But my staring contests end too early as Coach Gallagher steps into the hall where we all wait, scratching one of his ears as he studies the group.
"The wards locking down Everbound have been extended, so now they encompass the courtyards, training fields, and all of Everbound Forest," he announces.
Several legacies clap or cheer.
"Yeah, yeah, don't get too excited," the instructor huffs. "Doesn't change the fact that we're still under lockdown and can't contact the outside world, but whatever. Today, you'll be training with the unmatched legacies who picked combat as their individual emphasis. Your quintets will each be assigned a specific location to reach within Everbound Forest. The goal is to get to your location alive as a unit, while the unmatched legacies' goal will be to pick off every matched legacy they can. Not to mention, watch out for other quintets, and I suggest guarding your keepers at all costs. Especially the weak ones, like atypical casters."
Coach Gallagher tosses me a meaningful look, which makes a few legacies laugh despite Baelfire's warning growl. The loudest chuckle comes from Brooks, the buzzed-headed, green-eyed legacy who approached us during the Matched Ball. He's standing nearby with his all-male quintet, sneering at me.
I've worked hard to be perceived as weak, so as far as I'm concerned, this is a win.
But then the temperature drops as Everett strolls into the corridor to join the rest of us, his hands in his peacoat pockets. He casts a cold look at the coach, who he clearly overheard.
"You were saying, Patrick?"
Coach Gallagher rubs the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Hey, relax, Frost. It was nothing. Just giving some friendly advice about protecting your keeper."
"That advice really isn't yours to give, considering you let your keeper get devoured by Undead within the first week you were deployed at the Divide. So watch your fucking mouth and stick to coaching."
Someone whistles low while the coach winces at the painful memory. Other legacies subtly shuffle away from the icy professor, who stops next to me. But right away, Silas steps in between us, issuing a crimson glare that makes Everett take another step away from me with a sigh.
Odd. Is it just because he's still mad at Everett for telling me about their bet, or is this something else?
The coach gets over his verbal spanking and uses a fae charm to open the massive double doors leading out of the castle. As we approach the training fields closest to Everbound Forest, I see that the unmatched legacies who will be training with us are already out here—including Sierra and three guys who are all fawning over her as she flirts with them.
When she catches my eye, she glares savagely and draws a finger across her neck.
I smile back darkly and mouth,How's the knee?
Sierra's face turns red before she promptly turns her back on me.
There are a few dozen unmatched legacies out here stretching and eyeing everyone else suspiciously as they preparefor combat. As we come to a stop, I find that yet another legacy is glaring at me—Angry Girl. The silver streaks in her dark hair are vibrant in the cold winter daylight as she wrinkles her nose at me before stalking to the other side of the group.
Silas sees her retreat and arches a brow. "Do you know Amelia Lykoudis?"
I look at him sharply. "Her last name is Lykoudis?"
"Yup," Baelfire pipes up. "Her dad is the Northeast Pack alpha for wolf shifters. He was in a platonic quintet and had Amelia with a sorceress who died at the Divide a few years ago. So even though she's a caster, she was raised in a pack. Pretty fucking cool, huh?"
Sothat'swhy the name sounded familiar.
Damn it. First Luka, now this girl. I need to break this habit of killing off my peers' relatives.
Then again, Lykoudis was scum. I have no regrets about taking his heart, but I realize Amelia might not even know she's an orphan yet. They cut off all communications with the outside world not even twenty-four hours after I killed that shifter, so it might be days before the news of his death reaches her. She'll miss any funeral held for him.
Even though I'm the one who ended her shitty father's life, I feel kind of bad for her.
Which is fucking weird.Whydo I keep having so many feelings? I need to get a grip. I can't afford to go soft now, not after everything I've been through.
Baelfire's attention drifts to the forest with an eager expression, as if he can't wait to get in there. "Hey, what are the odds I can go hunt something before training starts?"
Silas shakes his head. "Just huntduringtraining."
"Most of these legacies are friends of mine, you know. I'm not looking forward to having to kill them if they decide to attack,"Bael grimaces, rubbing his temples. "Not that my stupid fucking dragon is going to leave it up to me."
"Your fault for bothering to make friends in the first place," Everett drawls, appearing insanely bored as he observes the coach talk with a faculty member beside a large, locked wooden chest.
Baelfire grunts before reaching out to twist the end of my ponytail between his fingertips. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but you might want to tell Crypt to stop hiding in Limbo and come out to play. We could use that psychopath, for once."
