“That’s awesome.” At least the day hadn’t been a complete disaster for him.
Marcus ambled in shortly after we did. He hung out with Rishi at a distance, and didn’t make eye contact with any of us. He didn’t say anything, not even a hello, which told me something was bothering him.
Professors Amber and Wykoff entered the room. This time, Amber was followed by her orangutan Familiar, who was carrying a harp.
“I hope you’re up for a workout!” Wykoff announced. “Today we’ll be doing some hardcore training.”
Right. Couldn’t just laze around all day. I was here to do a job, to protect the people of Ilamanthe, and it was time to work.
Abigail gave me a nod. “I’ll leave you to it, princess. If you need me, I’ll be nearby.”
She exited the room, and Eldin went to stand guard outside the door. Hm. I suppose if Abigail was going to spy on me she’d stay to watch my magical performance. But not excusing herself looked suspicious, too.
I put Abigail out of my mind. I needed to focus on my training, not her.
“Danny’s late,” Charlie commented snidely. “Does he think we have all day to wait around?”
Wykoff checked her watch. She shook her head, gave a sigh, and stated, “We might as well begin without him. Who knows when he’s going to show up.”
“We’re going to start with a meditation, to delight the senses and invigorate the mind,” Professor Amber cooed. “This way, your body will be delightfully prepared for the intense experience you’re about to endure all over your form!”
Is she talking about meditating or having an orgasm? Oberi asked.
We didn’t know, but Amber gestured for us to sit. Everyone but me took a seat on the ground, and the orangutan began strumming the harp.
“Close your eyes,” Amber hummed. “Let yourself float away on the waves of delectable delight. Feel the tremors electrifying through your skin as tingles run on energy currents, from your soul into your earthly form. Transcend the limits of time and space, and become an endless being, one that expands outward in order to encompass all the universe, indulging yourself in sensual pleasure.”
I don’t know what she’s talking about, Charlie whispered telepathically.
I don’t either, but just go with it.My dad had told me Professor Amber was a little weird, but he never explained how much. This was supposed to be an experience, right? Might as well play along.
Oberi was getting into it.I am life. I am death. I am the ending, and the beginning. I am one with the earth and sky!
I attempted to relax, but it was hard when I was connected to Charlie’s mind. He kept thinking that this was pointless— that meditating was a waste of time and we needed to get to work on practicing, so we could be strong enough to beat the Warden.
I cut that connection off. I knew he was impatient, but I needed to ground myself before we began. I listened to the sound of Professor Amber’s voice, and soothed myself to the music of the harp until I felt a faint buzzing throughout my torso. When I had a clear head, I could feel my Fire, Water, and Spirit magic resonating inside of me, and I had a stronger connection to it. Ideas of what I could do with my magic came to me, and how I could utilize them in battle. I was glad we’d started the session with meditation, because it enabled me to center in on the moment so I could think straight.
“Do you feel the vibrations?” Amber prodded. “Can you sense the titillating, intimate caresses of time and space?—”
The meditation was brought to a screeching halt when one of the doors to the training arenaslammedagainst the wall. My eyes shot open, and I jumped in my chair. Kallie gave a gasp, and Marcus fell over beside me.
Danny strutted into the room like a cocky rooster, did a spin on his heels, then flicked his hair out of his eyes. “I’m here, everyone. No need to get alarmed.”
“Danny, you’re late again,” Professor Wykoff said patiently.
“I would’ve been on time, but the ladies needed me,” Danny replied. “So are we working today, or what?”
Danny made a show of tossing off his jacket and doing a couple of arm stretches that were obviously meant to display his muscles. He was dressed in a tight shirt and pants, a hilt holding a short, small blade against his calf.
“I suppose the meditation is over,” Wykoff noted. “Everyone rise, please.”
The others got to their feet, and I said, “The ceiling’s open to the sun. Why aren’t you frying your ass off right now?”
“The palace has a ward around it so vampires don’t burn,” Danny said. “I can frolic in the sunshine as much as I please here.”
Charlie scowled. “We need to move on. What’s next?”
“We’ll begin with sparring,” Wykoff said. “The four of you will be going up against Danny. He’ll be defending himself alone.”
