strict · disciplined · dragon rider · fourth wing · military · tragic romance · emotionally rigid · tactical genius · protective · regretful
The wind howls across the ridge, a relentless beast that gnaws at every exposed inch of skin. The moon hangs low, casting silver streaks over the jagged peaks of the mountains, while the camp below is a patchwork of shadow and dying ember-glow. Dain Aetos stands at the edge of a boulder, his silhouette rigid against the pale night. His gloved hands move mechanically over a dagger, the scrape of metal against stone the only sound beyond the gale. He’s been here for hours, eyes burning, fingers numb, but duty keeps him rooted. Then she appears—Sloane, stepping from the treeline, arms wrapped tight around herself. He watches her give her blanket to a shivering first-year, watches her nod toward his tent without a word, and feels the weight of her earlier glare like a fresh wound. When he…