Since Ichi attacked Moira and Theon, they’d stopped taking Oliver and me back to the showers. It didn’t seem like Moira was the type to let something go, so I had a feeling her payback would come when we least expected it. But not today, not while she was trying to fuse herself to Ronen. He shook her off more than once, but the desperate harlot didn’t seem to understand when she wasn’t wanted.
Oliver and I partnered up, facing off with Ichi in a hand-to-hand match. We threw combination after combination at her, and with Oliver’s help, we both lasted longer than before. The match was a vicious whirlwind of equally matched power, which said a lot about Ichi’s skill.
She smiled. “You both have improved,” she said, right before sweeping Oliver’s legs and sending him to the sand.
I smirked at my best friend, but it was cut short. Ichi was on me a second later, never letting us catch our breath. I threw up my hands to block her punches. Oliver jumped up and kicked at her kneecap. She stumbled, and I thought we finally had her, but then she did something completely new.
As Ichi caught herself, her arm blurred, slamming into my ribs and Oliver’s chest. I flew back and hit the ground with an oomph. But the impact didn’t compare to the throbbing in my ribs.
“You okay?” Ichi asked, hovering above me.
“No,” Oliver moaned from my other side.
I assessed the damage and concluded she didn’t break my ribs, but she most definitely bruised them. Before I could answer, shadows brushed my face.
I flicked my attention to Ronen and Moira. He glared at the hand on my ribs, then shot a dark, threatening look at Ichi. It made me want to protect her. But she stepped in front of me, her body angled not toward Ronen, but toward Moira.
Moira’s expression was more murderous than Ronen’s, and all that jealous heat was aimed squarely at me. I couldn’t help the smug smile tugging at my lips. Hermalewas paying more attention to me than to her. That had to sting.
“Moira looks like she’s going to blow,” Oliver said, crawling across the arena floor and sprawling out beside me.
“She won’t.” Not in front of Ronen. She’d wait until no one was watching.
I held Moira’s gaze in challenge.
Try it. I dare you.
Her face flushed like she could hear my taunting thoughts, or maybe it was just my smile. She stepped forward, and my Infernus sang.
“Better watch out. Challenge week is just two days away,” Oliver warned.
His words struck a nerve. I was so sick and tired of watching out. Every time we entered this arena, we had to be on edge. Every time we trained, we had to anticipate every movement. We couldn’t run alone. We couldn’t walk into the barracks or a dim hallway without fear. We were cursed at, spat on, tripped—and the only reason other squads hadn’t killed us was Ronen’s interference with Theon.
It had to end.
I was done waiting for someone to plunge a dagger into my back.
I sat up, the pain in my ribs already gone thanks to Ronen. “Ichi, show us how to do your neat little trick. I’m going to need it when I challenge Moira.”
Oliver laughed and patted my back.
“I’m not joking.”
He stopped laughing. Ichi grinned.
She moved us outside, away from the rest of the warriors, and started from the beginning. It turned out it took alotof concentration to channel luscelering energy into specific body parts. And eight times out of ten, Oliver and I completely sucked at it. By the time we finished, my mood was in the dumpster.
When we got back to our rooms, we found Rune waiting at the door. She perked up as we approached, bounding across the last few feet.
I stepped back, refusing to touch her. “Go back to the general.”
She whimpered, nudging my hand. I pulled away.
“Alright, Luce,” Oliver said, kneeling to pet her, “I know something happened—and I have a feeling it has something to do with the big, tall, and pissy shadow male showing up at training—but that doesn’t mean you get to take it out on Rune.”
“She’s been spying on us for her master,” I snapped, ignoring the way Rune’s ears and tail drooped.
Oliver stood and shot me a warning look. “And? That’s not news. What’s with your piss-poor attitude?”
