“I thought you weren’t going to go all out,” I hissed at him, moving out of reach.
Kieran attacked, and I raised my blade just in time. “Do you think an enemy is going to take it easy on you just because you don’t know how to fight?”
“I didn’t mean it like that, and you know it.” I arched my blade, letting his slide off as I whirled, sending my sword across his middle.
Kieran jumped back, while he let out a dark chuckle. “You might as well have. You will not grow if I take it easy on you. We don’t have the option of letting you learn at a normal pace. The war is here now, and you need to be ready for whatever comes your way.”
Releasing a sharp exhale, I brought my sword up in front of me, determination coiling tight inside my chest. I understood where Kieran was coming from; I knew what he meant beneath his harsh words. I was weak when I came into this realm, and I let Ambrose manipulate me right into his hands. I gave him a part of me I should have protected. But that wasn’t me anymore, and I would never allow myself to be that female again.
I lunged toward Kieran, swinging my blade, running through the motions he and Ezra taught me over the past few days. Kieran met my attack each time while Ezra called out instructions for me to follow. Our sparring only lasted thirty minutes, when I could no longer hold up Kieran’s sword without trembling, and the glimmering sword in Samian’s hands kept wavering. Sweat poured down my face, and my breathing came out in rough pants. When Ezra called for us to take a break, I wobbled toward a laughing Samian, taking the cup of water he handed to me.
I moved to a rock, downing the water in one go before lying back against the cool stone. My breathing was still uneven when Kieran and Samian sat on either side of me. I heard steps coming to a stop in front of me, and I pushed up on my elbows, meeting Vivi and Ezra’s proud faces.
“You did well,” Ezra said while crossing his arms. “You still need to work on your form, but I think at this point, it’s just working on it like we did today.”
“You were able to focus enough magic to keep your sword from dissipating, too,” Vivi said happily.
“I think it’s the excitement of today,” I said, breathing out a laugh. “Talking to Solaris really helped. Where did Daelan go?”
“Ivara came back from her estate not too long ago. He ran off to check in with her, but I mostly think it was so he could check in with Aster and meet Bryony,” Samian said, shaking his head.
I snorted and sat up, my breathing finally returning to normal. A part of me felt sympathetic for Aster, knowing that Daelan was probably driving her up a wall, but I couldn’t help but think this was fate’s revenge for the stunt she pulled last night.
Kieran stood, the hard glint in his eyes finally gone as he reached out his hand. “Come on, we will head back to the?—”
The leaves rustled to my left, and everyone’s head whipped in that direction. A beautiful female stood at the edge of the clearing. She had long, flowing blonde hair that fell to the tops of her thighs, with eyes so blue they were almost white. Her skin was so pale that there was a twinge of blue to her complexion. The white dress she wore hung loosely around her, delicate and graceful. I stared in awe of her.
I stood, opening my mouth to speak, when Samian cut me off to push me behind him. I felt the air grow heavy, and Kieran let out a curse.
“Who is that?” I asked hesitantly, unable to look away from the female.
“Not who…” Vivi murmured while she slowly pulled out a dagger, “…what. That is a leech born of a vampire and a faerie.” Turning, she remarked, “Kieran, I can only sense one.”
“I know,” he growled, his head turning to scan the rest of the clearing.
“Sybil, keep your guard up,” Samian said stiffly. “These types of faeries always hunt in groups. Whatever happens, do not let them catch you. They will render your magic useless if they touch or bite you.”
“Fuck that,” Kieran shot back. “Get Sybil out of here. It’s too dangerous, and she’s used up too much of her magic already.”
Samian moved toward me, his hand stretching out to whisk me away, but my anger soared. I refused to be hidden away like some damsel or shoved away while everyone put themselves in danger. “You may be my mate, but if you touch me, I will punch you in the throat. I’m staying here.”
“You’ll only get in our way if you stay,” Kieran forced out through gritted teeth, a steady eye on the female in front of us.
“Last I checked, you were the one pushing me to learn quickly to prepare for this war. How am I supposed to learn if you send me away?” I quipped back. If the only way to learn was to fight, then I wasn’t going anywhere.
“This really isn’t the time for arguing,” Vivi murmured, reprimanding us both in that motherly way of hers.
More leaves crunched, though this time, it was right behind me. I twisted and sucked in a breath while stepping into Samian’s back. A female with flaming-red hair stood in front of me. Her skin was pale like the other females, but the veins around her eyes began to turn black, the inky color taking over her bright green irises. The female smiled, her lips stretching from ear to ear, showing off her sharp, jagged teeth. She tiltedher head to the side, her hungry gaze raking down my body and back up again.
I swallowed, a shiver shooting down my spine. Taking a deep breath, I slowly let it out, concentrating on my magic to form my sword. My body strained against the use of my power so soon after training, but I pushed through it, feeling the warmth gather in my hands. I wrapped my fingers tight around the hilt and moved the sword in front of me while I stared down the female. Dread curled inside me, part of me regretting my decision when the female let out a sickening laugh.
Four more females entered the clearing then, blocking off any chance to run. Kieran, Ezra, and Samian cursed, but Vivi moved closer to me, raising her dagger.
“Stay close to me,” she whispered. Nodding, I suddenly felt like I was in way over my head, but I shoved that thought down deep before it could take root in my mind. I was getting better during my training and becoming stronger. I could take this faerie. I knew I could.
The female in front of us turned her gaze on Vivi, her fingers turning black as her nails lengthened into long, sharp claws. She lunged toward Vivi, her hand swinging toward Vivi’s middle when she twirled gracefully, ignoring Vivi completely, and shot toward me. I raised my sword, meeting the female’s blow, the shock reverberating down my blade.
I stared, stunned, at the female, who frowned at my sword, as if she wasn’t expecting it to stop her. The sharp sounds of metal clashing together rang out around me, but I fought the urge to look as the female met my gaze again, sneering. She rushed forward, swinging toward my head, and I ducked out of the way. The vampire snarled and gnashed her teeth together before vanishing into nothing.
