Page 118 of Resurgent

I jerk upright.

“Did you just—”

“You don’t get out of training that easily.”

My mouth falls open. “You are such an ass.”

“And you have the most incredible one. Now, reset.”

I smack his shoulder and enjoy one last, long roll of my hips over his cock before standing back up.

He laughs but doesn’t take the bait, forcing me to run each takedown method in slow motion until the mood is shattered and we’re both fully back into training mode.

“Finally,” Tyr grumbles, followed by Kali's amused rumble rolling through the air.

Tyr's head snaps toward her, and I hear him snap, “Do not encourage them,” through our bond, making me more than curious about what she’s saying to get under his scales so much.

Chapter thirty-five

Annalise

The door to Ghost Walking closes behind us with a heavy thud, or maybe it just seems that way because no one in the vault is speaking.

Sixteen recruits sit in rigid silence beneath the dim blue light of the classroom, the privacy shield runes shimmering along the walls. And standing at the front of the room are Captain Lin and Major Halden, looking more serious than I’ve ever seen them before.

Lin doesn't bother with introductions. She walks to the center of the room and places a thin black folder on the table. “Everything you hear in this room today is classified.”

Her gaze moves slowly across us. “Not restricted. Not confidential. Highly Classified.

“If the information discussed here leaves this classroom, intentionally or otherwise, each and every one of you will be investigated. If you're found responsible for the breach, you will be executed.”

Gods I want to laugh at her joke, but there’s no hint of a smile on her usually friendly face.

Lin doesn't blink.

“I don't care if you tell your best friend. Your commanding officer after graduation. Your dragon. Your mother on her deathbed. This information does not belong to you, it belongs to the king.”

The room becomes even quieter as Lin opens the folder.

“The southern border has deteriorated significantly in the last six weeks.”

A holographic map appears behind her, and I recognize the coastline immediately.

Thandroan territory stretches across the northern portion in black. Clowessian territory burns red across the south.

Several sections of the border are marked with small white symbols indicating villages and towns that have been decimated. There are far more of them than I expect. Far more than the last map I saw.

“Three months ago, Clowess was relying primarily on conventional infantry movements, aerial reconnaissance, and illusion work.” Lin taps one of the markings. “That is no longer the case.”

The map fades as images appear.

A forest, then a village, then a mountain pass.

Then another image of the same mountain pass, except the second one is wrong. I can see it immediately—the shadows don't fall correctly, each a little too elongated to be real.

“The first major change has been their illusion technology. Clowessian illusionists have begun combining traditional spell work with embedded runes and mechanical projection systems.”

Matt shifts beside me.