Vyshena had sat down at the table with Violet and Rhiannon. Doing her best to make it look like she hadn't had an utter meltdown this morning, but her face was her worst enemy and behind her purple eyes were blood stains and popped vessels. Even under her eyes hosted dark bags, and she blinked slowly at the pounding headache.

Rhiannon kept her eyes on her, "you wanna talk about it?" She asked quietly while Vyshena shook her head. Ridoc's story about Sawyer and his new metallurgist powers drowned out everything that was crumbling her. Seeing the metal fork in Sawyers hand she rose her brows. "Dangerous game you're playing." Even her voice was hoarse when she spoke, and Sawyer realized just the game he was playing.

"Venny? Any powers yet?" Sawyer asked Vyshena who furrowed her brows at the nickname. It was better then Hena, that's for damn sure. "No, not yet."

"You should show them your relic." Liam adds and Bodhi gasped. "I haven't seen it yet!"

"I'm not stripping in front of everyone," in front of him. "It's that big?" Sawyer asked while Imogen sat down. "It covers the entirety of her back and wraps around her shoulders. Kinda' like Xaden's." Rhiannon snapped her eyes at Liam who traced his shoulders, down to the beginning of his pecks while Bodhi's eyes widened. "Yeah, I gotta see that."

He fell silent, as the image popped into his head. Vyshena bare from the top up, his eyes went wide at the relic and stared at her with a small smile on his lips. "Rio doesn't mess around." Imogen gasped, "I wanna see!" She pouted, "I'll show you later."

"Dain won't leave me alone." Violet complained as she walked into Vyshena's dorm. "Want me to talk to him?" The princess offered as she completed her assignments for the week so she didn't have to worry about them. Violet fell onto the bed with a loud, exaggerated sigh and Vyshena forced a smile.

"No, it's fine. He just doesn't trust me. He doesn't believe in me. He's my longest friend and just, won't trust me." Vyshena felt a twinge in her heart and knew that Xaden was listening to their conversation. Even though he refused to slither his way into her mind, he was always there. It was apart of their bond whether they liked it or not.

"I get it," Violet sighed again. Debating on asking. "Can I ask you about Xaden?" She asked and Vyshena went silent. "What do you want to know?"

"What everyone else seems to know." She said, turning on her side as she played with the end of her braid. "We grew up together." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth. "Grew up with Bodhi and Liam." Violet nodded, her lips were puffy from the cold air and she looked down to the notes. "There's something more between you." She said.

"If it's about Tarin and Sgaeyl-"

"It's not, Violet." Her tone turned harsh, because she couldn't tell her. It'd ruin everything. "He kept something really important from me and told me at last minute. He broke my trust and I realized he was someone I didn't know. That's all." Another lie, but Violet believed it. "Growing up with him was difficult, and when our parents died it became more difficult." Which it was, incredibly difficult. So difficult that Vyshena had to grow up almost immediately and become a leader before she realized what her lineage was.

"I never said how sorry I was when Professor Kaori asked you those god awful questions." Vyshena laughed. "I've been asked worse by better men, Violet. It didn't bother me."

"And, oh Gods, when Jack ripped your pants." Violet held a hand to her head and rubbed her fingers along her skin. "Can I see your relic?" She asked and Vyshena sighed, "yeah." She sat up and pulled the tunic from her body, Violet's eyes went wide at the navy-blue relic covering almost the entirety of her back. Coming across the front of her shoulders with wings identical to Rio. The tips ended just at the top of her breasts, and Violet memorized how Vyshena had looked.

Under her clothing, Vyshena was pure muscle. Her arms seemed flexed even when she wasn't flexing, and had permanent abs while slouching, and she was about as scrawny as Violet herself. But Violet knew it was just for show, every ounce of power she had with her body was trapped away. Violet eyes caught on to the purple relic on Vyshena's torso, and she sat up. "I know you can't say what powers you had from your previous dragon, but I think it's real badass." Violet complimented as Vyshena slipped her shirt back on and gave the girl a warm smile.

