Chapter 2
“Again,” I shout at Jackson, adjusting the grip on my sword.
“How many times are we going to spar? You’re just as bad as Raven.” Jackson readies himself in his fighting stance.
“We leave tomorrow to find the hammer. You idiots will be in charge, and if you’re fighting each other, the academy won’t survive what’s coming,” I say with a snarl. “Again.”
Jackson rushes forward, his sword in front of him, but at least he’s not telegraphing what he’s about to do anymore.
I spin away and tap my blade against his back.
He whirls around, slashing his blade in a wide arc, and I duck, rolling across the ground, and sweep my leg out, taking him out at the ankles.
The huge man executes a perfect backflip, landing firmly on his feet, and charges me again, but I’m already moving toward him.
Our blades clash close to my face because his brute strength is an advantage he has over me. I call my whip, and it crackles with light energy as I flick it out of his line of sight, and it wraps around his ankle.
“What the fuck?” Jackson jumps back. “You fight dirty.”
“I use every advantage at my disposal and I didn’t even zap you with that much power, Jackson.” I roll my eyes. “We’re going into a war. We need to prepare like it.”
“You didn’t use that much power?” he asks, his hands shaking and eye twitching. “You’re way too supercharged.”
“Don’t I know it. Take a break so you can stop twitching.” I grimace.
“Don’t be such a baby, Zeke,” Raven shouts.
“You’re damn indestructible. When did this even happen?” Zeke grunts. “You’re just standing there.”
“If you wear yourself out trying to take me down, then you won’t have time to fight with people, idiot.” Raven crosses her arms. “I could just beat you into submission like Beth did with Jackson.”
“His hair is standing on end.” Zeke rushes forward with a fist raised to strike.
“I wouldn’t do that, brother,” Jackson warns. “That armor will break your damn hand.”
“The healers will fix it,” Raven says but ducks the wild swing. “Too slow.”
“All right, Raven. I think they learned their lesson.” I swipe the hair out of my eyes.
“What did you have in mind now?” She jogs up to me.
“Let’s check on the others’ progress. Do we have a list of where everything will be and what defenses they’ll be manning?”
“I think Adrian has a list. He probably knows more than anyone how to set everyone up.” Raven shakes her body and her clunky armor disappears as we walk.
The clang of weapons grows louder as we near the open field where the rest of the academy trains.
The main training grounds are littered with small groups of students around mats, with students sparring inside.
I grin as I notice that no fights are breaking out between the students whose parents chose the other side and us.
“They’re getting along better,” I say.
“I think they may just be withholding judgment until the shit hits the fan.” Raven steps over a fallen branch. “Damn dryads.”
“Has everyone been checked for Apollo’s marking?” I ask.
“Thad and Draven checked and everyone still in the academy has the mark. We have no traitors in our midst.” Raven pats my shoulder.
I spot Jayden with a group, correcting a girl’s stance with carefully precise movements, but she’s blushing anyway. Jogging over, I stand next to him.
“How’s everything going over here?” I ask.
Jayden huffs. “Her stance is sloppy and no matter how many times I correct it, she overcorrects and makes it worse.”
“Really?” I ask, glaring at the girl. “You want to fight me with a sloppy stance? I’m pretty sure Jackson just learned a valuable lesson about what happens when you waste our time.”
“Um… no.” She glances at Jayden with pleading eyes, but his focus and smirk are on me.
“That’s what I thought. Take a break from sparring and run the perimeter.” I wave her away with a dismissive hand.
“What? I don’t want to run. I want to help fight.” The girl glances around her but everyone has stepped away from her.
“You’re one of Apollo’s daughters, right?” I ask and she nods. “Then you already have enough skill to be a passable fighter with a decent stance. Waste our time again and you will train in that terrible stance with me until your hair is standing on end. Now, go run.”
Jayden wraps an arm around my waist. “Thanks, baby.”
“For what?” I ask.
“I knew what she was doing but didn’t call her on it because I didn’t want her to think I gave a shit about her and her stupid, pointless flirting.” He kisses my temple.
“You’re not training the girls anymore. Are they all pulling this absolute bullshit with the guys?” I ask, glancing at the other guys who all nod.
“Okay,” I shout over the grunts and metal clashing. “Listen up.”
The sounds die as everyone turns to me with puzzled expressions. This shit is unacceptable. They can’t be wasting time and trying to flirt with trainers when we are on the brink.
“Anyone thought to be wasting the time of the people who are trying to train you for battle will run the perimeter from now on and this is at the trainer’s discretion. They are trying to teach you to survive. You are only hurting yourself by not taking this seriously.”
