Perhaps I could casually ask Professor Myali about it. I done a good deal of work with my elemental powers, so the next step was learning the magical spells, anyway.
“Blood magic strong enough to cause an earthquake here could only come from one of two members on the High Council.”
Everyone stopped eating and stared at Carlos. He'd never spoken more than a one or two-word answer in reply to someone before.
“Blood carries the life force of all beings. Using it adds an element beyond what any supernatural can do on their own. Most times, it's done with blood taken from someone against their will. But a willing donor makes it more powerful.”
There was something about the way Carlos spoke, almost as if he’d practiced what to say. And he seemed too eager to share. He’d basically accused Aurora or Danú, the two strongest members of the council, of causing the quake, and enjoyed doing so. It confused me.
From my peripheral vision, I could see Orsika stiffen. She sat so still, I wasn't sure she was breathing.
“My pastor at church used to tell us that's why we're supposed to drain the blood out of the animals we hunt. It's evil to drink it or eat it,” Georgia Anne said.
“Blood magic is the strongest magic there is. Whatever we felt the other night was no accident.” Carlos met my gaze across the table.
I swallowed hard. Had Donovan told him about giving me the quartz? He was the one who had convinced Carlos to take his first level exams. I’d been stupid to trust him, and now everyone was in danger.
But Donovan is a Master Illuminator.
Besides, I hadn’t used it as a spell, just a way to communicate—that had to be different.
I pushed my bowl away.
“How do you know so much about blood magic?” Luca asked Carlos.
“I'm from a small village near many Aztecan ruins. The Aztecs used ritual sacrifice to strengthen their magic. It fascinates me.”
He still hadn’t shared that he had sorcery skills like Donovan had told me. It was like he didn’t want anyone to know. Interesting. Something was off with that, but as much as I wanted to figure it out, I had bigger things to deal with.
“Aztecs performed human sacrifice, didn't they?” Jacob asked
Carlos nodded, but didn't offer any further information. It seemed he’d finished with what he needed to contribute to the conversation.
“Human sacrifices are what doomed ‘em. Life is valuable, we all have to protect it—that's what we’re doin’ here, protectin’ life. I hope I can pass my levels someday so I can do what y’all are doing,” Georgia Anne said with such pride as she looked around the table.
“Orsika, you’re freaking me out. I’ve never seen anyone sit still that long before,” Jacob said.
She slowly twisted her neck to face him. I wondered if it was as unsettling to the others as it was to me.
“Listening is a skill,” she told him. “One that seems difficult for some, apparently.”
“That comment was for me, I know. I’m sorry, I get goin’ and it’s hard to stop. I’ll be quiet now, I promise,” Georgia Anne declared with her hand over her heart.
The rest of dinner became an awkward blend of silence and simple conversation that ended as quickly as it began.
I hurried back to my room as soon as I’d finished eating to contemplate what Carlos had said about blood magic . . . and why he’d stared at me as if he knew what I’d done.
11
I’d finally made it to class first. It only took leaving my room just before light to accomplish it. I had to sneak close enough to the hallway so that the moment the bells signaled the end of curfew, I could race to the door.
Without wasting a second after I’d arrived, I fashioned my whip and a target. The first crack had barely sung through the air when Sabra sauntered onto the field.
She settled herself near me and began playing in the dirt again. I ignored her, but kept track of whether she seemed successful or not. After a while, having her so close urged me to try something new.
Focusing on the space between us, I invoked a wall. I let it rise until she was blocked from sight. As I enjoyed a moment of smug satisfaction, a glass dagger burst through the vines and stuck into the ground at my feet.
“Sorry! I hope that didn’t get too close to you, it just slipped through my fingers,” Sabra called from the other side of the hedge.
“Not even close. Do you need me to make you a target so you can practice your aim?”
I heard her chuckle. For a second, I enjoyed our banter; it almost felt like when I’d spar with my sisters in Valhalla.
