“Here.” Greer digs a toe in the dirt and draws a line. “Try to cross this line. But first—” She unsheathes a second dagger and hands it to me.
When I take it, she grabs a second of her own. We’re face-to-face with this thin, invisible line between us. I don’t take my eyes off her as I assess her positioning. She keeps a light grip on herdaggers, but it’s clear she won’t drop them. They’re an extension of her.
She’s not nearly as tall as Callum, but size is nothing compared to skill in situations like this.
Remembering hesitation will do nothing but get me killed, I move quickly and try to take her down before she has the chance to counter. But Greer is quicker. With the first sweep of the blade, she dips low, knocking the back of my knees with her heel and taking me to the ground in one swift move. My lungs sting as I stare up at the clear sky from my back.
Wilder chuckles from the side of the training ring.
“Are you here to judge, or do you actually serve a purpose?” I glare at him.
“Just waiting for my turn.” He crosses his arms over his chest, watching me with wicked amusement.
Greer reaches down, offering me a hand and helping me up.
We go again, and it takes her a second longer to take me down this time, but my attempt is still pathetic. I can’t move nearly as fast as she can. Each move is met with one she must have planned three steps ago.
By the fifth time my back hits the dirt, my body is already aching, and my lungs are on fire.
“You’re in your head,” Greer points out when I decline her help getting up this time.
“I can barely defend myself, much less attack.” I wipe the dirt off my backside.
“If you keep telling yourself that, you’ll make it true.”
“Am I supposed to be manifesting a good mood now?” I snap. “I can’t even manifest my magic.”
“She has a point,” Wilder comments from the sidelines, helpful as ever.
“Why are you here?” I storm over to him. “Can you just leave me alone already? It’s not like you need to train and getstronger. I don’t need you standing around judging my weaknesses.”
“If you didn’t want me around, then maybe you should have let me stay dead.”
“If I’d known what a gods forsaken pain in the ass you’d be, I would have.” I slice the blade upward, but he easily dodges my attack. “And as I’ve said, resurrecting you was an accident.”
“Now that part, I believe. Not even a flicker of magic after all this pouting. It’s pathetic.” He smirks as he dodges me again.
“I’m human.” I grit my teeth.
“If you’re going to continue using that as an excuse, you might as well give up now.” He swings the sword, nicking my arm when I don’t move fast enough.
Thankfully, it only slices leather.
“You almost cut me.”
His golden eyes gleam. “Then move faster next time.”
“You insufferable”—I swipe my dagger through the air—“heartless”—I strike with each step—“gods forsaken”—I shove the blade upward and miss him entirely—“Fae.”
I twist, aiming straight for his throat, but in a blink, he grabs my hand and spins me around so I’m pinned to a tree, and his blade is at my neck. My chest thunders.
“Are you done with the compliments?”I feel him smiling with his words, but his expression remains passive.
I shove him off me, storming across the courtyard.
“Giving up so soon?” Wilder taunts.
Spinning around, I throw the dagger straight at his head, just like Callum taught me when we trained in Alyssium. But just before it reaches Wilder between the eyes, his magic catches it midair. Golden sparks web from his aura, gripping the handle. It encircles it, spinning the dagger around.
