9. Kaia
Combat training is held in an open courtyard ringed with ancient stone pillars. Faint runes radiate along their surfaces, creating barriers to contain stray magic. Aspen is already there when I arrive, his lean form casually propped against one of the pillars.
"Who is that?" Seren whispers, eyebrows waggling as she openly admires him.
"Just Aspen," I reply, finally meeting his eyes and catching the knowing smirk playing across his lips. He definitely heard her.
"Ready to learn some actual shadow manipulation?" he asks, pushing off from the pillar with fluid grace.
Before I can answer, a wave of heat announces Torric's arrival.
"Wait, there's two of them?" Seren's excited whisper carries, making Aspen choke back a laugh.
Torric strides in like he owns the place, already rolling up his sleeves. "Finally. Someone new to throw around."
"Try it," I mutter, my shadows coiling defensively.
Seren squeezes my arm. "Have fun!" she grins before darting off to her training group.
"Aw, look at them," comes Finn's voice from above. I look up to find him perched impossibly on top of one of the pillars, grinning down at us. "Your shadows are like tiny drunk octopi and I love them."
I blink at him, confusion warring with surprise at his comment, but before I can ask what he means, Torric interrupts.
"Can we focus?" he growls, though I catch the slight twitch of his lips. "Some of us are trying to train here."
Aspen steps forward, ever the mediator. "Kaia, let's start with something basic. Shadow magic isn't unlike water—it needs to flow naturally, not be forced."
He demonstrates, creating a smooth arc of water that catches the light beautifully. I try to mimic the motion with darkness, but my attempt sputters and breaks apart. My personal shadows twitch anxiously, making it harder to concentrate.
"No, no, no," Torric cuts in. "You're thinking too much. Magic is about instinct." He summons a flame to his palm. "Feel it, don't overthink it."
"Really helpful," I snap as my shadow construct dissipates. "Any other vague advice you want to share?"
"Oh! Oh!" Finn waves his hand enthusiastically. "I have some advice—your little friends are about to cause chaos."
I glance down to see my shadows reaching mischievously for Aspen's water flask. I quickly pull my focus back, trying to ignore Finn's knowing grin. "Sorry, I'm just having trouble concentrating."
Aspen's expression softens. "The magic will come. You just need to find your center."
"That's the problem," Torric says, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "You're fighting your instincts instead of working with them. Watch." He drops into a fighting stance. "Try to defend yourself."
"Wait, what—"
He launches forward, flame wreathing his fist. This time, instead of my personal shadows reacting, I manage to pull darkness from the air itself, forming a visible black barrier. The fire crashes against it with a hiss.
"See?" Torric's grin is wild and bright. "When you stop overthinking, you know exactly what to do."
"Great," I pant, letting the construct dissolve. "So I just need to be attacked to use magic properly. Really sustainable training method there."
"I mean, I volunteer to keep attacking you," Torric offers with a wink that makes my stomach flutter traitorously.
"Or," Aspen cuts in smoothly, "we could try something less likely to end in injury."
Finn, now sprawled on the ground, flashes a grin as chaotic as his commentary. “Let them fight. Ten coins on Kaia dumping him in the fountain.”
I groan, fighting the smile threatening to form. “Don’t encourage anyone,” I mutter, though my shadows ripple eagerly, feeding off the energy of the moment.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Aspen watching me, his expression unreadable. For a split second, it feels like he sees something in me that I don’t understand. It’s unsettling—but I don’t have time to dwell on it, not with Torric about to charge again.
"Let's take five," Aspen says, tossing me a water bottle. "Before Torric actually does burn something down."
I catch it gratefully, but before I can drink, one of my shadows knocks it sideways, spilling water down my shirt.
"Hey!" I sputter, glaring at the invisible culprit. "What was that for?"
"That one's definitely Patricia," Finn announces, materializing beside me with his usual impossible grace. "She's got attitude."
I stare at him. "You're... naming my shadows?" Then it hits me again. "You can actually see them?"
"Obviously." He points at my largest shadow, currently trying to look dignified. "That's Bob. Very serious fellow. Takes his job very seriously." The shadow actually straightens up at this, and I swear it preens.
"You can't just—" I start, but Finn's already pointing at another one.
"And that troublemaker over there? That's clearly Finnick."
"Finnick?" I repeat incredulously.
"Named after yours truly," Finn says with a dramatic bow. "A true agent of chaos."
As if to prove his point, Finnick tries to trip Torric, who stumbles and swears.
"Stop naming the shadows," I hiss, though I notice Bob is now actually responding when Finn addresses him. "They're not pets!"
"Tell that to Bob," Finn grins. "He's already practicing his guard dog routine."
Indeed, Bob has positioned himself between me and where Malrik lurks in the distance, looking distinctly protective. I hadn't even noticed when the brooding man arrived.
“And that overachiever?" Finn grins, pointing at the shadow looping endlessly around my ankles. "As I said, definitely a Patricia. Type A vibes, for sure.”
Patricia bristles, clearly offended by the nickname, while Bob gives an approving nod like he’d been waiting for a second-in-command.
I drop my head into my hands with a groan. "This isn't happening."
"I still can't believe you can see them," I say, watching Finn interact with my shadows like it's the most natural thing in the world. Bob hovers near him attentively while Finnick seems determined to live up to his namesake by creating as much chaos as possible.
"Are you kidding? They're the best entertainment I've had in years." Finn stands beside me, grinning as Patricia attempts what looks suspiciously like an interpretive dance. "Pretty sure they've been trying to get my attention since day one."
I think back to the times my shadows have acted up around him, how they seem to perform specifically for his amusement. They’ve never responded to anyone else like this. It’s like they know something I don’t, and the way Finn interacts with them—like it’s the most natural thing in the world—makes me question everything I thought I knew about them. "Is that why you're always..." I wave my hand vaguely, "...like this?"
"Like what?" His innocent expression isn't fooling anyone, especially not when Finnick chooses that moment to try stealing Torric's water bottle.
"Hey!" Torric snaps as the bottle mysteriously tips over. "What the—"
"Gravitational anomaly," Finn says seriously. "Very common in these parts. Right, Bob?"
Bob, to my eternal mortification, actually nods.
My gaze drifts to where Malrik still lurks in the shadows, his silver eyes unreadable. Something about his presence makes my shadows stir restlessly, though whether in warning or recognition, I can't tell.
"Don't mind mister brooding, dark and handsome," Finn says, following my gaze. "He's allergic to fun. Unlike Patricia here, who clearly has excellent taste in entertainment."
Patricia preens, and I have to bite back a laugh.
"You're going to make them impossible to deal with, you know that?" I mutter, though my shadows ripple with something dangerously close to pride. Finn just grins.
“Trouble, they were impossible long before I got here. I just gave them permission to own it.”