Chapter 16
A Heat Water can’t Dissipate
Resting and recovering like a good girl was my primary focus for the next week. I spent my time in the courtyard, soaking in the summer sun until dinner had come and gone and the quiet night descended.
It had been another long day of studying Sarina’s notes as I crept in to take advantage of the bathing springs while it was empty.
The natural spring pool transformed into liquid starlight in the dark.
Lush ripe papaya and mango trees cupped the edges of the water, alongside pineapple shrubs.
Unlike the rest of the outpost, this area was wrapped by a natural cliff instead of stone bricks.
The runes were ever present, carved directly into the rock.
A small waterfall fed in from beyond the uppermost cliff edge, tripping its way down three smaller outcrops into the largest pool.
Fat lanternflies chimed as they appeared with the birth of night, trailing radiant pollen behind them.
I was minding my own business, preparing to enjoy a dip to soothe my ankle, when Zevrial decided to intrude upon my peace. He entered the springs, took one look at me, and strode over toward me. And it was a stride, a predatory, masculine stride that I resisted allowing myself to notice.
Moonlight glossed his dark hair with blue, smoothing out some of his usual hardness. Night suited him.
As his looming presence neared, he frowned down at the notes I’d left by the edge of the pool.
“You'll need more help than that,” he advised in a low rumble, “Or you might as well leave now.”
I crossed my arms, as much to secure my towel in place as to put another barrier between us. Clenching my teeth I tried to calm my rapidly spiking temper. A mantra started running through my head.
Do not engage the infuriating instructor. Do. Not. Engage.
“Bit busy,” I said in a clipped tone. “Trying to recover and prepare for that midterm you're convinced I'll fail.”
Okay, so I'd engaged. But to my credit, Zevrial was hard to ignore, and I had been as close to polite as I could muster.
“Studying isn't what you need,” he said. His gaze slid up my bare legs, lingering on the top of my exposed chest. He didn't wait for me to respond. “You’ll have to use your ankles to the fullest.” Was that concern in his voice?
He had my attention, even if I was still annoyed at being treated like a child. “What are you even doing here?”
His inviting smile had my heart stuttering. “Enjoying the view.”
I pulled the towel tighter. “So, what’s the midterm then?”
“Nice try. That’s not for you to know.”
I glared up at him. “No, you can't tell me anything that might be useful. I might mistake it for human decency.” He folded his arms over his chest, mirroring my own posture. “But you can tell me I'm too weak to pass.”
“I never said you were too weak, or wouldn’t pass.” He blew out an exasperated breath. “I said you need more help.”
“You're splitting hairs,” I challenged.
“And you're impossible.” He dragged a hand through his hair, forehead creasing. “I'm trying to help you, and you're arguing semantics. I can't tell you what the midterm is, just like I can't tell anyone else.”
I bit my lip, only slightly pacified. He was trying to help me, in his own backwards way. And I didn't want his help to cheat my way to success at the midterm, anyway. I wouldn't like it if anyone else had an unfair edge over me, either.
“Let's say I believe you.” I sat down, dipping my legs into the edge of the dark water. The afternoon’s heat still clung to it. “What are you suggesting?”
“You need a dedicated trainer, someone to help you focus on the areas you need to improve. Someone to help so you can stay to seethe another day.”
I bristled, splashing water at his face. “Excuse me?”
His unfairly handsome face shone in the lanternfly light, as he wiped away water dripping from his hair.
“You're excused. You've been lucky enough for long enough that it’s created the delusion that you're skilled and smart. But since you’ve injured yourself doing things your way, we both know you're not,” he rubbed at his chest. “You need a different approach.”
I gawked at him. The audacity of this man... “And I'm guessing you know the right person to train me.” I curled my lip back in a look of disgust. “You?”
Why did the thought of him training me make every nerve ending flush with heat? No time to dwell on that inappropriate bodily reaction right now. Especially to someone who had just called me delusional for believing myself skilled and smart.
He chuckled, low and deep. “You and I are too combustible, we'd kill each other within a week.” His eyes sparkled with mischief.
“That was a really long way of saying 'no',” I retorted, unimpressed. “You should be nicer to me,” I hummed, smiling sweetly. “Teaching me hand to hand combat is careless... Because you seem like a man who values his teeth.”
“I'll take it under advisement,” he mused, watching me sway my legs back and forth. “But I do have someone else in mind who would be able to train you well enough that the midterm, at least, would be a breeze.”
“And who might that be?”
“Veridiana,” came his all too smooth reply.
I blanched. “No thanks. I choose life.”
“She's the most qualified to help you at Fitness training. She excels at it, you've witnessed it.”
Just because I had didn't mean I would admit it. Veridiana was a dangerously unpredictable narcissist from what I'd seen thus far. She was not someone I wanted hanging around to help me train. “No.”
“Suit yourself, but if someone doesn’t help, there's a good chance you won't pass,” his voice deepened. “And it would be a shame if you washed out.”
“Yes, a real tragedy. You wouldn't have anyone around who you could torment,” I stirred the water with my fingertip.
He let silence brew between us longer than I expected. “I’d miss having you around.”
I huffed, throwing my hands up, rushing them back down as the towel started to slip. “That's what I just said.”
“Can’t you just accept help? Even if it isn't Veridiana, or even in the way I'm proposing, you need the backup.”
I digested his words, then regurgitated his earlier ones. “I'll take it under advisement.”
“Thank you. And..if you need it, I'll be around too.” His eyes locked with mine.
My eyebrows shot up. “Thanks for that, whatever that is,” I managed around the dryness in my mouth. I swallowed and cleared my throat. “But don't worry. I'll be fine.”
Zevrial pressed his lips tightly together, saying nothing. “Really,” I stressed. “I'll be fine.”
Shaking his head, he turned and walked away. “Don't say I didn't warn you,” he called back.
I rubbed my arms to ward off the chill that had rooted into them despite the warm air, taking off the towel and sliding fully into the pool.
He was wrong, I didn't need help. Overdoing it training had been a mistake. It was one I wouldn't repeat. But I'd made it this far on my own, I would make it through the midterm too.