AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My body urges me forward to protect Raine but Arthur’s hand lands on my shoulder. “He’s okay,” he mutters softly. I only believe him once the smoke clears and I see Raine standing completely unscathed. “Well done, Raine. You are a natural at blocking frontal attacks.” Raine gives Arthur a hesitant glance but seems reassured by his praise.
Edgar shakes his head and tries again. His attack this time is much smaller, and the gravity of it doesn’t pull at my feet as immensely. Raine deflects it better, casting the remnants of the black smoke to his side and staining the snow with the aftermath.
Elias makes Edgar perform the same attack over and over until his legs are visibly shaking and he falls to one knee. His control has tightened significantly since he started but Elias still isn’t impressed. It’s already past noon and my stomach is twisting with hunger. My legs are sore from standing in one spot all day in the cold.
“Head back to the castle, Edgar. You’ll be here tomorrow morning again until you can be in complete control.” Elias dismisses him with little regard. Ash helps Edgar to his feet and they head back together.
Raine falls to his knees next from exhaustion and Elias sighs, looking at Arthur with an expectant glance.
“I will take his place for your training, Terra.” Arthur smiles warmly at me and my Shadow coils inside my chest. I hope he didn’t hear me and Elias last night; his room is right across the hall, for gods’ sakes.
“Are we going to be here until nightfall?” I ask with a deep sigh.
Arthur leans down and helps Raine up from the ground. His gray eyes are somber and deep with secrets long left behind. “I’m afraid so, at this rate,” he says simply. Raine can hardly keep his eyes open as he heads back to Alkrose.
I stand where Edgar had and position my legs as he did. Elias circles me slowly and nudges my lower back so I straighten it. His scent seeps into me and I fight off the urge to lean into him.
“Same as your brother, try to decapitate him,” Elias mutters a little too close to my ear. Chills crawl up my spine and I shudder as he steps away.
Okay, I can do this.
Arthur’s white cloak waves in the wind, the gray sky cloudy above him. His shoulder-length ebony hair sways softly and his gray eyes stay on me. Cheeks rosy and jaw tight. His presence is that of a lonely wolf caught in a snowstorm.
I swallow hard. How can I even imagine decapitating such a beautiful creature? My veins hum as I focus on his throat, narrowing my eyes and remembering to stay in control. I don’t want to blight anyone else ever again. I’ve already sentenced Raine to death and that thought makes me sick.
I raise my hand and a black shard shoots from my fingertips, slicing through the air silently, and my throat seizes as blood trickles down Arthur’s neck.
13
Terra
Arthur’s eyes are wide, his hands trembling as he brings them to his neck.
I look from him to Elias in shock, worried I’ll be in trouble for hurting a professor.
“I’m so sorry!” I start to trudge toward Arthur but he raises his hand and flashes me a reassuring look.
“I’m fine, just took me by surprise, is all.” He chuckles and the slight smile that pulls at his lips is reassuring enough that I stop.
Elias turns to me. “That was really good.” His voice is light for once. “How did you even blight Raine with that much control over Amser already?”
My eyes fall to my hands. “If I had known what my emotional outburst would’ve done to Raine, maybe I could’ve prevented it.” Flashbacks from the hotel and all the bodies and blood linger ominously in my mind.
Elias and Arthur share a look before Elias urges me to continue with training.
I perform the same attack until the sun starts to lower in the sky and the shadows of the trees stretch across the snow.
“Let’s call it. I need to be in my study before Cein gets here, and you’ve impressed me today,” Elias mutters as he offers me a hand.
I’m panting and kneeling in the snow like Edgar. My exhaustion far exceeds what I thought possible. It feels like staying awake for two days straight, that dizziness and sick feeling that envelops your entire body. My muscles are drained of power and energy alike. Even the hum of my Shadow feels dulled.
Elias leaves in a hurry to get to his meeting so Arthur and I take our time heading back.
“I hope I didn’t miss too much in classes today,” I say. The trail is narrow but we walk side by side. His tactical jacket brushes against mine and I find that I really enjoy Arthur’s presence. It’s quiet and patient, never rushed or forced. He has that calm, intriguing air of someone who waits for things they crave the most.
“You must be hungry after being out here all day,” Arthur says awkwardly and I can’t help but raise a brow at him. He laughs and rubs the back of his head. “Sorry, I’m not great at conversation.”
I like that about him too.