“But what if we genuinely need help?” a girl from Jayden’s group asks.
“There’s a difference and these people can tell by body language who is actually genuine and who isn’t. Seriously, don’t be like that girl.” I point at the girl’s retreating back.
“Okay, show’s over,” Raven barks. “Everyone back to training. Trainers, you heard Beth. Use your own judgment and send them packing if they attempt to take advantage of the situation.”
I turn my back on the group and glance at another mat. “Why is Adrian training with a sword? We have him with the archers, don’t we?”
“He wants to have both in case he needs to help somewhere else,” Jayden says. “It’s smart in case there’s a breach and he needs to fight close combat.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” I move to an open spot outside the ring and watch. “He’s had enough experience with fighting with the rest of us, but this won’t hurt.”
The guy he’s up against is a Hermes student I haven’t met and he’s not bad with a sword but could use some help. He spins around and Adrian swings his blade up, blocking the strike.
“That guy is trying to show off,” Raven grumbles. “He thinks Adrian is weaker than him and wants to show how much better he is. That cockiness is going to get him killed.”
“Should we stop it?” I ask. “That’s wasting everyone’s time.”
“No,” Jayden says. “Let Adrian handle this. He’s better with a sword than he thinks he is. He just needs confidence.”
Adrian ducks another swipe of the blade, rolling away and jumping to his feet to attack the guy from the side. The guy brings his sword up to block at the last second and Adrian shoves him back with his own blade.
The guy plants his back foot before he lunges forward, the point of his sword slashing at Adrian’s sword arm. Adrian twists out of the way and spins behind the guy with his sword raised to tap him in the back, but his body goes rigid.
“Fuck, not now,” I curse as the guy spins and stabs his blade into Adrian’s shoulder with force.
Jayden rushes forward, his shadows already surrounding Adrian, laying him down gently. He snarls at the guy. “Did you not see his eyes turn white?”
“What the fuck?” Raven shoves the guy back. “You wanted to win so bad you got him while he’s pulled into a vision?”
“We take every advantage in war, right?” the guy snarls back at her.
I god travel between the two before Raven can stab him in the shoulder with the blade that’s just materialized in her hand. “Raven, easy. Don’t kill him.”
The guy grunts and falls to the ground, his eyes rolling in the back of his head. Draven glares down at him with barely concealed disgust.
“Draven, seriously?” I ask.
“That was a cheap shot meant to show off and not an accident and we all know it. He’s my brother. I can do what I want to punish him.” Draven shakes his hand out.
“Fair enough.” I spin on Raven. “No stabbing the students.”
“He has still been talking shit about the students he doesn’t feel belong. Adrian was a target.” Raven crosses her arms. “I’m only stabby when absolutely necessary and that was necessary.”
“Hey,” Jayden shouts. “We need a medic. He has a sword in his shoulder and he’s seizing again.”
“Draven, Thad, secure him. He can spend a day in the dungeon with a damn headache,” I growl. “I need to get that blade out.”
I crouch next to Adrian’s convulsing form. The guy used more force than what we allow during sparring. Fucking dick wanted to injure Adrian.
“That wound is deep,” Raven says as she crouches next to me.
“I know. Help me hold him still so I can pull the damn sword out of his shoulder.” I grip the pommel.
Jayden and Raven move to either side of Adrian and each grip his arms, pinning him to the ground.
“The pain could shock him out of the vision,” Jayden says. “Are we sure that’s a good idea?”
“We don’t have a choice.” I sigh. “His healing is gonna kick in soon and this needs to come out before that happens.”
“Okay, I’m ready.” Jayden presses a hand to Adrian’s uninjured shoulder, holding him down.
I adjust my grip on the sword and yank it out in one swift movement. Adrian gasps and his eyes widen as he blinks them, bringing his normal eyes into focus.
“Fuck,” Adrian shouts. “What was that?”
“You were stabbed as you had a vision. A shot you would have blocked easily otherwise,” I explain.
“Bastard,” Adrian groans. “He was talking shit the whole match, waiting for an opening.”
“We know,” Raven says. “He’s going to the dungeon for a bit.”
“This is ridiculous,” Adrian says. “We are days away from all-out war and they’re still being petty.”
“Not everyone,” I say. “Most of the people are getting along again. There are still a few instigators it seems, though.”
“Wait, what do you mean, days away?” Jayden asks. “We don’t have days. We have to go to Mount Aetna. Are you saying that we won’t be there for the start of the war?”
“I can only tell you so much, Jayden.” Adrian winces as he sits up on the mat.