‘Respect? Wow, I didn’t know you had that word in your vocabulary.’
‘Davis!’ Professor Nicks shouts over the heads of students. His voice is firm and commanding against the wind. Moira’s head whips around. ‘Be quiet or get out! If you can’t listen to the rules, then you can’t follow them and if you can’t follow them, then you’re not stepping a foot inside the ring today. Got it?’
‘Yes, sir,’ she answers through gritted teeth. Her hands ball at her sides.
‘Stars, I hope I get paired with her,’ Isla whispers, leaning in so only I can hear her.
‘Why?’ I ask, not holding it against her that she’s already thinking of other people to be paired with. It’s no secret I cannot wield.
‘Because I want to be the one to wipe that smug smile off her face when she loses.’
My brows hitch. ‘You think you can beat her?’
‘Oh, I know I can. She’s not the only one who comes from a strong line of fire wielders.’
There’s so much conviction in her voice as she eyes the back of Moira’s head like she’s planning exactly what she will do to her in the ring if they’re placed within it. From what I’ve seen, seven out of twelvestudents are fire wielders in this class, with only one air wielder and three water wielders. Then there’s me, who can wield a big burst of fuck all.
I turn back to face the front as Nicks starts to run through the rules, pacing back and forth.
‘There are five rules: if your opponent steps out of the line, you stop your attack. If your opponent is on the ground for longer than five seconds, you stop your attack. If your opponent yields, you stop your attack. If the timer goes off, you stop your attack. And lastly, no serious damage. Body strikesonly.
‘We have borrowed two healers from the infirmary; they’re on their way over. Let’s hope we won’t need them,’ Nicks says a little grimly. He scans everyone’s faces until his eyes land on mine. The apologetic look he sends my way fills me with dread, because I know what’s coming next.
‘Nocthare, you’re sitting out for this one.’
Heads swivel around to stare; a few whispers are thrown back and forth. I try my best to ignore them all, telling myself that I am more than my element. I amnotuseless. I have other skills, other purposes in this life. They’re not better than me just because they can wield.
I amnotless than them.
The words I tell myself settle on my skin, but don’t get deep enough to penetrate the surface. Years of being told the complete opposite has taken its toll. I stand back and watch with a tight jaw as Nicks pulls the clipboard from under his arm and calls out two names. It’s Leo Blackwood and Cillian Foy.
Everyone suddenly goes silent as the two of them make their way to Nicks. He claps them both on the shoulder and starts speaking to them in a hushed voice. I cannot make out what they’re saying, but the two of them nod in unison before turning around and stepping up to the ring.
Cillian’s right hand reaches up tentatively as if there’s a wall separating him from the inside of the ring, before he slowly steps over the threshold. I shuffle forward, unable to stifle my curiosity. When nothing happens, Leo joins him and walks to the other side of the ring. Leo’s mouth startsmoving as he speaks to Cillian but it’s as if my ears have been blocked because no sound reaches me.
‘Why can’t we hear him?’ Isla asks over the heads of others.
‘The magic within the circle keeps everything inside of it contained. That includes sound,’ Nicks replies. ‘And yes, they can hearus.’
‘That’s no fun,’ Isla mutters to me with a faint smile. ‘You won’t be able to hear Moira yield to me and beg for mercy.’
I snort. ‘I won’t be able to hear her, period. It’s my lucky day.’ If only I could place a magical ring of silence around her all the time.
Nicks starts to count Cillian and Leo down. Students shuffle around to get a good view as the two men shift into fighting stances. Once the countdown has finished, Leo is the first to strike. A flame the size of his palm shoots forward, heading straight toward Cillian who darts left, counteracting with a flame of his own.
Leo leaps out of the way, his lips thinning as he focuses and runs straight for Cillian. He knocks him off his feet with a powerful tackle, then jumps back, giving Cillian his five seconds to get up.
Like a damn cat, Cillian pounces up. Two small flames shoot from his hands toward Leo. He dodges one, but the second makes contact with his shoulder, burning right through the fabric of his shirt.
He shouts something at Cillian, who tips his head back with a laugh we can’t hear, before they both run at each other, meeting in the middle. Fists, elbows and knees go flying. Every now and then, one of them will send a flame arcing through the air.
By the time the timer has stopped, and Nicks is calling for them, they’re both dripping with sweat, red faced and walking out of the ring with several holes burnt through their clothes.
Nicks looks at them like a proud father as they pass him and plonk themselves on the grass to rest. I realise this is probably the reason Nicks chose them to go first: they were to set the standard for everyone else to follow.
FIFTY
‘How are there this many bruises on your body?’ Lillian asks as she helps me get ready for the Imber Stellarum in my room. ‘I’ve seen you fight, Nocthare. You’re notthatbad.’
