“Yaaassss.”
We entered the Battle Magic classroom and chatted for a few more minutes until Thrax marched in. A sword hung at his hip, and his kilt flapped around his knees.
“Once again, we’ll focus on weaponry today, but this time you spar, two-on-two,” the professor’s Scottish brogue filled the cavernous classroom. “Unlike usual, we’re workin’ until we draw blood—nothin’ vi’al.”
A low murmuring filled the class, and Dakota Wily raised his hand. “May I ask, why blood, sir?”
“Word has it yer second round of missions are just around the corner. You should receive the notices ri’ after Yule. In yer second mission, yer given the option of bringin’ a weapon, so we like to make sure yer familiar with them.”
“Hot damn,” Hunter breathed, and I could just see the gears spinning in his head. If he got to bring another weapon in addition to his totem, he’d be formidable.
“Today, there’ll be three sessions with three different weapons. I’ll call time when each session is up, and you’ll switch. Pair up with someone you haven’t worked with in the past week.” Thrax clapped his massive hands. “And begin.”
Since we worked together as often as possible, Alex, Hunter, Eva, and I went our separate ways. Kira approached me, and I partnered with her. Diana and Amethyst challenged us, and after choosing our weapons, we claimed a sparring circle.
Our daggers slashed and whined through the air, and twice, Diana came close to slicing my shoulder. All four of us danced, parried, and jabbed like pros, and before I knew it, Thrax was calling time to change out our weapons.
Everyone ran over to the wall of weapons, and as much as I didn’t want to, I set down the dagger I’d been practicing with.
I glanced at Kira. “What do you think? Broadsword?”
The broadsword was my worst weapon, and it was unlikely I’d ever use it in the modern world, but what if, one day, I had to? Spies had been forced to fight with far stranger tools, which was why we trained with so many different items at the academy.
“Hell yeah,” Kira beamed and hoisted a sword most people would have considered too long for her.
Those people didn’t know Kira.
She winked. “I’ll protect you this round, Dane.”
Once Amethyst and Diana had chosen their weapons—a whip for Diana, and a mace for Amethyst—we reclaimed our training circle. Our second round of sparring was just about to begin when the door to the Battle Magic classroom opened.
Headmistress Wake entered, and Spymaster Chena followed close behind.
“Pardon my interruption, Professor Thrax,” the headmistress said as she marched toward the instructor. “But Spymaster Chena would like a word with Miss Dane and it cannot wait. Can you spare her?”
“Absolutely,” Thrax boomed. “Dane!”
“I’ll hurry,” I said to my group before dashing toward the weapon stash to set my sword down.
I’d just placed the sword in its spot when Eva’s voice cut through the classroom.
“Odie!”
I whipped around and found Eva in a sparring circle close to where Spymaster Chena waited by the door. Her eyes were wide and frantic.
“Eva? What’s—”
She held up the demon blade I’d let her use, and my mouth snapped shut.
It glowed a brilliant red. The hair on my arm raised. But why? What did that mean?
The headmistress was at my side in an instant, her hands gripping my shoulders tight. “Miss Dane, is that the blade I think it is?”
“Yes, but I’ve never—”
Before I finished my sentence, Headmistress Wake’s head snapped toward the doorway. I followed her gaze and gasped.
David Chena was gone, and in the space where he’d just stood, only a cloud of black smoke remained.
