Behind me, I can feel a strange energy emanating from Anders, our Bond stills, as if the invisible breeze it usually floats on has disappeared, freezing the colors in place.
“Kellan, it wasn’t his fault at all. I chose to stay out there; that was my decision. He spent his evening waiting on me,” I assert. I’m not entirely sure why I’m defending Anders, but it feels important to stand up for him when Kellan’s being unfair. I turn to face Anders, crossing my arms, hating being between the two of them.
“Princess,” Anders drawls, his mask already in place; yet, the tone betrays his disappointment. Catching a fleeting look of hurt on his face before he masks it, I can’t help but feel the tension hanging in the air. He clenches his jaw as he glances between Kellan and me. “Thank you for that...enlightening conversation. Let’s have another one soon.”
A rush of warmth floods my cheeks. I can tell he knows I understand the underlying message, and thankfully, the shadows here shield my blush from Kellan’s view.
Anders shifts his weight as he slides his hands into his pockets, and the devilish gleam in his eyes makes me wary. He winks at me before taking the stairs with a smirk plastered across his face. He doesn’t look back as I watch his shadowy figure retreat up the stairs. A surge of frustration bubbles up within me, and I fight the urge to stomp up the stairs after him and physically wipe that smirk off his face.
“Goodnight, Raea,” Kellan says coolly as he backs away with confusion written in his gaze. He looks up to where Anders is on the stairs and then back to me.
Shit.
ten
. . .
With thirty minutesbefore our next class, this is the perfect opportunity to get some valuable practice in. Professor Ainslyn clears me for the simulator, and just as I’m about to step through the door, I almost get bowled over by a rather imposing figure.
He growls, clearly startled, but as soon as he sees me, his surprise shifts to an apology. “Shit, sorry.” I raise an eyebrow at him, scowling, and he quickly turns away, mumbling a silent curse to himself. As he walks off, students part like waves for theirdark prince. His toned muscles ripple beneath his shirt with every step, and I can’t help but watch with amusement as he dismisses a tall blonde from Bragr, shrugging her off effortlessly without a single glance before he vanishes into the men’s locker room.
Feeling slightly flustered, I head straight into the simulator room and strap on my vest of daggers with determination.I will not be weak.It’s become my mantra, my driving force. Never again. With three sheathed on each side of my ribs and one on my thigh, I take my position on the center platform as the room dims and the green holographic attackers materialize around me.
While I’ve practiced throwing daggers at targets and creatures before, the thought of facing off against men is a new challenge. Yet,with the recent attack still fresh in my mind, I know I have to prepare myself. I need to be ready for anything. When I confided in Professor Ainslyn about wanting to train against opponents much larger than myself, he didn’t hesitate—he simply nodded and instructed the simulator operator to pull up test twenty-seven.
I jump from foot to foot, hyping myself up. I can do this, I need to do this. The first hologram runs at me, and I don’t hesitate to throw the dagger. Trusting my instinct and years of practice, I sink the dagger into the mark right into the hologram’s heart. For a moment, my breath catches in my throat.
As the assailant vanishes, the dagger drops to the floor with the pull of a magnet. I barely have time to turn before the second threat is upon me. With what feels like slow motion, I bring up another dagger, slicing across his throat, fighting against the urge to close my eyes. One by one, from every angle, they charge at me, and one by one, they disappear after a dagger takes them out.
Keeping my focus on the situation, I turn, striking them with fatal accuracy.Now, if I just had a dagger or three the other day.
Out of nowhere, an eighth challenger bursts from behind a boulder, clearly ready to face me now that I’m out of daggers. Without a moment’s hesitation, I spring into action. I charge forward, sliding onto my knees to grab the nearest dagger—just in time. As he closes in on me, I slice the tendons behind his knee, turning as he falls before pouncing, shoving the dagger into his neck.
Oh gods.I take a deep breath and swallow down the bile, threatening to come up, and I remind myself that this is just a simulation. I’m not entirely sure what just happened. It’s like something within me snapped, and some instinct took over. I barely remember driving that blade into his neck.
I inhale sharply, my adrenaline flushing through me as the lights lift and I hear the sound of applause. I turn and see Professor Ainslyn clapping, standing with Anders just beyond the glass.
What the hell is he doing back here?
The expression on Anders’ face should scare me—the intensity of hisgaze pinning me to the spot—but it’s the way his eyes heat that has my breasts swelling with arousal. His gaze cascades down to my toes and back up, his thumb tracing his bottom lip, his arm crossed over his chest.
I take a moment to wipe the sweat from my brow, the moisture beading in my hairline already. I grab the daggers, sheathing them once more, ignoring the wave of embarrassment that washes over me. I should not be responding to Anders the way I do. I push it aside and head back out to reset the simulation.
“That’s exactly what we want to see,” Professor Ainslyn praises.
I can’t help but smile as I take a refreshing sip of cool water before storing my bottle back in my bag. The professor exchanges an approving nod with Anders, “Well, I guess we can discuss it more this evening. Meet me on the sparring mat later.” Anders makes some non-committal grunting noise before strolling past me.
As the backs of his fingers delicately brush against my palm, an exhilarating warmth surges through me, awakening every nerve ending. My whole body flushes with energy and emotions, and it takes every ounce of determination to maintain my composure, aware of his undeniable effect on me.
He leans in, no more than a subtle pause, and I swear I hear the words “Damn, that was hot” leave his mouth, but I can’t be sure. The thrill of it sends my heart racing. I clear my throat as he continues to the door, holding steady so as not to watch him go. I shake off the whirlwind of emotions swirling within me and summon my confidence to go another round. This time, I ask for hand-to-hand combat, needing to bury my feelings deep, deep down and lock them away for good measure.
“The imperial bloodline came to a sudden end after their beloved heir tragically succumbed to an unknown illness, following closely after the Empress’s death, which came as a result of her formidable powers.She was an incredible healer, but even the most gifted among us have limitations,” Professor Darci explains passionately.
I’ve heard this piece of our history before. Still, as I glance around, it’s clear my classmates are listening as if it’s their first encounter with this story.
“Following their deaths, we entered the era known as the dawn of the kingdoms…” I stifle the urge to roll my eyes.Yes, the ‘dawn of the kingdoms’, a phrase that has become a pretty euphemism for a time of great unrest. While we tend to shy away from the harsh truths of this period, it’s essential to acknowledge the reality of what happened. Beneath our glorified and simplistic recollections of those years, the reality is much darker.
Millions of lives were lost, villages were reduced to ashes, and warlords wreaked havoc across colonies, leading to devastating famines when crucial supply routes were blown up before reaching their destinations. “An entire accounting of history and knowledge was lost in the chaos. Countless libraries and schools were destroyed,” she continues, her eyes scanning the sea of faces before her.
