Page 44 of Bone Year

I raise my hands again. I want to shout this isn’t fair and that he’s a fucking vampire, but I don’t want to play the weak human card.

He comes faster this time. I block one strike and miss the next. His palm hits my sternum, and I’m on my back before I understand what happened. Stone cold through my shirt. Air gone from my lungs.

Someone laughs. Sounds like Killian, that asshole.

I get up, my hands shaking, and ready myself.

Draven watches me with those honey eyes. He doesn’t taunt me or smile. Then he charges again. I try to evade and almost manage it. His leg sweeps mine, and I’m down, hip hitting stone, pain instantly blooming up my side.

I push myself up slower this time, palms scraped and ribs aching, something warm trickling down my arm. Blood. I don’t look at it.

“Stay down, Freckles,” he says under his breath.

I get up anyway. Fuck him for trying to make me look weak in front of everyone. It’s not enough that I froze in front of my group during the autopsy, but now he wants everyone to see how weak I am out here too.

His eyes narrow, and he delivers three more strikes. Faster. Harder. I block one, and it sends pain shooting up my forearm. The second catches me across the jaw, snapping my head to the side, and I taste blood.

The last one hits my ribs, which were already hurting.

I go down hard and lie there staring at the gray sky through the enchanted ceiling. Everything hurts in a way that feels permanent.

“Enough,” Bale says, sounding irritated. “That’s what real conflict looks like. The rest of you, take note.”

Draven walks away. I don’t watch him go, but I hear what he says to Malric as he passes, loud enough for the people around them to hear. Loud enough for me.

“She’s not cut out for this. Give her a week. She’ll be gone.”

It feels like a sucker punch considering how much I want this, and I have to reign in the tears.

Bale dismisses the class. I don’t move and don’t cry, keeping it together even though I feel humiliated.

Lux is beside me in an instant, helping me sit up. “You okay? Maelis, talk to me.”

“I’m fine.” I’m not. Everything hurts. My jaw. My ribs. My fucking pride. But I say it anyway.

Jace appears on my other side. He’s looking at Draven’s back as he walks away, and there’s something in his expression I’ve never seen before. Something dangerous.

“Jace.” I grab his arm.

He looks down at the blood on my lip and the way I’m cradling my ribs. His jaw tightens so hard I can see the muscle twitch.

“He didn’t have to go that hard.”

“I’m fine,” I insist. “Don’t.”

He wants to go after Draven, but he stays and keeps his hand steady on my back as I find my balance.

“Can you walk?” Lux hovers at my elbow.

“I think so.”

“I’m going to trip him in the hallway later,” she announces.

“I’ll assist,” Ellavee chimes in on my other side. “I know some demons who owe me favors. We could make it look like a training accident.”

I laugh, and it hurts. “I appreciate the loyalty.”

“I told you,” Lux says as we start toward the changing rooms. “Those vampires are assholes. Every single one of them thinks they’re better than everyone else. And Draven Alucard?” She shakes her head. “He’s the biggest dick of all.”