I cut him off with a single thought, sharper than any blade.Collect me when the time is right.
Then, deliberately, I pushed him out, erecting the mental wall Kaelith had taught me to build.
The bond dimmed instantly, the shimmer of his presence severed like a candle snuffed out in a storm.
When I glanced up a minute later, Zander’s mouth was a hard line, his brow furrowed in clear irritation.
Good.
He returned to his conversation with Cade, but the stiffness in his posture betrayed him.
I went back to my food; the bread crumbling between my fingers, pretending that his anger didn’t twist something deep and broken inside me.
Pretending I didn’t still feel the echo of him... even through the wall I’d forced between us.
We finished our breakfast and went to the Ascension Grounds to begin training for the day. The sun beat down hard, casting deep shadows across the dry earth. Sweat slicked the back of my neck as I pivoted, bringing my blade up to meet Tae’s in a clash of steel. We sparred for a half hour.
“Again,” I barked, forcing my muscles to move, to focus when he retreated.
Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Crownwatch had gathered at the far end of the field with Zander among them. He stood tall, arms crossed over his chest, watching with a blank, unreadable face.
Remy stepped in front of me, tapping a training sword against the ground. His dark hair was tousled from the wind, his jacket slung carelessly over one shoulder.
“I’ll be handling Thrall Squad today,” he said, flashing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Why?” I asked, wiping the back of my hand across my brow.
“Theron requested it,” Remy said with a casual shrug. “Which likely means Inderia did.”
A slow burn started in my chest, curling tight in my gut. I gritted my teeth against the surge of anger that threatened to break free.
“I don’t want to talk about personal business,” I snapped, tightening my grip on my sword. “We’re here to train. Let’s get on with it.”
Remy opened his mouth like he wanted to say more, then thought better of it. He stepped back, raising his blade in salute.
Naia was the first to move, darting forward with a forceful jab of her spear. Remy barely managed to parry before Tae joined in, circling around to strike from the side.
Cordelle followed, silent and as quick as a shadow, his strikes aimed to keep Remy too busy to find another opening to talk.
Even Ferrula, who usually preferred to hang back and assess, charged forward with a grin, swinging her clubtail-shaped training mace with brutal efficiency.
They weren’t just sparring. They were protecting me.
Every time Remy tried to disengage, one of my squad mates stepped in, forcing him to defend, to react, to focus on the fight instead of on me.
Jax clapped him on the shoulder after a particularly hard clash of swords. “What’s the matter, Lieutenant? Getting tired already?”
Remy huffed out a breathless laugh, shaking his head as he parried another blow from Tae. “Not a chance.”
Good. Let him sweat.
I watched from the sidelines for a moment, chest tight, grateful in a way I couldn’t put words to.
They understood.
The sun had dipped low by the time the major called a halt to the day’s training. Dust clung to my boots and the backs of my legs as I spun on my heel, ignoring Remy’s attempt to catch my eye.
Without a word, I fell into step between Ferrula and Tae, the rest of the Thrall Squad closing ranks around me like a living shield.
