powers in the spire coves, or she’s lying to us now.

  I scan her face, noting the hints of sadness as she stares longingly down the portal. There may be deception in her scent, but my gut tells me she’s telling the truth.

  Traveling between houses isn’t unheard of, anyway. Tristian spied on us as a shade. How else would he have known Rogoshel back on the spiral steps?

  “Apologies, Ren. I shouldn’t have followed you,” I say. “C’mon, Lay. Let’s leave her be.”

  We exit without another word. I half-expect Renesta to tell us to wait, but she doesn’t, resuming her cross-legged position by the portal.

  Boeru huffs in my ear.

  “What would you have me do?” I ask.

  “When my wing leads an assault in the afterlife, I know with certainty every dragon and rider behind me flies for the cause. Do you?”

  I push my lips to one side, going over the relationships of each marked in my group. Am I playing favorites already, like Renesta suggested? No. It’s just the beginning.

  “Miria wasn’t built in a day, Boeru.”

  “It can be crushed in one,” he growls, climbing down my back and out of my mind.

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