My eyes roam across the small crowd, and I mentally recite the names I remember while making a note of those I don’t recall. I won’t blame my lack of learning them all on my poor muddled mind. I’ve only spent a day with them. I’ll get them down eventually.
My head jerks as I do a double take at two familiar faces.
Jay and Leah stand side by side, glancing around a touch warily until their gazes meet mine. Both give me bright smiles and waves that I return. It’s like a blast in the short past to my first day in this Court.
We won’t have a repeat of that day.
Nor will Jay have to heal me, or anyone else, via almost orgasms.
As I move my attention from them, it dawns on me why I can’t remember so many people’s names.
“Shit,” I mumble under my breath.
“What?” Mara asks as she steps up beside me and passes me a training sword. All the females shift despite there being plenty of feet between her and them.
“I just remembered that the females with secondaries in Defender were joining today to see if they wanted to add this to their permanent rotations.”
“So?”
“So it’s more people for me to remember, but I also want them to want to be here. You don’t think that’s a lot of pressure?”
She snorts. “No. If they don’t have what it takes. They don’t have it.”
I scoff and narrow my eyes at her. “That’s a piss-poor attitude, Mara. None of them are going to have it at the start. You failed them their first time around.”
“I didn’t fail them. I wasn’t instructing.”
“No, but you could’ve helped and didn’t. You were too worried about your own image and standing to bother yourself with making them any better.”
“Yeah, well, I have a hell of a lot more people watching and judging me than they do.”
“You got to quit giving a fuck about what other people think of you. You can be a badass bitch, without being a…”
“Bitch?”
I chuckle and smirk at her. “Yeah.”
“Whatever.” She rolls her eyes, although her lip twitches. “Can we get some actual training in today? Gladian kicked my ass yesterday and I completely blame it on the fact we didn’t do shit but show people how to hold swords the day before.”
I’m sure that’s why he went hard on her…
My gaze again roams across the murmuring crowd that’s watching the two of us.
“Fine. Go get in position. Let’s spar.”
“What?”
I arch my brow. “Isn’t that what you’re here for?”
A devious smile curls across her mouth then and I glance at her sideways, fighting a grin.
Some habits die hard, I suppose.
“No powers or punches, just swords. Ready?” I ask her, and she nods.
Her feet pound against the dirt as she charges. Her first strike comes at me high and fast in a diagonal cut meant to test my guard rather than break it.
My foot slides to the right and her sword slices through the air as I lean out of the way rather than raising mine just yet.