She and Toril would get along.
As soon as I had the thought, all mirth disappeared. Toril was somewhere unknown, taken by the Legion through their black portal. I might be the only chance she’d have to get back. Learning my skills and getting into the accelerated trials was not a game. I had to focus.
The new pace of training finally gave me a sense of purpose. Others complained at the lack of breaks, but I felt invigorated. Unlike in Midgard, where I fell apart, my body grew stronger the more I used my new skills in Breasal.
When it was time to stop for lunch, I sat down to rest for a few minutes. As in our other class, the lunch cart showed up, pushed by the same little man. I sat off to the side by myself, hoping for a little peace, careful to avoid seeming approachable.
Every few seconds, the cart guy would sneak a peek in my direction as he handed out more lunches. I tried to ignore him.
Sabra plopped down next to me and unwrapped her sandwich.
She couldn’t choose anywhere else to sit?
“That little púca keeps staring at you,” she said with a chuckle as she took a big bite.
“He’s a shapeshifter? How did one like that end up here?”
I’d never seen a púca before, but my recent experience with a shapeshifting giant didn’t make me want to hop up and say hi.
“I don’t know, I’ve never talked with him. Danú is compassionate, though. I’m sure she felt he’d done something worthy. There are many shapeshifters on Breasal. They are sent to the Illuminators mostly, but some join the Arbiters as well.”
“None join the Mystics?”
As soon as the question left my mouth, I considered why that would be true. Probably since having some elemental power was a requirement. All the shifters I’d known used a spell or device, like a hawk cloak, to change forms.
“Most just have the power or cunning that their animal counterpart has. Their skills are better suited for battle or espionage, from what I hear.”
“Hmm.”
I let her words sink in. Who decided the placements? Aurora had told Gus and me where to go, so perhaps she did that for everyone. Maybe I could speak with her and get reassigned. I was battle-trained, and needed to use my skills. Though I’d become fond of my new whip, too.
Everyone else had gotten their lunches, and the púca tried to make it seem like he needed to straighten his cart. The stolen peeks continued in my direction clearly signaled his procrastination.
I sighed. Without saying anything to Sabra, I got to my feet and went to meet the little shapeshifter and get something to eat.
The púca’s eyes widened, and he gasped as he watched me approach. I had just enough time to catch a glimpse of his fluffy little tail as he shifted into a rabbit and darted away.
What was that about?
I grabbed an apple and a sandwich from the cart and returned to my seat. It wasn’t for the company, I just wanted to sit near where I trained so I could be ready to get back to it after we ate. Sabra seemed anxious when I returned.
I was sitting here first. She can move if she wants.
With the dome overhead, there wasn’t any true sunlight, but it was bright enough for midday.
“Who controls things in here? Light, temperature, that sort of thing?” I asked Sabra after we’d sat in silence for several minutes.
I already knew Professor Myali ran the class, but did she cont
rol the space too? If I couldn’t be alone, I might as well get some information.
“Professor Myali, I assume.” Sabra twisted and tucked her feet under her. She smiled like we were two friends sharing secrets. “From what I’ve heard, she used to be the counselor for a royal family, but there was a revolution. When the opposition rose up, the king became so outraged, he blamed her and expelled her from his service. She stayed in the shadows, trying to help, but it turned out the other side had a sorcerer too. They had some epic battle, and while she was distracted, the revolutionaries killed the entire royal family. She came here afterward in shame.”
“It doesn’t sound like she did anything wrong. The other guy distracted her and kept her from doing her duty properly.” My gut twisted. The professor’s story hit too close to home.
“Well, in my opinion, if she was as powerful as they say, she wouldn’t have let them die. Anyone who allows themselves to get distracted like that doesn’t deserve to be in a position of leadership.”
Bile rose in my throat. I needed to change the subject.
“Do we ever train in hand-to-hand combat in this sector? I mean, all the sectors are called upon to go on missions, and with the trials, novitiates will be going too. Why don’t we prepare to fight against others?”
