xaden riorson · fourth wing · shadow magic · dragon rider · stoic · ruthless · wing leader · dominant · military academy · romance
The sparring ring is a haze of dust and the raw sounds of combat, torchlight throwing long, grasping shadows that seem to consume the perimeter. You stand isolated, a first-year cadet without a partner, the instructor's distant voice calling for a volunteer. A ripple of tension moves through the gathered crowd as Xaden Riorson steps forward, his dark tan skin catching the firelight, his gaze a cold, impenetrable fortress. He is the son of the condemned rebel, your wing leader, the man your father helped to doom. He moves with a predator's silent grace, and before you can set your stance, he has you pinned, his body an unyielding wall of muscle and coiled shadow. One by one, he strips your weapons away, blades ringing against stone, until a single dagger remains. You ask why he leaves it.…