“Fuck off, Calix. She had you on your knees when we ran the obstacle challenge.”
“She’s the first person to draw blood. They’re going to have to up the training now. Enough of the easy stuff.” Calix sounds gleeful at the prospect.
“What’s your plan then, Cal? Hope a long blade will do the trick, keep her away from physical contact?” I ask.
“You worry about your plans, and I’ll worry about mine. Now, Crim, spill.”
“Honestly, hands-on, it felt like she was siphoning power, but not in the same way as when we give each other a boost. It was as if she was draining me. Makes sense that you hit the deck, and I couldn’t counter.” He nods to his sister, and I take on board the intel.
Before I’ve finished eating, Rowan enters with Perrin, and I’m suddenly very grateful that he’s the Custodian who still has his power. All the others have been Advocates or have aged past the time their gifted magic drains from them, replacing the balance provided by Aslendrix—the path my father now faces.
“Morning. I’m glad you’re all here. Training starts in ten minutes. We’re at full capacity now. We look forward to seeing what you’ve got.”
Everyone starts to file out, but my eyes struggle to show any interest in my food, and refuse to move from Ever. She stands with Micah and heads outside, giving me the perfect view of her walking away in figure-hugging training gear. Nothing I’ve not seen on Crimson or the others.
However, there’s no point denying it looks better on her, and she is going to be a fucking distraction.
“You good, Aten?” Azur asks. He’s generally quiet. Shrewd. I just shoot him a glare that has him cocking his head to the side and chuckling. “See you out there.”
“Despite the events of the last few weeks, we will be expecting you to focus entirely on training in preparation for the first trial,” Rowan bellows at us as if it were us taking it easy. “But one of you needs to understand how their skills compare to the others. So, Ever, you’ll be up against each of the trainees this morning. Micah, Aten, Calix, and Ascella first, in ring one. The rest of you, take ring two. Today will be physical combat. No weapons but using your powers. We’ll build up to teams of three. Go!”
We walk over, and I try hard not to hover over Ever. She seems relaxed, her arms loose at her side. I take a few steps closer and concentrate on her. I’m sure I felt her anxiety the night we came here and looked up at the stars. Kamari said we’d be able to tune into those, so I concentrate and imagine my magic as a physical presence.
Even blocking everything else out, I can’t pick up any emotion from her.
“We’ll go first.”
“We will?” Ever’s face turns to Micah’s, her green eyes dazzling in the light.
“Sure. Show them how it’s done.” He grins at her.
She glances back and runs those eyes over me, Calix, and Ascella.
“Come on. I trust you.” He beckons her inside the ring, and I shift my feet back and forth as they take positions.
To his credit, Micah doesn’t go on the offensive. Instead, he coaxes Ever. She’s not used to this, but his strategy is sound, and she finally makes the first move, striking forward, but it’s clear she doesn’t know how to fight. Her training has been limited to technique and drills, rather than how to combine a series of moves to attack or take someone down.
I shift again, agitation racing through me at the fact that she doesn’t know this.
Yesterday was all nerves, and her technique sucked. It was her magic that did the work, and we’re all working that out.
She kicks out at Micah, but he twists out of the way, grabs her arm, and drops his knee to the ground, pulling her and connecting his palm with the earth. The usual tremor starts, nothing unusual. He used a similar tactic with me.
But as Ever holds her feet and steadies herself, the shake of the earth intensifies, building with a grumble that makes all of us reposition our feet. Micah’s quick, and uses it as a distraction to knock Ever’s legs out, bringing her to the ground, as he wraps her arm up to her shoulder, pinning her in place.
The earth ceases to shake, and I have to use every ounce of training not to step over the threshold and throw him off her.
“Guess Micah’s been holding back,” Calix says.
“That was Ever, not him. He’s not that powerful.”
“You sure about that?” Ascella asks.
“I’m sure.”
“Well done, both of you.” Rowan patrols on the far side, and I notice that Nova and Perrin are showing an interest as well.
“Ever, don’t bother stepping out. We’re next,” Calix announces.
