"Hurt, no," Hawke agreed as he moved to my side, gesturing for Pascal to step up like my opponent. "What you need to do is distract, confuse, or obscure. I also have a feeling the Hunt won't be our only problem."
"And your magic does work on the sidhe," Wilder said, moving beside Hawke. "So let's teach her to be terrifying, hm?"
"Oh, you like terrifying," Hawke teased flirtatiously.
Which made Pascal smother a chuckle, yet he kept his eyes on me. Tipping his head, he showed he was ready, so I tapped my practice stick against his.
"Let's go," I breathed.
Immediately, Pascal shoved in. Ok, this guy was good. Not Keir levels of good, but still good enough to make me work for it. Within seconds, I was completely focused on blocking his next attack.
"Shadows to obscure," Hawke called out.
"She can do better than that," Wilder said, but it sounded like he was talking to Hawke.
"Let's start with what she knows," Hawke countered.
Before me, Pascal just smiled. He also didn't slow. My sticks were moving fast, but he kept up easily. I really didn't want to smother us in shadows, because that meant I wouldn't be able to see either, but there had to be an answer.
Wait, I had it!
Dodging back, I pushed out just enough shadow magic to allow it to form into a beast. Something terrifying, but I wouldn't try to control it. What I needed was help, and my magic was much more sentient than the seasonal kind.
Immediately, a wolf sprang up at the side, lunging before it was fully formed. Pascal yelped and spun, allowing me to get agood touch on his back. I won - and was already out of breath. A wave of my hand dismissed the magic, but Hawke was nodding at me proudly.
"Nice distraction," he said. "Consider tricks like Aspen was using too."
"I have a question," Pascal said, straightening up like he was stretching his back. "So if the court is now admitting their titles, does this mean Wilder's going to have problems?"
"What? Why?" Wilder asked.
Pascal wiggled a finger between them. "Because you're flirting with a duke now."
"Shit," Wilder chuckled. "I'm a duke too."
Pascal tensed. "Really?"
"Winter," I said, pointing at Wilder. "Summer." Then at Hawke.
"And I'm going to guess being nobility means the staff can't exactly make you move rooms? I mean, since they have issues with dating your suitemates and all."
"We're over eighteen," Wilder said, ignoring the rest.
But Hawke bumped his shoulder. "Just the facts, huh? But I mean, he's right. We could use that as a reason not to move."
"They'd just swap us and Keir," Wilder pointed out. "Well, one of us."
"No," I said, "they won't. Keir's keeping Torian from blowing up the school."
"Andthat," Wilder chided, "is not public knowledge, Rain."
Pascal just mimed zipping his lips. "Not going to say shit to anyone else," he assured us. "But I will point out that Torian blowing up the school isn't exactly a secret. His temper and power are well known. That Keir can stop him is also known - ever since Harper, I mean."
"True," Hawke agreed.
"So I say go for it," Pascal said. "Besides, the cross-season thing might actually help diffuse some anti-Winter sentiment."
"And how do you feel about the Winter Court?" Wilder asked pointedly.
