“I suppose they’re not helpless after all,” Vander said with a final clap, like being proud of a child for doing the most basic task. “Not bad for your first hunt.”
“Did you set this up from the beginning?” I demanded.
The trainers looked amongst each other, then laughed. “You did good for ababyassassin,” Scout said and their laughter intensified. Except for Vander. He watched me with curiosity, like he was waiting for something.
My blood boiled.
“She doesn’t like being called a baby assassin,” Falcon teased.
“Yeah, ha, ha, ha, it’s so funny that I was attacked by a vampire.”
Celine was the first to step up beside me.
“My first time out here and you leave us to the vamps? That’s cold.”
“We didn’t leave you to anything.” Vander spoke as if we were overreacting. “We were watching. Falcon had an arrow trained on her if she got too close.”
I glared daggers at him, mentally slicing them into his heart. He knew I was afraid of them. He knew they’d killed members of my family, and yet he’d allowed her to touch me. If I was a seasoned assassin, I’d find it acceptable, but this was maliciously negligent.
“What would be too close? Shegrabbedme.” I imagined Falcon asking him if she should release the arrow and him not giving her permission, and I started to shake with anger.
“And you’re fine. More than fine. You handled it on your own.”
Falcon laughed softly. “I can see that scowl through your mask. There’s no need to be so upset.”
I wasn’t risking my life for their amusement. This wasn’t a game to me. My life wasn’t to be gambled with. I’d just started to trust that Vander wanted to help me, and he did this? Shaking my head, I moved to go around them. I didn’t have a particular destination in mind, but I didn’t want to be ridiculed.
Scout grabbed my arm before I could pass. “It’s part of training. Relax, apprentice.”
If one more of them told me to calm down, I was going to lose it. Vander’s eyes flashed a warning, but I jerked free and marched in the direction we’d come.
“Aesira.” Vander’s voice was biting.
My pace didn’t slow. I should turn west and go home. I could follow the road and find it, but I’d never make it before Vander threw me over his shoulder and carried me back kicking and complaining. But it might be worth a try even if just to piss him off. I didn’t care if they punished me for it later. I wanted to go where people respected and cared for me. I wanted to see my father.
The air shifted and a warning tingle ran down my spine... Something was behind me. I whirled, knife ready to strike, and found Vander standing there. I hadn’t even heard his approach. It was uncanny the way he did that. As silent as a damn serpent slithering through the grass.
His eyes sparkled in the moonlight, their blue impossibly brighter. I wondered if my eyes were brighter at night too. Ducai could see in the dark after all.
He gently pushed my knife-wielding arm down. “You’re acting like a spoiled child. I allowed you to prove to yourself you can kill a vampire on your own and you’re angry about it.”
“I’m angry becauseIcould have been killed.”
He cocked his head and appeared to listen to something I couldn’t hear or didn’t notice, then his focus returned to me. “And running off alone out here won’t get you killed? I’ve told you not to leave my side.”
“Oh, but you can leave mine?”
“That’s the thing about being the trainer. I get to decide, you don’t.”
The others came into view. Vander waved them off. “Go on. We’ll catch up.”
I knew that tone. I was about to get reprimanded. The other trainers looked at me like they knew it too. I doubted Taewyn or even Celine would dare to defy their trainers. They’d been conditioned all their lives to follow orders and admire the assassins, the guilds in general. Whilst my father taught me to hate them.
Even with her mask on, I knew Ghost had a smug expression. She probably wanted to stay and make sure I was punished for attacking her earlier too.
When they were no longer in sight, I dropped into a crouch and wiped the still-bloody blade on the grass. “I knew you’d chase after me.”
He chuckled as if he couldn’t believe what I’d said.
