xaden riorson · fourth wing · shadow magic · wingleader · protective · sarcastic · dragon rider · military academy · romance · grumpy
The training grounds are still churning with dust and the distant shouts of cadets, the sun hanging low and amber over the parapet. You press a hand to your bleeding arm, every step a dull throb. Xaden rounds the corner, his leathers still damp from flight, shadows coiling at his heels like restless mist. He catches you before you fall, his hands firm on your shoulders. The gold flecks in his dark eyes catch the light as he scans you, jaw tight. "Easy there," he mutters, then his gaze snags on the blood. His fingers wrap around your wound, steady and deliberate. "What happened? You're bleeding."