I needed to hit something, and we couldn’t use our powers until training resumed. Professor Myali had left to speak with the council while we rested.
“We do, but it comes later. Did you fight a lot in Valhalla? I’ve heard stories about Valkyries and how they ‘serve’ those they claim. Didn’t sound like fighting to me.”
She did not just insult my sisterhood!
I knew what stories she spoke of—the ones that came about because of Folkvang and the more . . . relaxed . . . nature of Freya’s training regimen. It’s the reason I no longer worried about Stuart, the einherjar that I’d claimed who didn’t adjust. He went to Folkvang, and Gus came to Breasal with me. We’d all paid a price for my mistakes.
I jumped to my feet, and my wings snapped open, ready. “Would you like to see my skills?”
Sabra stood with a feline grace, never taking her eyes off mine. “I’m up for it if you are,” she purred.
My blood boiled, and I lunged. Instead of landing a punch to the side of her face, though, my hand sank into a pile of sand.
She’d used her magic. Razor-sharp granules blasted against me, forcing me to spin away. I’d never fought a battle that way . . . but I was a fast learner.
I imagined vines wrapping around Sabra’s feet, and I heard her shriek just as the sandstorm ended. I flew into the air to get a better view. Sabra cut through the vines I’d sent, using what appeared to be a glass dagger. Landing in front of her, I kicked her in the gut and sent her flying backward.
She twisted in the air and, rather than landing with a thud on her back like I expected, her feet touched down before she caught herself on all fours. Lifting her face to me in a predatory crouch, she had a thin smile on her face. A gleam flickered in her eyes as she bunched her muscles and launched.
I flapped high, but she slapped my foot, nearly knocking me from the sky. She was strong, but I got a strange satisfaction from watching her pace while she contemplated how to snatch me out of the air. Diving down, I kicked her in the side of the face as I swooped by.
Our antics had drawn a crowd. Only two others continued to practice, while everyone else had formed a semicircle to watch and cheer. It didn’t surprise me that Orsika ignored my performance, but Carlos kept his back to me, as if he didn’t even notice, which slightly offended me. I made a point to fly in a wide enough circle that he had to see me, but he didn’t even glance up.
Whatever . . . Sabra had stuck her hands down in the ground again, I didn’t have time to think about the strange little boy.
The breeze from my wings as I hovered ruffled my curls. I caught a whiff of the lavender soap I’d used in the tub the night before. A sigh escaped as I relaxed.
“You should always try to understand your opponent’s abilities before you pick a fight, Sabra. I really thought you would make a better challenger.”
She rose to her full height, bringing two javelins made of glass with her from out of the ground. “Good advice, too bad you don’t follow it yourself.”
Quicker than I could react, she threw one and then the other of her new toys.
I managed to roll away from the first one, but couldn’t get out of the way of the second fast enough. It grazed my side and slid between the feathers of my wing, breaking several small bones. I spun in a circle, trying to keep myself airborne, flapping my good wing to no avail.
I plummeted twenty feet, and would have crashed hard except a pillow of air caught me so I landed gently on my feet.
Shocked, I darted my gaze to the crowd. Luca smiled at me with a small nod.
Whether he’d helped me as a friend, or to ensure the fight lasted longer, I didn’t have time to dwell on. Sabra shrieked and slammed into my side. We tumbled end over end, my broken wing bending each time I hit the ground, causing spikes of nauseating pain.
We skidded to a stop, and a dagger landed against my throat.
“Yield,” Sabra growled.
“You don’t know me very well,” I answered quietly, careful to stay still enough that the razor-sharp glass didn’t draw blood.
Tensing my muscles to strike, I grabbed her wrist, pushing her arm away from my neck, and jammed a knee into her side. She grunted and twisted away, but I held on, bending her wrist toward her forearm, the way I’d seen Gus do in a fight. It took all the power out of her arm and forced the dagger to fall.
