Gut sloshing as he wiped his hands on his leathers, Jassyn sighed. The prince probably had a point.
Vesryn helped himself to the draft, shoving his face into the flow with the manners of an animal at a watering hole. “I think you should come to the sparring ring in the evenings,” Vesryn said after he finished drinking, wiping his arm across his mouth.
Jassyn released a humorless laugh. “I can hardly stand on one leg without falling over, let alone be of any consequence to anyone who wants to practice.”
“You have to start somewhere.” Vesryn shrugged. “Why not train with the best?”
Too exhausted to fire back a retort, Jassyn settled on rolling his eyes.
The prince’s attention wandered over his shoulder. Twisting around, Jassyn saw Flight Captain Zaeryn sitting in the grass, sharpening a knife while her dracovae stretched out, brown scales absorbing the sun. She waved across the field.
Vesryn nodded in her direction, raising a hand back. “She asked if I’d be bringing you around more.”
Jassyn studied the prince’s second in command. “I have no interest in joining the rangers.” He glared at his cousin. “You ruined the whole flying experience for me.”
“You missed my meaning.” Vesryn smirked, apparently unrepentant for inducing Jassyn’s fear of heights by shoving him off a dracovae in flight decades ago. “She’s curious about you.” The prince caught water with his hands this time, before guzzling from his palms. “Like…she’d be interested in getting toknowyou.”
Jassyn’s lip curled in disgust at the stream of liquid leaking from the corner of Vesryn’s mouth. He blinked, registering the prince’s insinuation. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not? She’s a formidable fighter and has put me on my back more times than I can count.” Vesryn elbowed him. “Those thighs of hers could snap a dracovae’s rib. You should see how—”
“I’m not ready for something like that,” Jassyn snapped, his chest constricting with discomfort. “And I doubt I’ll ever be.”
Vesryn’s mirth morphed to understanding before he brushed loose fringes of hair away from his face, averting his eyes. “Right. Of course. I’ll fend her off for you if it comes to that.” Clearing his throat, he quickly backtracked topics. “But you should still consider training. I think working your body to exhaustion in the evenings will be an excellent distraction fromthe dust—to break your former routines.” The prince broke into a grin, sidling closer to shake Jassyn’s shoulder. “In any case, I’ll be tucking you in every night, ensuring you don’t slip up.”
If we keep this up, I’m sure Vesryn will think we’re friends.Jassyn rubbed his temples, mouth pinching into a line. “Fine,” he breathed out in reluctant agreement.
The prince’s eyes lit up, glinting with a wretched delight. “Really?”
“Don’t make me regret it.” Jassyn jabbed a finger at Vesryn’s chest, pushing him back out of his space. “I’m sure your influence will be more destructive than Stardust.”
Vesryn clapped Jassyn on the back, nearly sending him sprawling. “Oh, I guarantee it.”
CHAPTER 5
SERENNA
“Shield!” A female magus bellowed at Serenna from the side of the Combat Yard.
Serenna didn’t shield.
A brutal blast of force smacked Serenna upside the head, flashing a torrent of stars behind her eyes. She’d had no time to practice fabricating wards after Vesryn had snapped her into the ability a little over a week ago.
Blinking, Serenna found herself staring at the ground, hands sinking into sand. Shaking her head to dislodge the ringing in her ears, she swayed to her feet. A violent rush of shadows veiled Serenna in a gale of darkness.
“No rending!” the magus shouted.
Serenna scowled at the interfering menace before whipping her attention back to Ayla, twenty paces across from her. Wiping away perspiration trickling down her forehead, Serenna ignored the bursts of magic flaring around the other initiates scattered out in pairs.
The rules of the duel were completely unfair, stifling any advantage Serenna had with her aptitude in rending. She wasn’tgoing to obliterate Alari’s soon-to-be princess—she just wanted to bring that snake to her belly.
Serenna wouldn’t have been in such a fury if Ayla hadn’t taunted her with her impending engagement to the prince before their match, a vicious reminder that their sire had deemed Ayla a more suitable consort for the realm. Serenna’s mood hadn’t improved once her sister had started hurling her around the ring.Half-sister, she corrected, detesting even that close of an association.
Wrestling her emotions back behind iron bars in her mind, Serenna smothered her shadows before the magus reprimanded her again. Catching her breath, she twisted glimmering Essence around her hands, readying herself for another round that she was now seriously dreading.
The instructors had organized this “pre-tournament” practice, and Serenna thought the extra training would be prudent preparation—especially if the wraith returned. She wouldn’t have bothered if she’d known that the conniving magus intended to pair her against Ayla. Intentionally, she had no doubts.
The odds were stacked against her. Fanning the flames of her self-pity, Serenna checked off her sister’s advantages in her head.Ayla has more abilities than me so she’s automatically stronger, and she’s obviously had more practice so she has more magic in her Well to draw from.
