Beware of the Assassins.
Don't cross the Blades.
Trust the Irons.
The Wings go as one.
Break them at your peril.
Ariana is the first human instructor at the Drexian Academy and the first female to teach flight to cocky cadets. She’s the best Earth has to offer with a lot to prove. But it will take more than being the best to survive the secret requirements, unwritten rules, and ancient traditions of the alien military training school.
Volten lacks the one thing Drexians value most—a proud and respected clan. He’s risen to the position of flight instructor at the academy without a lineage to speak of, but not without paying a steep price. One thing he doesn’t count on as he ascends the ranks is the beautiful human pilot who might threaten everything that’s within his grasp.
Within the dark walls of the school lie secrets that could tear both pilots’ worlds apart. Beyond the stone towers and cruel spires are dangers neither could imagine. Will these wings go as one. . . risk it all to break the rules. . . or break each other?
Legacy is the first book in the Warriors of the Drexian Academy series, contains an HEA, and will leave you wanting more.
Ariana
Beware of the Assassins.
That should have been warning enough. That should have kept me away. That should have made any sane person change their mind.
But I wasn’t just anyone, and considering what I was about to do, it was debatable if I was sane.
My stomach lurched again as we completed the final jump through space, the air rippling around me as the sleek black interior of the transport vessel came back into focus. I sucked in a lungful of air to quell my roiling gut and tried to ignore the scent of fuel from firing the jump drive over and over. It was the only way to get us to the Drexian home world without losing several decades, but even the advanced alien technology wasn’t without side effects—one of them being making me want to puke all over the ebony floor.
You won’t have to worry about the assassins if you don’t survive the journey, I told myself with a healthy amount of disdain. A journey I wouldn’t be taking if I had any sense.
I closed my eyes, remembering how I’d gotten myself into this mess. I’d been ready for a new assignment. I’d been willing to fly again. But I hadn’t expected this.
As I breathed in the cool air of the ship I could almost detect traces of cigarette smoke and dust, my mind playing tricks on me as I remembered standing across from the commander of the Earth Planetary Force.
He’d glanced at me as the ceiling fan had lazily moved the hot, Texas air. “I read the reports of your last mission with the Drexian forces to protect their planet and academy, Lieutenant. Nice flying.”
“Thank you, sir.”
What wasn’t in the report was how close I’d come to being blasted from the sky under the onslaught of the enemy’s massive battleships and agile fighters. But I’d taken out more Kronock ships than anyone else, proving that I was still the best pilot in the fleet.
“I’ve also read the reports from your flight instructors and commanding officers.” He’d flipped through a file of papers on his desk, a reminder that he was an old-school guy who despised tablets and digital records. “They all say the last pilot as good as you was…”
My sister, I’d finished the sentence for him, as his voice drifted off and he flipped the file shut. I’d been chasing my older sister since we were girls vying for our father’s attention. She was the one person I could never quite catch, never quite beat.
“How would you like to train the next generation of pilots?”
Thoughts of my sister had evaporated as I’d snapped my head to his. “Teach?” I’d thought of my flight instructors and tried to imagine myself as one of them. It would be hard to get a safer posting than the front of a classroom.
“I would like that, sir.”
He’d given a gruff nod as if he’d expected that answer. “I can’t promise it will be easy. You’ll be one of the first female instructors.”
One of the first? At least two of my past instructors had been women.
“And there’s a lot we don’t know about their military training. They’ve never allowed us in before, and they’re secretive about how they operate.” He’d grunted. “No surprise there.”
My pulse had fluttered. “Where would I be teaching, Commander?”
Not there.
Unease had fluttered in my chest as I thought of the ravaged, craggy planet and the ominous, black castle that was its military academy. I’d hoped to be posted to a base some place warm and sunny, not the harsh alien world.
The commander had leaned back in his chair, and the wheels squeaked in protest. “Your universal translator implant is still functioning?”
I’d moved my head up and down mutely, as my suspicion became dread.
“Good. You’ll need it, if you’re going to be one of the first females to integrate the Drexian Academy, Lieutenant. The Drexian admiral running the academy has requested our best pilot. I haven’t told him that our best is a woman.”
I’d kept my shoulders back. It had been tough enough rising to the top as a woman on Earth. As far as I knew, the mostly male Drexian society didn’t have any females in its military.
Before I could voice my concerns, the commander had cleared his throat loudly. “It won’t be easy, but if you can pull this off and pave the way for other women officers to serve in the Drexian forces, I’ll make sure you get promoted to commander in charge of your own aviation fleet back here on Earth.”
I would outrank my sister. “And if I don’t succeed?”
“The Drexians insist on parity in our military exchanges, and the Drexian are tough bastards. Any Drexian who fails here is expelled from their military ranks. If they discharge you from your post at the academy, you will receive a discharge from our military, as well.”
A discharge? Trepidation had iced my skin. I could be the first woman to break the barriers in the Drexian Academy—a living legend—or I could be a disgrace. That should have been when I’d declined. That should have been my cue to say no.
The commander eyed me, as if daring me to agree to something so crazy. For the first time, I’d wondered if he was sending me because he believed I was the best or if he was willing to risk me, a woman who’d pushed too many boundaries on Earth for his comfort.
“Do you accept the assignment?”
