“Ghost and Pyro, this is Aesira, I’m still deciding her codename. Aesira, this is Ghost. She’s an assassin level three.”
I recalled from the book and one of Vander’s talks on LOA that there were six levels, six being the highest rank. I expected more of an introduction than a name and rank to the woman he was seeing... unless he wasn’t.
“Four now.” She lightly punched his shoulder and bit her lower lip. Oh, there was certainly something going on between them, and I found myself a little too eager for any details. Purely to know more about my trainer, of course.
His brows shot up. “Congratulations. When did that happen?”
“This morning. Commander Locke promoted me.”
I lifted my chin to Vander. “What level are you?” Although I could guess.
“Six.” He didn’t say it with the bravado I expected, rather matter-of-factly.
“Should we have our apprentices spar together?” Ghost asked. “I’m interested to see what you’ve taught her.”
Pyro gave me a half-smirk, and although she was more petite than I was, something about her countenance reminded me of a cat ready to pounce on an unsuspecting bird. I had a feeling she had been training for years already. It would be like fighting Morrow again, although she probably didn’t hit as hard. My once fat lip throbbed at the thought of it. Climbing trees, tying knots, throwing weapons, and scaling ropes hadn’t prepared me to fight anyone.
Vander shook his head. “No, I’ll be working with Aesira today. Pyro has more experience.”
“Right, and Aesira doesn’t. You’d think they’d be good at killing, what with where they live and everything. And tougher, she looks a bit soft considering. I heard about her fight with Beast.” She clicked her tongue. “Poor thing.”
I couldn’t believe she was talking about me like that when I stood right next to her.Poor thing?Like I was some wounded animal. I flushed with anger and embarrassment, clenching my hands at my sides. I bit back a retort. She could talk about me but to saytheylike we were other and bring everyone from outside Nighthaven into this? I’d bet on my father and our fighters against any one of them here. We were strong, just in a different way.
Vander shifted his weight and cleared his throat. “She is inexperienced but lasted longer in the fight with Morrow than most from Lothleton would have.”
Ghost’s green eyes slowly traveled down my form to my boots. “How sweet of you to say so, Viper. You’re a good trainer. It must be frustrating to get someone like her again. Hard labor doesn’t equate to the fitness of an assassin.”
His jaw tightened, and he glanced away as if this conversation bored him.
Someone like me? I was hoping he would defend me, but he didn’t speak again. My stomach slowly sank. Obviously he wouldn’t, he was fromhereand nobility to top it off.
“I hate to say it, but she’s going to need all the help she can get for the upcoming game. You two better get to work. Have fun.”
A sense of relief washed over me as they left, but what game? I tucked my hands behind my back and took the standard stance as the two of them left. In the few weeks I had been here, Vander hadn’t told me about any games. “What was she talking about?”
He gestured for me to follow him to the farthest circle away from Dred and Morrow. Celine and Taewyn waved at me as we passed. They seemed to be the only two who didn’t care where I was from. I wondered if it was only because I was something new and shiny. That would wear off.
A pit in my stomach knotted at his lack of an answer. Was it dangerous?
Vander directed me to the center of a sparring circle. “Put your fists up.”
I widened my stance, bending my knees slightly and put my fists in front of my chin. “Are you going to tell me about this game?”
He shoved my shoulder, and I stumbled over my own feet and fell, landing on my hip and elbow. “If I can push you over soeasily, your balance needs work. Tighten up your torso. Your feet need to move with you.”
“I wasn’t ready for you to push me.” I scrambled to my feet and readied myself again. I had something to prove after everything Ghost said. His hand struck out, and I knocked it aside. “And I’d appreciate it if you answered my question.”
“I will. Patience, apprentice.” He shoved me from every angle, trying to knock me over until sweat dripped down my temples. I didn’t go down a second time.
Once he seemed satisfied with my ability to stay upright, he stepped behind me. I tensed, waiting for him to pull a knife again or wrap me up in his vicelike grip. I kept an eye on him over my shoulder.
“The first thing I’m going to teach you is how to get out of a hold.”
He threw an arm around my throat and the other around my torso and squeezed. I struggled to break free and tried to push backward to drive him away, but he was an immovable stone. His elbow squeezed around my throat and stars began to flutter across my vision. “I can’t breathe,” I wheezed.
He loosened his hold, and I dragged in a breath. “This is the worst position to find yourself in. The moment you feel someone behind you, tuck your chin and lift your shoulders so they can’t hook your throat. Once someone gets you in a chokehold like that, it’s difficult to get free, and a vampire will sink her teeth into you the moment she has her chance. Ideally you hear her and turn before this happens. The reason we’ve spent a few days wandering the woods in silence is so you start to listen. You should be aware of quiet footsteps, hear the steady breathing of an approaching predator.”
“I come from Lothleton, Viper, we listen for danger.”
