‘The wind is more like an echo. A whisper that watches over me. It has since I was a child. But I can’tcall it. I certainly can’t control it. I couldn’t even blow out the candle.’
She glanced back at him, his pale eyes and scarred face. He was staring at her, so she slid her gaze to the warfront instead.
‘Though it’s different than most, the connection to the wind comes from Avane,’ Arawn said. ‘Perhaps … yours just manifests in a different way.’
‘Without invocating?’ Ezer asked.
‘There … have been rare instances. A very rare few.’
He frowned for a moment, like he was considering something.
Her heart raced a bit faster until he leaned in, his voice full of wonder. ‘Just imagine what it would be like if youcould.’
‘That’s the problem,’ Ezer said. ‘The gods don’t answer my prayers. They never have.’
He raised a brow. ‘Haven’t they?’
She blinked at him.
‘You survived a shadow wolf attack. You’re protected by the wind if what you say is true, and of everyone in Lordach,youhave been chosen to tame a raphon.’ He smiled sadly. ‘Take it from me, Minder. Spend too much time doubting the care of the gods, and eventually … they might take away their gift.’
He looked down at his hands. She did not forget the way he’d reacted days ago, when someone spoke a name aloud to him.Soraya.
‘Will it ever come back?’ she asked him.
He shrugged. ‘If that is their will. Months ago, I couldn’t even conjure a flame.’ His gaze slid to the wall of windows. ‘I suppose some progress is better than none.’
‘What happened to cause it?’ Ezer dared ask.
What did you do?
He tensed. She’d pressed too hard, and she could sense that his walls were back up. ‘It’s getting late.’
‘You’re right,’ Ezer said. She was about to bid him goodnight when she realized he was walkingawayfrom the exit doors … to a small rack of wooden training swords in the corner of the room that she hadn’t paid any mind to before.
Her heart sank.
‘No,’ Ezer said. ‘Absolutely not.’
He tossed a wooden training sword at her feet.
With a groan, she knelt to scoop up the sword and held it back out to him. ‘I amnota soldier.’
‘Not yet,’ Arawn said with a shrug of his enormous shoulders. ‘But by the time I’m done with you … you will be.’
Morning came, and Ezer woke as stiff as a corpse. Every muscle in her body felt like she’d been run over by a prison wagon.
‘Ican’t,’ she groaned as Izill paused at her bedside, clucking at her to get up before she was late. ‘I can’t do today.’
‘Dear gods, what did hedoto you?’
‘Physical fitness.’ Ezer yelped as she rose on throbbing legs. Even lifting her arms to rub the sleep from her eyes was hell. She hissed between her teeth.
For two hours, Arawn had made her train, barking out commands like a true soldier. She’d hefted the wooden sword, failing at blocking his advances. And then he’d moved on to hand-to-hand combat.
He’d finally finished the entire lesson with pushups and squats.
She was so tired she’d fallen into her bed last night without taking her boots off.
