Chapter 31
“C ome on!” Curi yelled from his position on all fours a few feet away. He punched the ground. “Cam, come on!”
Touron joined him on the floor, both guys cheering me on. I couldn’t see Shar or the twins. They were blocked by Dayn’s bulk as he tightened his arm around my neck.
“Tap out,” Dayn growled almost in exasperation. “Just fucking tap out.”
Like fuck! I’d worked too hard the past two weeks—sweated, and trained, and pushed my body to the limit too many times to lose at a mere grappling match.
My weight and size were against me when faced with a goyle, and that would always be the case, but I had other assets. Other skills. One in particular that I’d been cultivating over the past couple of weeks.
Time to test it out.
I pressed my fingers to the arm choking me and released my talons.
Dayn’s bellow of pain and shock battered my ear drums, and I was free to roll away and come up with a neat kick to the side of his head. He went down, clutching his bleeding arm.
My talons had already retracted. “Oh shit, Dayn, looks like you cut yourself a little.”
“You bitch! You fucking bitch.” But his gaze was wary, and he didn’t attack. Instead, he backed away, nursing his sliced-up forearm.
I caught Farnell’s look of shock a moment before Curi swept me off my feet and into a bear hug.
“Fuck yeah! That’s my girl.”
I fell into the hug, wrapping my arms around him and relaxing into him. Being around Curi—touching him, hugging him—no longer felt awkward. The more time we spent together, the more our friendship grew.
He set me on my feet and kissed the top of my head.
“That was fucking awesome,” Touron said, handing me a water bottle. “Great use of the assets.” He wiggled his fingers.
“What was that?” Farnell demanded. “What did you do? I said no weapons. Where’s the blade?”
“She doesn’t have a blade,” Shar said, joining us.
“Bullshit,” Farnell spat.
“There is no blade.” I held up my hands. “Just these.” I willed the talons to appear.
Farnell exhaled sharply. “Partial shift…” His eyes narrowed, then his body relaxed. “Impressive. But you should have informed me of this ability.”
“What? And take away the element of surprise? No fun in that.”
He sucked on his cheeks. “You did well.”
Across the room, Dayn shot me evil glances.
I gave him the finger.
“Class dismissed!” Farnell said. “Get some rest before the field test tomorrow.”
Excitement fizzed beneath my skin because tomorrow we’d be going up against real-life threats just as Yarrow and Levi had promised.
Derek had been training almost daily with Yarrow, and I’d made sure to attend as many of his sessions as possible to provide support.
But he didn’t need me, not really. Derek could create all kinds of protective barriers—domes, shields, lances of energy that could knock back a threat—and he could do it at will.
The only thing we had left to work on was getting him to identify when I was under threat in cases where even I might not be aware.
For example, if I was spelled or drugged and my instincts were compromised.
We were getting there, though. It was about building Derek’s confidence in his own ability to read situations and people, and he was coming along in leaps and bounds.
“We should get some food,” Ginia said.
“Stone Comfort?” Palia suggested.
“Sounds good to me,” Touron said.
“I’ll go get Derek.” Shar shot off before I could suggest I go instead.
Derek seemed to need to nap quite a bit recently, but according to Yarrow, it was because he was developing both physically and emotionally, and those changes required sleep.
We headed toward Stone Comfort as a group, Curi with his arm slung over my shoulders in the easy manner we’d become accustomed to.
Our relationship status was solid across campus now.
I was Mason’s female as far as all other goyles were concerned, and even Levi had backed off as promised.
I was in fit and fighting shape, both in cadet training and elite training.
I’d made it out of the lower level yesterday and even gotten a high five from Orix over it.
The cadet exams were in less than a week, and I was so ready to take that step closer to elite and ultimately getting Romi back.
Everything would have been perfect if not for one large shadow looming over me.
“Isn’t Serath back today?” Ginia asked. “You okay about that?”
Palia nudged her hard in the ribs, and Ginia’s shoulders tensed as she recognized her faux pas.
Curi was with us, and he had no clue about the Serath saga.
“Is Serath giving you a hard time?” Curi asked.
“Nah, he’s just super bossy and uptight. Things are more relaxed with him gone.”
“But you don’t need relaxed if you’re going to pass these elite trials,” Curi said. “He should be here training you.”
I loved that he was so invested in my success. “Selas and Orix have been amazing.”
His stern demeanor softened at the mention of his cousin. “Selas is formidable. If you can’t have Serath, then she’s the next best thing.”
Levi appeared on the path ahead leading to Stone Comfort from the opposite direction.
“It’s Levi,” Touron said as if we hadn’t seen him.
We were at the crossroads that split toward the gates and main study complex.
Curi drew me to a halt and pressed his lips to mine.
I gasped in surprise, mouth parting against his in an involuntary invitation.
His chest rumbled and his fingers sank into my hair as he deepened the kiss, drawing my tongue into his mouth and sucking on it in a way that made me throb in all the right places.
This was bad because it was so good, and I shouldn’t be enjoying it so much, but it felt like an age since I’d been touched like this, savored like this, and Curi was an excellent kisser.
He broke the kiss, his dark eyes soft and hazy as they met mine, and when he spoke, his voice was a low and husky vibration. “That should put my scent on you. Enough to keep our ruse alive.”
“He’s gone inside,” Palia said.
Levi was indeed gone.
A gust of wind blew my hair back, bringing with it an achingly familiar scent. My beast woke, pushing against my skin and turning me to face the direction of our obsession.
Serath stood facing us on the path to the gate. His husky eyes were bright with an emotion I couldn’t define, and his expression was closed and unreadable.
He strode toward us, acknowledging us all with a nod. “Cadets.” And stepped into Stone Comfort.
“We don’t have to go in,” Touron said.
“Why not?” Curi looked confused. “Levi won’t do anything, not with so many people around, and especially not with an elite present.”
But it wasn’t Levi we were worried about.
It was Serath.