“Here.” Onin hands me a wand with a glowing blue tip. “Let’s get to work.”
Ceredes looks up at me. “I trust you, Lana. Always.”
“I can do this.” I take the wand and press the red button along the side. A laser beam shoots from the tip and burns another line in Ceredes’s skin. I scream and toss the implement, then cover my face with my hands. “Oh god!”
Onin catches the wand. “That’s the cauterizing tip,” he says gently.
Ceredes laughs and squeezes my ass again. “Now this is what I call fun.”
15
Ceredes
Iflex my fully-healed arm and approach Master Rav.
She twirls her stick and waits for me. I move faster now, more controlled but also with more power. The circle has given me strength beyond the gifts of a normal Bellatian. But I’m careful not to show too much. If the council is already afraid of the circle, I don’t want to give them any more reason to worry. Fear leads to mistakes and foolhardy decisions.
So, I hold back. I still manage to best Master Rav, but that’s normal for me.
She rubs her ribs where I gave her a light jab as I move away from her. “Good.”
“I want to spar with Ceredes.” Gavros moves forward through the paired fighters.
I roll my shoulders. “I can kick your ass. Sure.”
Master Rav nods, then turns back to the line of Betas, motioning the next one forward to face her staff. Lana works with Tilda, doing her best to both keep up her mental barriers while trying to attack the slippery Granterry. Like a shadow, Tilda can disappear and reappear at will. Unlike a shadow, she can also sense thoughts, though I don’t think Tilda’s powers are at full strength yet. Perhaps they’ll manifest more when she finds her Alpha.
Gavros’s sloppy fist flies past my face as I step back with ease. I grab his forearm, yank it around, then slam his thick body into the mat. He bares his sharp teeth then jumps back to his feet. “You working with the Sentients now?” He circles me. “That’s what I heard. Your circle is going to destroy the fleet.” He lunges, and I sidestep again, letting him flail past me.
A few of the nearby cadets are listening. Pretending they aren’t but listening all the same.
“You got a piece of that pretty Omega and turned against us. Was her cunt that good?” He comes for me again. This time, I meet him. My fist makes contact with his already-crooked nose, and I drive him to the ground with my knee. “You will not speak about my mate that way,” I say it as calmly and quietly as I can despite the tsunami of rage crashing inside me.
Gavros may be stupid, but he’s also tough. Climbing back to his feet, he ignores the blood from his nose, the broken bone.
“My motherdiedin a Sentient attack.” He spits a wad of blood onto the mat as more and more cadets stop sparring and start staring. “They killed her and took my sister. I don’t know where she is. Or if she’s even alive.” He points at me, his thick finger shaking. “And you’ve chosen their side.”
“I don’t know what you’ve heard—”
“It’s what I saw. We all did.” He points around the arena. “You and the Sentients. You opened the barrier, let them in.”
“That’snotwhat happened.” Kyte stands just behind me to my right.
“Then how did they get in?” Gavros leans over and stares right at Lana. “Was it you?”
“Don’t talk to her.” Jeren’s voice is smooth and cool, but he has a blade in each palm.
Lana’s heart is beating faster, her fear rising like an unrelenting tide. “Control it, Lana.There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I don’t care about your circle, traitors. I’m not afraid.” Gavros thumps his chest. “I will kill every last Sentient and Sentient sympathizer I can find. Starting with you.” He points at me.
“Come for me, then.” I spread my arms wide, and the rest of the cadets seem to sober and back away a few paces. Except Ilwen. She stands behind Gavros, her furious gaze on Lana.
“We fought the Sentients, you idiot!” Lana calls. “They tried to take me. They got me killed.”
“They should’ve tried harder,” Ilwen retorts. “Because here you are, fliggy. You and your traitors’ circle.” She lifts her eyes to mine.
“We are not traitors.” Jeren flickers then solidifies. “We are members of the fleet just like you. We were attacked, and we will destroyanyonewho tries to harm us or our circle.”