"Listen, I think you believe that Xaden and I had been a thing. We never were. If you want to start something with him, do it. Just remember that he keeps secrets." Violet had a sour look on her face thinking about becoming something to Xaden. And she felt that Vyshena wasn't telling the whole truth. "I would never." Violet chuckled nervously and Vyshena smiled.

"I know you think about him. Everyone else here does."

Violet's mouth parted, showing her straight teeth. "It's obvious, and it's okay. Because we were never anything." Another lie. She didn't want to hold Violet back if she felt something for him, and didn't want to hold Xaden back, as much as she felt the need to.

"You don't need my blessing, but you feel like you do so if it makes you happy," Vyshena sighed and forced a smile. "You have it." Raising her brows. "Just remember what I told you." Violet nodded her head while the door opened again and Liam poked his head inside. "Classes?" He asked and Vyshena sighed while standing from the bed and grabbed her bag.

The three walked to battle brief, waiting outside as loud screaming filled the hall. Jeremiah, from First-Wing. He started to mutter nonsense, just as Xaden stepped in front of the two girls to shield them as his shadows wrapped around the boy. His eyes met Vyshena's, "you're silent." He released a breath and Xaden snapped his head back toward the silver princess and Violet did the same. "How are you silent? How do you make it stop?" He rushed for her and Xaden quickly snapped his hands out. Jeremiah fell instantly at the sharp, very quick, snap of his neck.

Violet gasped aggressively, and Vyshena stood with tears in her eyes as she followed the boy down to the floor. Professor Carr had ran into the hall, immediately seeing Xaden, then Jeremiah. "Inntinnsic." Was the only thing Xaden said, and watched as Professor Carr leaned down, and swooped up the body in his arms. "Thank you, Riorson."

Vyshena stared at his boots, blinking quickly as she felt Violet reach for her hand. "Gods be good."

Vyshena woke in a violet gasp. "The silver haired girl is hurt," and she flung herself from the mattress. She was in a nightgown, light blue with lace on the arms, around her torso, and around her neck. The length hit the floor when her feet did, and she flung open her bedroom door without so much as reaching for a weapon.

Rio said she was in her dorm, and it felt like it took Vyshena hours to reach the shut door where she flung it open. She took a quick gasp, not sure if she was awake once seeing Xaden untying Violet's corset to see the damage. "I got it handled." Was all that Xaden said, not even looking to see who it was. "Garrick and Bodhi got the bodies."

Vyshena walked into the bedroom, knowing Xaden was only undressing her to look for wounds. Vyshena rose her brows, "dragon-scale?" How had she not noticed it yet. "Mira had Teine's scales shrunk." Vyshena hummed as she drug her finger along it. "Smart." She spoke just under her breath.

"You'll live. Turn around." Xaden spoke and Vyshena kept her eyes on him as he dropped to his knees with one of Violet's boots in his hand. "Do you need something?" Xaden asked as he tied the laces and shared a glance with Vyshena. When he did, her long silver hair was unbound from any braid and fell a couple inches past her hip bone. The nightgown hugged every curve of her body, showing off what she usually kept hidden. He saw the outline of the purple relic on the right side of her lower body, then saw how Rio's wrapped over her shoulders and the points of her wings ended under the sheer fabric.

Violet paused, waiting as Vyshena stared at him with a look of annoyance. "Rio woke me up saying that she's hurt. She's my friend." Xaden's face didn't change as he studied her and Violet couldn't help but feel as if she was ruining a moment. "I'm taking her to ask Tairn what happened and how they got passed her locks. Go back to bed." Xaden stood up and threw the cloak at Violet who grabbed it.

Vyshena looked at Violet, and the girl nodded her head once, slowly. "I'll come get you in the morning."

So Vyshena crawled back into bed, and then it wasn't her wall she was looking at. It was the hidden halls that she grew familiar with. She heard Violet's voice, asking Xaden to slow down and then her steps stopped, his steps stopped. He was showing her everything that was happening. Showing her how Xaden would never fuck a first year. How he helped Violet stay on her feet. How Andarna, the feathertail had the power to stop time. How Xaden and Violet are now tethered together.

And how Amber Mavis was the one who broke into Violet's room with the intent to kill. Vyshena stood from her bed again, ripping a blade she kept from under her mattress and left her dorm.