My fists clenched, and I suddenly felt no shame in admittingto him the hatred that lived inside of me. I was pissed, and he was going to be my outlet.
“You and I both. And while we're being honest, I have a few things I’d like to get off my chest.” I paused to suck in a much needed breath. “The way your father forces the gifted to be a weapon of war makes me sick. The way he only sees me as his asset is disgusting,” I snarled at him, taking a step forward and shoving him into the tree out of pure outrage.
He could have very easily fought back—his size compared to mine was to his benefit, but he stayed calm and allowed me to blow my temper.
“The way you knew he was going to put me on the spot like that at the gala, but couldn't even warn me about it because you were what,grumpy? Pretty immature, if you ask me.” I jammed a finger into his chest. “Lastly, the way you just do whatever Daddy tells you is ridiculous. You're his son—you must have a say in how the kingdom is run. You must have a say in all of this!” My arms flew up as I shouted the words in his face.
Sebastian's mouth drooped into a frown and his whole demeanor switched. “That's where you're wrong,” he whispered, backing away from me. “I have never had a say about anything in my fucking life.” He tucked his hands into his pockets and walked away.
Chapter
Ten
Myself and the other first years were given some time to adjust to our magic before combat training sessions began. I didn't really need the extra time—I still had no magic to adjust to. But regardless, those weeks had passed and the first training session was today. Pia met me at my room so we could walk together. The early days of fall were approaching, and without the dry heat of summer dehydrating the earth, the grass stayed slick with drops of dew as we trudged through it on our way to the academy.
Sebastian strolled off to join the other head soldiers when we arrived in the combat arena. In all honesty, I had forgotten he had even walked with us. I tried my best to ignore him, and we hadn’t exchanged more than a few words since the first day of classes. He escorted me around the castle grounds when needed, but besides that, we basically pretended that the other didn't exist.
Professor Stoll had given us a brief rundown of what to expect for combat sessions, so I knew what to look for when I arrived. The arena was separated into five combat rings, each with a large, painted number in the center. All of the firstyears would be sectioned into groups. Each group would be instructed by two of the king's head soldiers, making the odds of Sebastian being in charge of my group slim.
Pia stopped at a wooden board by the entrance. “Thank the gods,” she exclaimed.
My eyes followed her finger pointing out our names under group three. I sighed a breath of relief, and we made our way to our mat. We sat down along the padded edge and stretched while waiting for our instructors. I tried to ignore the staring eyes of my classmates. Most of the chatter about me had subsided, but not many of the students bothered to talk to me.
Your boot is untied, I mouthed to a girl across the mat.
She stuck her nose up, turning her head and ignoring me.
“Rude,” Pia scoffed loud enough for her to hear, then checked the laces of her own shoes.
We were given combat uniforms that were required for training. The uniform was small and tight, designed without any extra material for your opponent to grab on to. The men’s outfits were essentially the same except for longer, slightly looser shorts. I shifted uncomfortably and pulled the fabric of my shirt away from my flesh. I hated the way it hugged every part of my body, emphasizing the curves of my stomach that I wasn't particularly fond of.
My eyes rose as I saw Jocelyn waving in my peripheral vision. I waved back, hoping she was one of my instructors, but my eyes sank as they followed her to mat two. The shorter of the two soldiers that I had seen Sebastian with at the gala followed behind her.
His name, according to Pia, was Kohen Sharpe, and I couldn't help but notice the way her lips fought back a smile as he walked by.
I raised an eyebrow at her, but she shouldered me with a warning.
I rose to my feet along with the others in my group as the rest of the soldiers entered the arena. One by one, they walked right past mat three.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered under my breath as Sebastian approached my group.
He gave me a side eye like he heard me, and a part of me hoped that he did.
“Good morning, everyone. In case you don't know me, I'm Sebastian Hawthorne. And this,” he gestured to the other soldier I had seen him with, “is Sawyer Sinclair.”
Sawyer nodded, not offering us even a hint of a smile as his gaze skimmed the crowd. He appeared much more serious today than when I saw him laughing at the gala. The way his eyes narrowed on me sent a rush of distress cascading through my vertebrae.
“Morning. Welcome to Combat Training. Seb and I will be your instructors for the remainder of the year.” Sawyer locked his hands behind his back and began pacing around that mat. “This course is designed to kick your ass. If you don't leave today's session bruised and in pain, then you didn't work hard enough.” He proceeded to tell us the expectations for class and the next thing I knew, we were in the depths of training.
The drills were designed to work every muscle in our bodies. Within minutes of the first exercise, my forehead was dripping sweat and my body ached deep into my tendons.
One man threw up not even half an hour into the session. Another student tripped during our run and snapped her ankle. One of the healing students tried to fix it, but she ended up needing to be escorted to the infirmary.
Pia elbowed me gently. “I’ve never broken a bone, andreallydon’t want to after seeing that,” she whispered.
Today's training mainly focused on endurance, with a bit of strength work added in towards the end of the course. Ihandled the drills better than most others in my group, but was still completely overexerted by the time I had a chance to glance at the clock. The session was almost over—and a good thing—my body couldn't handle any more today.
Pia, along with the others, were getting ready to pack up. I made for my rucksack to do the same, passing by Sawyer on my way. He whispered to Sebastian, who nodded in response. The two of them then moved past me and positioned themselves in the center of the combat mat. The other students and myself froze.
