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NYX

It was almost too early when I went to the Regent General’s Office, but I knew Octavian would already be there.

“I’m ready to take my place,” I rushed out as soon as I entered. I could have kicked myself for not finding a less desperate-sounding way to phrase it, but here I was. I needed to get things moving as quickly as possible.

Octavian lifted a brow as he looked up from the parchment he was reading. “I heard you found your ryder. Congratulations.”

“Yes, and I want to get her up to standards as soon as possible.” We both knew what it meant.

“You mistake my congratulations for agreement to your request. You can’t expect me to throw you into the field with an untrained ryder and simply hand over the most significant roles in the kingdom to you in such circumstances.”

“I am of age, and my birthright?—”

Octavian cut me off. “I am well aware of your birthright. If you think anyone has forgotten, you are mistaken. It’s what has afforded you the privilege you have been extended during the years your ryder was missing.”

I sucked in the snarl threatening to leave my lips. As if you could call a desk job on the sidelines of a legion I should have been leading a privilege. I settled my mind so my tone wouldn’t match my rage. “I understand what has been done for me, but the time has come for me to take my command. Our war with the Vestar grows worse by the day. She can learn in the field. We can’t afford to lose more lives, and putting her through the full training is a waste of time.” Time we didn’t fucking have.

“Those are the rules, Nyx, and while I understand you are impatient considering the circumstances, this process can’t be rushed. I can’t risk losing you like we did your father. An untrained ryder in the field will only put the entire wing in danger. I’ve heard she isn’t even showing signs of magic yet.” Octavian gave me a sympathetic look, which only enraged me further.

“Who told you that?” She’d barely been here two fucking days.

“Do you think for a second, as Regent General, that I don’t keep tabs on when any dragon brings a ryder into this city, least of all you?” Octavian wasn’t a bad guy, nor did I think he was against me, but he didn’t get to where he was without political maneuvering. I’d been stupid to not be aware of how it might affect my position before now.

“Who told you?”

“I am responsible for all dragons in this city, and even if you don’t know it, the healers do. They filed the appropriate reports… Something I would also have expected from you.” He said it in a matter-of-fact way, but it stung. I did not enjoy disappointing a fae who had held the respect of my father, something few fae could claim. It was akin to disappointing father directly, and nothing was worse than that.

“Everything happened rather quickly, and I—” I cut myself off before I started making excuses. “I apologize. I should have reported it to you directly. It has just been a shock.”

“Yes, I heard her rescue was somewhat dramatic.” His brow creased in a way that could easily be mistaken for concern, but I knew him too well. Suspicion was laced in his frown, too.

“It was. Thank the Goddess I got the call in time,” I said with as much casual confidence as I could muster. I did not want him looking too closely at this.

“Indeed. Which is all the more reason to let her settle in and recuperate before you begin her training. She has a long way to go before she will be ready for the legion. The war will be there when she’s ready.”

“But how many lives will we lose in that time? She will come into her magic quickly by her proximity to me. We can take our place, and she can train in the field. She’s not an adolescent.”

“No, Nyx. But she is an adult fae who has been forcibly removed from her home by her family’s murderers and taken to a world she could never have imagined. At least if she was a youngling leaving a normal home for the first time, she would be somewhat prepared.”

I cringed at his frank assessment. “I meant that she has maturity on her side. She will learn quickly.”

“I understand your feelings on the subject, but I think your judgement is clouded. Why would you want to put your ryder at risk that way? Do you want her to die?” Octavian tilted his head like he was trying to figure out my intentions, but I couldn’t tell him the deal I’d made with her.

“I can protect her,” I returned, letting my tone slip into a growl.

His brows rose. “Nyx, your father was my closest friend, may he rest with the Goddess, and I knew better than anyone how he could be dragon-headed when he thought he knew best. But this line of thinking is irresponsible even for an heir of his. If his death has taught us anything, it’s that all dragons are valuable.”

“Please leave him out of this.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“I can’t, in good conscience, approve of you taking your untrained, unproven, and, if reports are correct, uncooperative ryder straight into the field. We don’t even know what her abilities will be.”

“She’s not going to kill herself or me, so what does it matter what her powers are? They will come when they come, and I think training with a bunch of green ryders will only hold her back. Field work is more valuable to her than sitting around a classroom. We both know good ryders are made in the field.We have lost so much time already, Octavian.”

The thought of the excruciatingly slow process of educating her from absolute scratch was killing me. Where would we even begin? I was more and more convinced that throwing her in at the deep end was the only way to break her in.

He thought over what I said before replying. Octavian was good at his job because he listened to those under him. I couldn’t say that about all the commanders within the First Army.

“I understand where you are coming from, Nyx, and I know you want to fast track her through so you can finally take your place. But I must put her welfare and that of the other flyers first or I would not be doing my duty. She must go through training as any other ryder would. Until she has a grasp on her magic, she is a danger to herself if no one else.”