“Oh, I mean a Xalgrith,” I correct. “Show me what you’ve got.”
“Maybe you should be the one on the offensive?” he suggests, unsurprisingly not intimidated by me in the least.
Either way we both know I’m getting my ass handed to me, so I stay where I am, waiting for him to attack. He gets the hint, and I can feel Knox’s gaze on me as Jensen advances.
I end up on my ass more times than I can count. Even when we swap positions and I’m the one on the offensive, Jensen doesn’t have to do much before he’s defeated me again. I’ve probably fallen for the tenth time when Knox stalks over to us, his face filled with fury.
Oh great, it looks like my poor performance has angered the asshole.I would be upset about that, except I’m not. I told the guys from the start. I’m not made to be a warrior.
“Move,” Knox barks at Jensen, and Jensen reluctantly obeys, shooting me a concerned look before he moves to the side of the mat.
I stare up at my shadow daddy mate who has made it obvious he wants nothing to do with me. Ever since the incident with Satine during his class, Knox hasn’t said a word when Jensen has paired with me. In fact, he’s ignored me completely. This is the first time he’s intervened.
Knox stands across from me, glaring down at where I’m sprawled. “Get up,” he orders impatiently.
“Oh crap. Is he going to spar with me?”I’d assumed he was planning to make me fight someone else, like he did with Satine, but I gape as he lifts his muscular arms, clearly intent on making this lesson even more painful than it normally is.
“It appears so,”Elgen replies with interest.“Oh, goodie.”She and Tarlaz seem to settle in, creating shadow snacks as they watch intently.
“You know for someone who tells me she wants me to win the games, you don’t sound nearly concerned enough that I’m about to die.”
“Oh pssh. We see the way he looks at you, girl. He won’t kill you, and you might actually learn something for a change. The dark prince is a much better teacher than that orange-haired soft one.”
I frown.“You mean, Jensen?”
“I don’t care what you call him,”Elgen replies dismissively.“The boy only enables your pathetic behavior. No, you need the instruction of a proper teacher, and who better than one of the originals. You will come out of this stronger, I assure you.”
I quickly scramble to my feet, not at all feeling confident about this turn of events.“I hope you’re right.”
“Soooo, it looks like I’m getting a private lesson,” I joke to Knox. “Lucky me.”
He doesn’t smile. “You’re pathetic,” he says. “If you fight like that during the games you’ll be taken out within minutes.”
Ian huffs a laugh from where he’s still standing on his mat.
I give Knox a sweet smile. “Aw. You almost sound like you care.”
At that, gasps and hushed whispers erupt around the room. I know I’m playing with fire, but I’m so tired of the way Knox glares at me like everything I do personally offends him.
“Looks like I won’t need to take out the Token after all,” Ian comments with a laugh.
Knox narrows his eyes at me, and his shadows ripple in the air around us, creating a small dome that separates us from the other students. I recognize it instantly, knowing full well that while we’re inside it, the other students won’t be able to see or hear us.
“What’s that for? So the others won’t see you torturing me?” I joke, though my heart is pounding in my ears.
Knox’s nostrils flare with irritation. “You need to stop holding back,” he says, his voice like ice.
“I’m not holding back,” I counter. I’ve barely finished speaking when one of Knox’s shadows flicks out, knocking my legs and sending my ass straight back to the mat. With a yelp, I climb to my feet again.
“I don’t have time for your lies,” Knox seethes.
Clenching my jaw, I glower at him. “What lies?”
“You’re holding back because you don’t want to hurt your…friend,” Knox says, biting out the last word. “But do you really think he will spare you when you’re in the games? When survival means only one of you gets to live?”
I swallow hard. “It won’t come to that. The queen wants as many new soldiers for her army as she can get.”
Knox lets out a dark laugh, and he gives me an unkind smile. “The queen wants warriors, yes, but she also believes in sacrificing for the cause.” An emotion I can’t place flickers across his face before it’s gone again. “According to the queen, sacrifice breeds strength. Pitting off friends against each other is her favorite past time. And if that happens, you need to be the one standing when the shadows clear.”
