“Is someone joining us?” I asked, cautiously sliding the chair out before sitting. The last thing I wanted was for it to loudly scrape across the floor and draw even more attention.
“Nope, one plate for you and two for me.” Eislyn grinned and then rolled her eyes. “Ashes, you have only been around Kole and so probably have no idea how the rest of us live. That lunatic eatshis body weight in food maybe twice a week. Others, such as I, typically eat one large meal a day.”
I nodded in response, unable to keep my focus on her. Instead, my attention darted around the room, noting every Lysian. There were too many threats to keep count. A warmth spread across my chest, and my heartbeat slowed a fraction as the power within me stirred. Like a lazy cat waking from a long nap, I felt it stretch, sending warmth through my limbs. A humming sensation came to my fingertips, and I kept it from going further. The Lysians, though terrifying, were not acting violently against me.
My life is not in imminent danger,I told myself, taking a deep breath. There was no need to conjure. My power finally settled, licking its paws in anticipation of the time when I would finally set it free.
Eislyn watched me, her green eyes unreadable.
I squirmed under her gaze.
“You’re uncomfortable around us,” she observed out loud.
My mouth went dry, and I desperately hoped that the food would arrive with some water. “You are all predatory compared to me, and I haven’t been around so many Lysians in one room before.”
“If we are so predatory to you, then why did you help Erik when he was your prisoner?” she asked, her head tilting inquiringly, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Nearly all the Lysians in the room froze mid-chew, as if waiting for my response.
“Erik was nevermyprisoner,” I clarified, “and he was mistreated. But, up to that point, he had caused no harm to the Bavadrins. It was the right thing to do.”
“You don’t view him as dangerous?” A secretive smile spread across her face, making her appear even more intimidating.
“I guess I felt as though he may not harm me if I was trying to help him.” I shrugged, unable to keep my gaze from dartingaround the room once more. Unquestionably, most of them were listening to the conversation while pretending not to.
“You often gamble with your life in such a way?” Eislyn leaned back in her seat, raising a single eyebrow. An air of cautious mistrust settled between us. Though she appeared warm to that point, it was clear that I should not mistake her friendliness for trust.
“No.” I did not add more than that simple answer. What more could I say? I couldn’t tell her I was a conjuror and felt safer than I probably had a right to when entering Erik’s cell. But, of course, reflecting on my actions now caused my stomach to turn. That he could have been a conjuror too never crossed my mind. Even if he wasn’t, I let him come too close to me; I knew that now. He probably could have had me subdued without even using his power, and before I even had a chance to use mine.
Thankfully our food arrived, and Eislyn asked no more questions. I could eat only half of my plate while Eislyn devoured the entire two others. A Lysian also brought out water and I greedily gulped it up. All of it was a welcome distraction. Though Eislyn ate nearly four times the amount I did, we somehow finished at the same time.
She leaned back in her chair, patting absentmindedly at her stomach. “That was just what I needed.” Finally, she rose to her feet with ease, and I followed suit. She nodded to the older female Lysian. “Thanks, Brie, that was delicious as always.”
Brie again turned her gaze to me. “And you, what do you make of it?” she asked me.
“I . . . it was delicious. Thank you.” I stumbled over how to answer, not wanting to upset the Lysian with the cold expressionless demeanor.
Eislyn chuckled softly. “Bavadrins don’t eat as much as we do in one sitting.”
Brie looked back at our table, at my plate which was still halffull, and her lips may have curved down into a frown ever so slightly, though I couldn’t tell.
“Let’s go.” Eislyn bumped her shoulder against mine and I smiled awkwardly at Brie before following Eislyn out of the dining room.
We left the dining hall, taking a roundabout way back to the area where I had been training with Kole earlier. The walk allowed for some of the food to make its way through my stomach, so I no longer felt too full.
When we arrived, Eislyn began stretching her arm behind her head. “So, let’s start with the obvious. You are a female and a Bavadrin, which means you have a lot of disadvantages, especially when fighting against a Lysian.”
“I have noticed,” I mumbled.
She smirked. “But sometimes the disadvantages can be a strength. When Kole attacked you, you tried to fight it. But sometimes, it’s best to go with the hit, to let yourself fall. Instead of falling flat on your back and having the wind knocked out of you, be prepared. Go down in a way that doesn’t render you useless for any amount of time. Often, women end up on the ground when they’re assaulted. The good news is that most males are not skilled ground fighters.”
“Somehow I doubt Lysians are poor ground fighters.”
“Some are better than others.” She shrugged a shoulder. “But they certainly would not expect you to be any good at all, and that gives you an advantage.”
Eislyn took me through several maneuvers. She went slowly, explaining what the point of each movement was. We then practiced, also with slow steps so that I could get comfortable with the motions. Eventually, she was content enough with our exercise to allow for a brief water break, and we were back at it again.
For the first time, I felt that I might have been learningsomething. Eislyn was true to her word and better at training than Kole, though I would never admit that to him.
15
