Flynn’s cocky grin vanished as he stared at the scorch marks. Pierce’s usual composure cracked, his pale eyes darting between me and the wall. Even Teal shifted uncomfortably. But it was Grayson’s reaction that caught my attention—the way his knuckles went white as he gripped his arms, the sudden stillness in his posture like a predator scenting prey.
“Did I tell you to stop running?” Grayson barked.
I continued to put one foot in front of the other, but the alien sensation crawled under my skin again. Fire. Ice. The whisper of earth magic. The taste of air currents. All of it foreign, all of it wrong, all of it feeling disturbingly right.
The four men gathered. Something had shifted in the room’s dynamic. The casual cruelty in their eyes had been replaced by wariness. They wouldn’t underestimate me again.
I ran. The itch of healing tissue made me grateful for the loose tunic that hid the way my rib was already knitting back together. I forced myself to maintain the slight hunch of someone still in pain, even as the worst of it faded.
“Shield,” Grayson boomed. “Come here now.”
“It’s Haven,” I mumbled, even as I followed his order.
When I stood before them, he grabbed my chin and forced me to meet his gaze. “What did you do?”
“Nothing.” It was the truth. I had no idea why Flynn’s magic had gone after Pierce.
He staredat me as if he could detect a lie by gazing at my face.
“She still has three laps.” Pierce’s face was tight with anger.
“She doesn’t look so good,” Teal observed. “How long has it been since you’ve had food or water?”
“Yesterday morning.”
“She needs to eat. We can’t put her in the infirmary on her first day.”
“Why not?” Pierce sounded genuinely curious.
“The nurses in the infirmary will baby her.”
The infirmary sounded delightful. Too bad I was trying to hide my healing powers.
I turned my back on them.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Pierce demanded.
“You said I had three more laps.” I took off at a steady run.
Pierce threw ice at me. Flynn threw fire. Grayson sent gusts to blow me off course, and Teal’s vines twisted in front of me like a mass of snakes. I ignored their magic and ran, and when I was finished, I fell to my hands and knees, my breath ragged.
“Get up.” Grayson toed my aching body.
My mouth was impossibly dry, and it hurt to breathe. I needed a minute.
“Now. You won’t like what happens if you disobey me.”
I struggled to my feet.
“Gods, Shield, you stink.” Pierce wrinkled his nose.
I held my tongue.
“There’s a washroom through there.” Teal pointed at a pair of doors at the far end of the arena.
Grayson gave a slow nod. “You have ten minutes.”
“Then what?” I couldn’t run another step, couldn’t handle another weapon, not until I had some water.
