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19
Harper
Macy wavesas Sadie and I walk into the dungeon classroom. Adrian is already there, sitting on top of the desk as he usually does. Our eyes meet for a second and I look away. Just that quick look sends my heart racing.
I wish he didn’t make me feel this way. It wasn’t like he was sending any signals that he was anything other than my teacher. And he made it clear that he wasn’t going to keep watching out for me any day now.
Sadie sits down in one of the empty chairs and starts chatting with Macy. I keep my eyes on Adrian as I take the seat next to her. It almost feels like something shifted between us after our run in last night. There’s a new tension between us. Maybe it comes from him stepping down from his responsibilities to help me. Maybe it’s something else or it’s nothing. It’s impossible to know without reading his mind.
For a second, I consider tapping into his magic. He shakes his head at me and I flush. He’s already in my head.Rude.
He smirks, then he hops off the desk. “We’re going to start defensive training today. I hope you’re all ready.”
My classmates stop talking and their attention shifts to our professor. He’s pacing the front of the room with his hands behind his back. His usual uniform of jeans and tee shirt is missing today, replaced by what looks like workout pants and a tight black shirt in some kind of tech fabric. The tight sleeves are stretched over his huge biceps and it pulls across his broad chest. There is very little left to the imagination.
“Macy, Jule, you’re up first,” he says.
We all shift in our seats so we can watch as Jule and Macy walk to the back of the classroom. I didn’t notice when I walked in, but the floor is covered in mats today. I’m not sure what defensive training is, but I have a feeling it’s not going to be as tame as the other things we’ve been doing.
Most of our classes were practicing spells and magic that were specific to our talents. Which, for me, meant channeling other’s magic. I’d used mage magic to start fires, borrowed some shifter healing to make a seed grow, and of course, used some of Adrian’s magic to read minds.
But all of that had been controlled exercises.
“No rules, anything goes. The only object is to get your opponent to go down,” Adrian says.
Jule stretches out her hands and they ignite in flames. She moves toward Macy but Macy vanishes into thin air. Just disappears. My brow furrows as I look for her. I had no idea she could do that and part of me is taking in every move to see if it’s something I can borrow when it’s my turn to fight.
That’s exactly what I want you to think about.Adrian’s voice is in my head.
I look over at him, surprised to see him staring at the students engaged in battle. He doesn’t look like he’s paying attention, but he’s clearly been monitoring me.
Get over yourself,he says.I told you, you’ve got a target on your back. You’re going to have to defend yourself. Pay attention.
I am. I assure him, keeping my eyes glued to where Jule is walking in a circle on the mat. Orange flames lick her hands and wrists. “Where’d you go? Come out and fight me.”
Suddenly, Jule’s head snaps back and she stumbles, her flames going out as she regains her footing.
Macy returns, right in front of Jule and she lands a kick in Jule’s chest. Jule goes down hard. A second later, Macy is on top of her, pinning her down.
“Good,” Adrian says. “What can we learn from this?”
“That Macy fights dirty,” Jule says as Macy helps her up. She’s smiling when she says it, but I think most of us are thinking the same thing.
“There’s no such thing as a clean fight,” Adrian says. “You’re not going to be in a situation where someone who wants to hurt you is following any kind of rules. The sooner you learn that, the better off you’ll be.”
Jule and Macy walk back to the chairs and sit down. Carlos is already on his feet. “Can I go?”
“Alright, Carlos, who do you want to challenge?” Adrian asks.
“How about Harper?” He looks at me. “You ready?”
My eyes widen. I am so not ready. But somehow, I stand up and walk to the back of the room where Carlos is grinning at me. How the hell do I fight against a wolf shifter?
I don’t get time to think, though, before Carlos shifts and before I have time to come up with a plan, a massive wolf is growling at me.
Oh shit.
I reach out as I’ve been taught, searching for magic I can channel. Something. Anything. I’m drawing a blank as the wolf creeps closer to me. His teeth bared, hackles raised.
