Page 38 of Echoes of the Banshee

Ethan shrinks, the brash confidence fading from his face as Coach’s gaze presses down on him.

“Fine,” he mutters. “But you can’t expect me to just stand there while she takes a free shot at me.”

Coach exhales slowly, a deep breath heavy with disappointment. “She hit you with your own ‘free shot.’” He leads Ethan away, and I turn to Mavrik.

“Well, I think you’ve got shielding down,” Mavrik says. There’s a small, almost hesitant smile on his face. “Shall we move on to some basic offensive work?”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” a familiar voice cuts in. Zair’s grin is easy and his eyes sparkle with mischief. “And here I thought you were the quiet type. Now you’re throwing people into walls. Guess I was wrong.”

A smirk tugs at my lips. “You think I’m quiet? Who do you normally hang out with, the dead?”

Zair’s grin stretches wider, and he leans in slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “The dead boring.”

A snort escapes me that sets Zair off laughing. His gaze shifts toward Mavrik, who’s standing eerily still. His shoulders are tense, and his eyes seem to focus on a spot over my shoulder. His shadows swarm around him as if trying to help him disappear into the background.

“Mavrik,” he says casually. “You must be a good teacher if she’s already making Ethan eat dirt. Not that it’s a feat, but still.”

Mavrik blinks, clearly startled by the direct attention. “Er, thanks?”

“Hey, credit where it’s due,” he says with an easy smile. “My partner got roped into helping Bernard today, so I thought I’d hang around. I’d offer to help Thea myself, but…” He glances at me, then back at Mavrik. “Let’s be honest, you’ve got this teaching thing locked down. Mind if I join in?”

Mavrik hesitates, eyes darting between us, unsure if he’s being humored or tested. But after a beat, he gives a stiff nod.

“Great.” Zair claps his hands together, the sound loud and cheerful. “So, Thea, let’s see those offensive moves. Impress us.”

“All I have to do is try and touch you and you’ll run scared,” I challenge. Wiggling my fingers maniacally. Zair lets out a loud laugh before pulling on a set of training mitts.

We start practicing and Zair finds subtle ways to keep the atmosphere light, peppering the session with jokes and small, encouraging comments. Mavrik’s instructions remain precise, though his tone softens as time passes, as if Zair’s easygoing energy is gradually wearing down his sharp edges. After throwing a ridiculously off-target punch, I groan in aggravation, my arms dropping to my sides.

“Let me know if you need directions to where your punch was supposed to land,” Mavrik deadpans.

Zair bursts out laughing, doubling over dramatically as if the comment physically knocked him over.

“That was savage,” he wheezes, clutching his stomach between laughs.

I narrow my eyes at both of them, my cheeks heating. “I’d like to see either of you do better on your first day.”

I throw another punch.

It doesn’t hit anything.

Thea

The Problem With Process of Elimination

Istare down at my list, debating on who to interview today.

The first cross-offs were easy. If Vero or Nico were Lazlo, well, to say I’d be devastated would be an understatement. But honestly, I’m probably mated to an asshole. It would explain why we got along so well.

Julian is a solid choice; he’s in potions with me, so it wouldn’t be completely out of character for me to approach him and ask one of the make-or-break questions. It’s strange to try to recreate a person with nothing more than vague traits and a list of funny stories. How do you look for someone who could be anyone?

I leave my dorm and head to the dining hall for breakfast and literally run smack dab into Levi. Well, that worked out well.

He stumbles back, steadying himself with a quick grin. “That’s one way to say hi.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say, blushing slightly. “I was a little lost in my head.”

He looks me over for a second. “It’s Thea, right?”