45. Chapter 45
Arwen
The familiar private training room instills a sense of dread and humiliation when I walk in.
This has been my least favorite place in the academy.
But that’s all going to change now. It’s late enough that the halls outside have quieted, though now and then laughter echoes faintly through the corridor from students heading back to the dorms.
My morning started off in a sour mood. Another note from Vex arrived, asking if I needed a second set of hands at the academy now that Maddox was back.
Disturbingly, it came attached to a package with an actual set of hands.
I know removing limbs is usually your territory, love. But I can get my hands dirty too.
-Your Vex
Maddox was furious when I told him and immediately delayed our training to make some calls. That, combined with the constant deranged messages from Maylo, is giving me the heebie-jeebies.
Seriously, where can I find an industrial lock?
Now, Maddox stands across from me with his arms folded over his chest while I glare at a row of practice dummies.
“This feels personal,” I inform him. “Why do we have to use things that resemble people?”
“Your power tore the last dummy’s head off. It’s best to practice around bodies first until you feel comfortable. Then we’ll move onto objects.”
“In my defense,” I say, rolling my shoulder, “you put an apple on its head for me to aim at. Normal people don’t walk around with apples on their heads.”
One corner of his mouth twitches. I’m making progress breaking that icy interior down. One day, I will see a fully unfiltered laugh from this man.
Three days ago he was furious with me. Now he hovers somewhere between annoyed, protective, and distractingly attractive. Tabby said we should have had hot, angry make up sex by now, and I flipped her off.
Now I can’t help wondering if that’s on the table…
“Again,” he says.
I exhale and close my eyes. This time, when I reach for the power, it comes instantly. It’s ravenous. Alive beneath my skin. The difference still startles me every single time.
Near Maddox, the power doesn’t evade me at all. It rises eagerly, curling through my chest like a flame looking for more oxygen to feed on.
I open my eyes and strike. The apple flies backward and slams into the padded wall, bursting as Maddox watches.
“Better,” he says. “You’re getting close. You got close enough to create a force that time.”
My pulse jumps with adrenaline as our bond flutters under his praise. “See? I’m becoming a top student.”
“You’re certainly my favorite student.”
I gasp at him with mock surprise. “Maddox West, did you just make a joke? You know very well I am your only student, which means this is your attempt at a joke.”
He rolls his eyes at me, and I grin despite myself.
The power hums beneath my skin for a few lingering seconds before settling again.
It feels steady now that he’s here. I can still reach for it, just having him back at the academy is apparently close enough proximity most of the time.
But when he’s here next to me, it’s natural. As easy as breathing.
As much as I adore his company, I hate that I’m vulnerable when he’s not around. I was alone and powerless for most of my life. I guess I should be used to it.
But seriously, universe… what sort of misogynist plot twist is this?
Maddox walks toward the dummy to inspect for any damage. His tattoos flex across his forearms as he swivels the head.
“You’re over correcting with force,” he says. “You’re trying to dominate the power instead of directing it. The energy you're putting into it is causing more of a push, then controlling your aim.”
He straightens, balances another apple, and gestures me closer. “Again. Less energy push this time. Focus on your control.”
I move beside him and try to focus on the target instead of the fact that he smells so delicious.
“Controlled,” he says quietly. “Not emotional.”
I glare at him before reaching for the power again.
This time I let it rise slower. I don’t grab it forcefully like a Wrath would, but I guide it.
The energy slips through my arm in a controlled pulse and appears over the dummy’s head, where the apple balances. When it disappears, the apple is gone.
Maddox nods once. “Better.”
Satisfaction blooms fast in my chest at his meager approval. What am I becoming? Some lovesick fool?
I wipe sweat from my forehead. “Such glowing praise. You know, if I really were your favorite student… you think you’d be giving me more motivation. Like a prize.”
“You don’t need praise,” he says. “I’m pretty sure you’re already well aware of how special you are.”
“That was almost a compliment! First a joke, and now a compliment. Where is Maddox West and who is inhabiting his body?”
“Don’t ruin it,” he says, rolling his eyes.
A phone vibrates against the bench behind us. Maddox’s expression hardens when he checks the screen.
“Problem?” I ask.
