I gave a snort of laughter while Flame chuffed in my mind as she ambled off.
Jace turned to look at the Ambush Master, waiting for some signal before whistling with two fingers at his lips. “All to the pens. Grooming, feeding, rest. Tomorrow the worst of it begins.”
He spoke with a wide smile, reveling in the quiet groans. While Jace’s training style was more relaxed and friendly than Blake’s, it was still just as difficult.
Once the training field was cleared, I stepped up, waiting to see what weapon Jace might choose for me.
“A sword?”
Jace shook his head. “You are not ready to fight me. Perhaps we try a different approach.” He grabbed a fine bow off the far weapons wall; a quiver of arrows hung beside it.
“Have you shot before?”
I nodded but grimaced. “Shot, yes. Hit my target, no.”
Jace laughed, handing me the weapons and gently guiding me with a hand on the center of my back toward the target, far enough away that I grew worried.
“That’s all right. I’ll help you.”
Stretching his arms out as if to say,Show me what you’ve got, Jace stepped back and crossed his arms to watch.
I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my grip. My fingers trembled around the string, the arrow’s nock slipping slightly as I struggledto find the right tension. A simple wooden target stood across the field.
I loosed the arrow, but it flew only halfway across before dropping.
Again.
And again. And again.
I gritted my teeth, adjusted my stance, and was pulling the string back again when Jace stepped toward me.
“You’re overcompensating. Just ease into your instincts.” His voice was edged with amusement.
I let the bow dangle with a frustrated sigh, my arms aching from holding it too tightly. The string bit into my fingers, leaving faint red marks.
“Oh, sure—that’s helpful,” I muttered sarcastically under my breath.
Jace chuckled, the sound low and unbothered. He wasn’t just good—he was a natural with almost any weapon, but with the bow, he was something else entirely. Effortless, every shot a clean strike, as if the bow itself listened when he touched it.
“Here.” He moved in closer, his hands light but firm as he adjusted my grip. “Relax your shoulders. You’re too tense.”
His fingers skimmed over my arms, correcting my posture, guiding my elbow just a fraction higher. I could feel the warmth of him at my back, his presence grounding. The silver cuff he always wore clinked against my jade bracelet.
My magic started humming, a cadence I’d never felt before.
Like…resonance. A vibration beneath my skin, steady and undeniable. As if I’d found something that fit.
“That’s better,” Jace murmured, his voice near my ear. “Now draw back.”
The bow felt lighter as I pulled back. I held my breath, sightingdown the shaft of the arrow. Jace’s fingers guided mine, his presence steady. He leaned in further—
A low, sharp creak filled the air.
Jace stilled, cheek nearly beside mine.
I dropped the arrow, distracted, as one of the metal practice dummies a few feet away warped, the steel groaning against itself as if under some invisible pressure.
I felt him before I saw him.
