?Asher snaps his head up with a huff and a disbelieving – slightly deranged – expression. “We’ve been running – full blown running – nonstop for almost two hours. Not even training with Asier and D’etre is this gruesome.”
?I match Jullia’s disapproving stare as I look up to Callahan who finally loses his internal battle and begins sucking in air like he wasn’t just breathing.
?Hanna approaches my other side and lightly scoffs at them. Her breathing perfectly regulated as she places her hands on her hips. “Jules is right, this is kind of pathetic. I mean, Mavyn was comatose for two months barely a week ago and she still outran both of you.”
?I check in on my blood flow and heartrate as I carefully take in deep, controlled breaths through my nose and release them out my mouth.
?Asher tries to glare at me but he’s still gasping for breath. “Not – “ Gasp. “Fair – “ Gasp. “At all.”
?I turn away from them and continue walking to cool down. “He’s right,” I respond, keeping my breathing even. “I may not have trained when I was resting, but magic does play a part in strength and stamina. If I was human or even a regular vampire I wouldn’t have lasted an hour.”
?Someone puffs out a breath and when I turn I see Hanna observing me. I’m sure she and Jullia would be like Asher and Callahan right now too if it wasn’t for their water element helping with the moisture in their throat and lungs and thefact that most of their training focuses on their endurance and stamina.
?Which is why two warriors who, although train every day and were able to keep up with us, are exerted whereas Jullia and Hanna could probably run for another two hours.
?“Why do you keep such a tight hold on it?” Hanna finally askes. She’s been watching me with curiosity and questions burning in her eyes. “I could understand wanting everyone to underestimate you, but we’ve all seen your magic now. Why do you continue to keep it all contained?”
?Uncontrollable.
?Uncontainable.
?I shake my head and blow out a breath. “Because it’s a lot and very dominant and intimidating. People are already wary of me.”
?She scoffs and half a second after I raise my arm up where a sword of ice imbeds itself into what looks like air five or so inches from my forearm.
?Callahan’s devil aura floods the small glade we stand in within the edge of the tree line. Hanna doesn’t pay him any mind as she rips her sword out and swings again. I use another burst of raw magic from that third door now unlocked to block again.
?“I thought you controlled lightning,” she huffs with a smile, “not air.”
?She twirls the handle of her blade made entirely of ice before stepping back and pointing it at me. There’s been talk about mandating training, even for first years. At least to learn the basics of self-defense because of the rebel attacks, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
?Taking my nails, I dig them into my opposite palm and slice to allow my blood to flow. I only draw out enough to form my own sword and twirl the handle as she did before pointing it at her.
?“I do not control air,” I correct, though I don’t give another answer and Hanna’s grin turns sharp as she swings at me.
?I block purely out of muscle memory and rely on my magic for strength. I’ve only been out of my coma for four days and aside from my dip in the fountain last night, today is the first day I’m starting back on my training.
?And pushing myself to keep an even running pace for two hours probably wasn’t the best way to start. I’ll be sore for sure even with all the stretching in the world.
?That still doesn’t stop me from pushing for the spar Hanna wants to have. Her sword of ice connecting with my sword of blood and it sounds like a frozen lake cracking.
?“Hanna. . .” Jullia starts to warn, but the three of them are drowned out by the rush from the fight as Hanna pounds at me and I focus all my energy in blocking from her ruthless onslaught. I can feel my body wanting to protest against the strain I’m putting it through, but I simply crack that fourth door already unlocked within me instead.
?Strength from my magic floods my veins, my muscles, my bones and energy renews. I take an opening to go on the offense but pain slices down my arm from a second blade. Hanna’s sword made of ice liquefying and resolidifying into twin long daggers instead. That opening a trick to get me close.
?I huff a laugh as I twist out of her reach and shift my sword made of blood into a staff instead. Twirling it around me and fixing my stance as Callahan grumbles darkly behind me. I canfeel his magic wanting to push in around us, but he remains at the edge of our fight with Jullia and Asher watching.
?It is, however, nothing compared to my aura dominating the space. My eyes I’m sure as red as my blood-made staff. The sweet floral scent almost suffocating even to me as Hanna’s stance hitches.
?I twirl my staff before me again and wait for her to move first. If she wishes to cut this spar to a draw I won’t condone her for it.
?She grips her daggers tighter. “That’s all you got,” she taunts, and then she comes at me again.
?Truly, it’s an unfair fight. My condition now, physically, is about the same as it was right before the battle on the eastern field. Magic gives an advantage like nothing else.
?Hanna is a skilled opponent, but after another several minutes of our sparring and my patience waning, I do what she thinks she wants.
?Pushing her back a few feet, I unlock all four of my doors and stare hard into her lavender eyes. The change is immediate and just as quickly I lock all four of those doors back up. My staff made of blood falling to the ground in a splatter and my aura disappearing back into my veins to make me once again feel like nothing.