We still grappled when Sabra flickered before my eyes.
I hesitated just enough that it gave her a chance to break my hold. Stunned, I tried to figure out what I’d just seen.
She took advantage and raked me across my shoulder and chest with her nails. Blood welled up from the four long gashes she’d torn through my leathers. I rolled out of the way and came to a crouch on one knee.
“What are you?” I growled.
With my wing dragging on the ground and blood seeping from my chest, I struggled to stand. A shocked look crossed Sabra’s face, but she recovered quickly and punched me in the mouth. I toppled backward and landed on my butt, pinning myself to the ground as I fell on my injured wing. Blood filled my mouth. The coppery taste made me gag as I spit onto the ground. She lunged at me again, and I knew I couldn’t stop her.
Then it happened again; she flickered. But this time, her shape stayed clear enough that I could watch the full-grown leopard leaping at me, claws out, fangs bared and ready to tear me apart. I could heal most injuries, but having my throat torn out would be permanent.
Sabra let out a roar that curdled my blood, and I scrambled backward as fast as I could, flailing around, trying to get my wing out from beneath me.
Before she landed on me, she twisted her body in the way only cats can do, landing on her feet next to me.
She’d missed me on purpose—why? It would have given her the win.
I stared into her eyes, and instead of seeing a vicious predator, I saw fear. I remained still. Then I heard the door to the classroom open.
Sabra snapped her eyes to look over my head, and a heartbeat later, soared over me. With all the bravery of a field mouse, I squealed as I ducked. When she didn’t squash me, I twisted to watch in amazement as she bolted out the door, past Professor Myali.
The professor glided over to me after she closed the door, as if it were normal for a leopard to streak past her.
“If you wish to spar, that can be arranged, but any more unauthorized fighting will result in suspension from class—for two weeks.”
I ripped my gaze to the professor, letting my wings relax against my back. Her stare pierced right through me.
Two weeks was enough to miss entry into the trials.
“You’re new here, Niasa, but don’t let your temper guide you. Magic wielded through rash emotions is dangerou
s.” Professor Myali softened her gaze, but it still held me steady. “Avoiding costly mistakes is paramount in advancing through your training, do you understand?”
The few bites I’d had of lunch swirled in my stomach. With a jerky motion, I dipped my chin in answer.
Professor Myali raised her face toward the dome, but kept her eyes on me. “Break is over, prepare to resume practice.” Her quiet tone reverberated through the space so that everyone heard it clearly. “You don’t always need a loud voice, or the biggest weapon to prove your strength.” That part was for my ears only.
12
Sabra never returned to class, but everyone returned to their training without a hitch.
Except for me.
I’d stayed to practice, despite the rips in my leathers. The blood oozing from my wounds slowed and eventually stopped. But I struggled to hit my target, carving large chunks of dirt all around, but not from the torso-shaped target of vines and leaves I’d created.
If I couldn’t concentrate, I would never get anywhere.
My mind kept picturing Sabra as a leopard. I’d seen one before, when I’d crossed paths with a traveler who had several large animals in cages that he’d shown to people for money. A despicable man. He’d taunted the poor animal with a large mutton shank, keeping the bait just out of reach, until finally tossing it through the bars. The cat had pounced on it and tore a hunk out so fast that I’d startled.
Absently, I kept rubbing at the nape of my neck while I practiced, thankful Sabra hadn’t mistaken my head for a juicy chop.
Curfew had started a couple hours earlier, but I still couldn’t sleep, as all the events circled through my mind.
Sabra was a leopard shifter, yet she also had elemental powers. The look in her eyes haunted me. After what she’d said about shifters being assigned to the other sectors, it didn’t make sense that she had exposed her secret. Something about it unsettled me.
Finally, I sat up and gave up on sleeping, deciding it was the perfect time to check in on Gus. No one would be around. I could be there and back before anyone found out I’d broken curfew.
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