“Almost always.” He answers the phone without leaving the mat. “What.”
A muffled voice filters through the speaker. Maddox listens for almost a full minute, his jaw tightening further with every passing second. Finally, he says, “No. Don’t retaliate yet. I know what she’s doing.”
Another pause. Then his eyes narrow. “Tell Luca to bring supplies up the southern route. Val will help us for the time being. If Amaya pushes the tariffs higher, we’ll infiltrate one of her warehouses with a task force.
Let’s get a plan in place and assume the worst. And we need another set of eyes on Vex.
I want a list of everyone he might even be mildly associated with at the academy. ”
He hangs up looking murderous.
I lean against the wall. “Sibling issues?”
“Amaya’s pressuring trade routes again, just towards my territories.
” He tosses the phone onto the bench harder than necessary.
“She’s using her power and political influence to increase tariffs through the neutral territories that connect us.
Half my people can barely afford the supplies at these new prices. ”
“That seems shortsighted even for a power play. Her people will lose as well when they can’t sell their supplies anymore.”
Maddox drags a hand through his hair. “She’s trying to force my smaller territories into putting pressure on the local leaders. Who then will pass the message to me? She knows they depend on these shipments before winter.”
“So, she’s creating a panic,” I continue, already thinking through it. “She’s using her political connections in her territory to control the routes even though they are supposed to be neutral and basically free markets.”
“Exactly.”
“It’s actually kind of genius.”
He side eyes me. “You heard me say ‘Amaya’ right?”
“I mean, she’s playing strategically and not just going in with brute force.
You’ll need to think of a way to combat that in a strategic way.
If you try to break into one of her supply warehouses, gun blazing, the odds are the supplies will get destroyed.
Then you’ll have actual product scarcity on your hands. Do you have a map in your room?”
He nods, and I grab my bag and pull a long sleeve shirt over my tank. I try to think of my options as we walk back in silence to his room. Once we get inside, he points to a table near a fireplace that’s covered with a large map. His room is probably three times the size of mine.
Perks of being a Councilor’s son, I guess…
I walk towards the map, studying its surface. Colored pins dot different cities, roads, and borders. He points out the territory and passage in question.
I study it for a moment. “Okay, like I said, if she’s squeezing transportation taxes this aggressively, she’s going to upset her merchant families too.”
“She already is.”
“Then don’t fight her directly.”
Maddox raises an eyebrow.
I sigh. “You really need to start paying attention in Faction Politics and Strategy.”
I point toward the route. “Make her overextend herself publicly instead.”
He steps closer beside me. “How?”
“She’s expecting retaliation from you because everyone expects you to retaliate with a violent response.” I tap the map again. “So don’t give her that.”
His attention sharpens.
“Push relief shipments into struggling districts yourself, like you mentioned,” I say.
“Food. Medicine. Basic necessities. Meanwhile, set up a barricade with some members of your gang manning it just as the neutral territory meets yours. The merchants, who are already displeased, will get all the way to your border before having to turn around and take a longer route.”
Understanding flickers across his face. “That will run up the costs when they are already struggling to make fewer sales.”
“Exactly.” I glance up at him.
“They’ll put pressure on her because she made the first move,” he says slowly. “She’ll look like she’s sacrificing her own rich merchants for no reason.”
“And you look stable.” I smile. “Which is terrifyingly attractive in a leader during unstable times.”
His gaze lingers on me a second too long as something shifts in the air.
“You really do excel at strategy, don’t you?” he asks.
I shrug awkwardly. “I grew up around a bunch of Wrath bastards who used their fists and powers to solve every problem. You learn strategy fast when you can’t exactly go toe to toe with them.”
“No,” he says, still observing me. “This is more than that.”
Heat creeps into my face. To escape it, I point to another section of the map. “Also, your brother Kael is going to exploit this.”
Maddox groans. “You’re right.”
“He likes opportunistic chaos too much not to.” I move another pin. “If Amaya destabilizes trade, Kael will probably move into black market distribution here.”
“I’ve heard reports that he already has. You’re good at this,” he mumbles.
I don’t point out that he’s now officially given me multiple compliments in one afternoon. His praise feels more intimate than flirting. It feels like respect.
The room falls quiet after that.