Mikhail sat in the windowless hold of a Sentinel airship with the eight other wardens from 24th Squad. They waited on two benches that lined the side walls. Mikhail tapped his foot incessantly on the bare planks of the hull. Two nights ago he’d desperately wanted a passage on an airship… but not one to the wilds! Zinaida’s friend would arrive at Borovsk any day now, and who knew if they’d wait.

  “Where do you think they’re taking us?” Irmina asked, yelling above the roar of the airship engines.

  Klara shrugged. “Probably the depths.”

  Irmina’s eyes widened.

  “I’m joking,” Klara said. “They’ll dump us somewhere in the wilds I imagine.”

  “This is a waste of time,” Mikhail said.

  “Oh? What would you have us do?” Klara asked.

  “Not running around a barren wasteland.”

  “I agree with Avilov,” Yeger said. His thick eyebrows squeezed together in a frown. “Our time at Borovsk should be spent learning to fight. Enough running like scared little girls.”

  As one, Irmina, Klara, and Zinaida rounded on Yeger. “Running like scared girls?” Klara asked, her voice devastatingly sweet. “What about scared boys?”

  Yeger’s frown deepened. “Boys don’t run scared.”

  Mikhail settled back against the wall, a smile twitching his lips. This should be good.

  “Pretty sure you ran scared after trying to spar me last,” Zinaida said, the effect of her smirk spoiled somewhat by the black and purple bruise on her right eye.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Zinaida laughed. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Everyone here remembers that fight.”

  Boots clattered down the metal stairwell at the back of the hold, and 24th Squad stood to attention as Yefimova entered. “At ease. We land in ten minutes. Your objective out there is simple: make it through the Veter River on foot and return to Borovsk.”

  Mikhail noted more than a few faces go pale—his own likely included, given how lightheaded he felt.

  “This exercise is designed to test your endurance, perseverance, and teamwork,” Yefimova continued. “You’ll need to work together to ensure all nine of you make it through. It will likely take you two days to cross the Veter, so you’ve been provided with a windbreaker and the best sleeping packs the Fashion Guild can make. If you’re careful, you will all live.” The faintest hint of concern masked Yefimova’s features. “This exercise is not one to take lightly. Wardens have died on it. So for the Sovereign Sculptor’s sake, work as a team. Not like that bunch of fighting and arguing salagi you were two days ago. Your packs have enough rations for two days, and one dosage of Trinity each. Your squad leader will carry a small emergency pack with healing extract.”

  Trinity? A blizzard of nausea swept over Mikhail. Were they expected to take strength, speed, and reflex extracts while out?

  “You may each choose one weapon to take with you. Play to your strengths, but remember to work as a team, and have a good mix of ranged and close quarter weapons. I don’t expect you to have to fight out there, but a Sentinel squad is always prepared.”

  Mikhail wondered what kind of weapon might be suitable for the wilds. One you don’t have to hold because your palms still sting from that cursed pronzat.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  “Choose your weapons and a squad leader—who you will listen to,” Yefimova said and marched from the hold.

  “So, choose a leader, hey?” Mikhail said once Yefimova’s footfalls had faded.

  “Obviously, I will lead,” Yeger said.

  Klara stared at him, surprise etched on her face. “What makes you think we’d follow you?” Klara asked.

  “I am the strongest.”

  “Um. That’s not a reason,” Zinaida said.

  “I can lead,” Klara said.

  Zinaida snorted. “So because your father is Koskov Keeper, that gives you the right to lead?”

  “Of course not,” Klara said, glowering at Zinaida.

  “I should lead,” Matvei said. “I grew up outside Kosgrad, so I have the most experience in the wilds.”

  Mikhail nodded, good point. They needed someone with knowledge of Serovnya’s wilderness. I probably have more to offer than this lot.

  The debate quickly devolved into a yelling match, one that very nearly drowned out the airship’s engines.

  Mikhail sighed and sat back, leaning his head against the hold wall. Being stuck on this mission was the last thing he wanted. He had no idea what crazy tests Yefimova had concocted, but he suspected they’d require a cohesive team with a leader willing to accept responsibility and, as Nikolay put it, think outside the corridor.

  “Hey, salagi!” Mikhail yelled. That worked. As one, the entire squad directed their glares at him—they even fell silent. Mikhail hurried on before he lost them. “Who leads this exercise is irrelevant.”

  Klara gaped at him, incredulous.

  He shrugged. “It’s true. The important thing is to maintain a united face before the trainers. And besides, whoever does lead, will carry the responsibility of the entire squad. If anything goes wrong that leader will be answering to Yefimova. Do you want to be responsible for all our lives?” He looked each of them in the eye in turn. Half broke his gaze after a second. “I didn’t think so. Now, my vote would go to someone who has proven they can conquer their fear. Two days ago, I watched one of you face their fear, and charge ahead. I didn’t follow then—more fool me—but today, I would. I feel Klara Koskova is the best leader we have here—if we listen to her.”

  “You’re joking,” Zinaida said. “Let Klara lead? She nearly lost us our breakfast in the maze.”

  Angry murmurs sounded from a few squad members.

  Mikhail looked at Klara, locking eyes with her. “Koskova has learned that ignoring input from your teammates is a costly mistake, even when you’re right.”

  Klara’s jaw tensed, but she said nothing.

  “Klara only cares about being the best,” Zinaida said.

  Mikhail chuckled. “We all care about being the best. You included, I dare say.”

  Zinaida stared at him with narrowed eyes. For a terrifying moment, he thought he’d gone too far, and she was going to retract her offer to help.

  Finally, Zinaida slouched back and folded her arms, offering no further objections.

  “Comrades,” Mikhail said, addressing the squad once more. “We’re going to be training together for twelve weeks. We need to start caring about each other—because no one else will. Not Yefimova, not the stariki. No one. Yefimova’s right, we’re a family now, the nine of us, and it’s time we started acting like one—a functional one. We already fight like a bunch of siblings.”

  This elicited a few chuckles from the squad, including, to Mikhail’s delight, the barest of smiles from Klara.

  Mikhail continued, “I don’t doubt there’ll be more opportunities for each of us to practice being a leader, but for this exercise, I believe Klara will lead us well.”

  Klara studied him, as if trying to unearth the reason for his support.

  I just want the impossible, Klara: you not to hate me. And finding what happened to my mother would be really great too.

  “I think Borislav is right,” Irmina said, nodding at Mikhail. “We need to be a family and protect one another. For this mission, I’m willing to let Koskova lead us.”

  One by one, the others voiced their agreement. All except Zinaida, who sat silent, arms still crossed.

  Mikhail bit back a sigh. Whatever Klara had done to her, the woman clearly held a bitter grudge. Ah well, not my problem. “Over to you, Koskova.”

  Klara continued to study him for a long moment. Finally, she gave him a nearly imperceptible nod and turned to the squad. “Who’s proficient with ranged weapons?”