Chapter 14 #2
“I don’t hide behind anyone,” I say loud enough for the whole class to hear. A few heads turn, but I don’t care. I meant what I said. I don’t hide.
“See it as a compliment. Envy only means you have something others want,” Solaris says.
“Was that a backhanded compliment to yourself?” I ask, and his amusement washes over me. “I’m glad I didn’t hand over Frederick’s letter. If being your rider draws that kind of attention, I don’t want to know what being under the crown prince’s protection would add.”
“Don’t mind them. You’re doing great.”
“That’s a lie, and we both know it.”
Missing two weeks of class is coming back to bite me in the ass.
Just now, I wasn’t able to answer even one of Prof.
Etario’s questions about the big fallout between the guardians, and this morning, I didn’t do much better during Prof.
Myrsky’s class, where we’re currently learning all about the mist creatures and their strengths and weaknesses.
“Are you alright?” Mariel asks, looking at me sideways while I gather my things. She has asked me that repeatedly over the past few days.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. Something is off about you since you’ve been back. Is your family alright? Did something happen?”
I do my best to appease her worries, but the looks she keeps sending me tell me I haven’t done a better job than the past few times.
Practical Magic brings down my mood even more. While I think my progress is decent, Professor Galdur has a different opinion entirely.
“Sloppy and weak. That hit wouldn’t have stopped a lame cat, not to speak of anything more substantial.” She steps up next to me. “I expect more.”
We’re standing on the sandy ground of Telos’s arena, probably to keep the damage to the Aerie to a minimum.
The stone structure around us rises tall and proud, and the magic barrier in front of the now empty rows of stone benches is invisible but easy to detect. Keeping everyone outside of it safe from our gifts.
While I glimpsed some movement in one of the arched entryways earlier, it is only us on the sandy ground. Perhaps it was one of the gladiators, curious to know who was occupying their space.
“Concentrate,” Galdur snaps next to me, and I do my best, but after an hour in the midday sun wrangling with my gift, my brain is fried.
If it’s because of the magic or the heat, I don’t know, but I’m uncomfortable, itchy, and tired all the same.
It’s unfairly hot for this early in the year, and the fact that there isn’t the slightest breeze doesn’t help either.
“Do you need a break?” Galdur asks sweetly, jolting me out of my thoughts.
“Maybe,” I answer.
“Then you should have chosen a different unit,” she barks. “Since you’ll fight from your bird’s back, your gift will be your main weapon. I want to see five precise and measured hits on the target. Now.”
It’s a disaster. At first, there is nothing, not even a spark. Then a flame not bigger than that of a candle flickers to life in my palm, but never reaches the target. Galdur scoffs, and my temper stirs.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have taken so much time off.” She shakes her head. “You’re clearly struggling to keep up, and we see again, a strong bird doesn’t equal a strong gift.”
Her dismissive tone pisses me off even more, and a familiar heating of my skin draws my attention. Dammit. I concentrate and try to temper it, but it only gets worse when she gives me a pitying smile. Fuck this.
I take everything I have left, channel all my anger into it, and … the fireball is bright and so hot it raises the temperature of the air around us and annihilates the target made of straw within seconds. There are a few gasps, and wary glances fly my way.
“By the mists, Ara,” the rider next to me mutters, staring at the black dust that is all that remains.
“Sloppy. We have a long way to go,” Galdur comments dryly, clearly not impressed. “Extra practice. I will coordinate it with your centurion,” she says before walking on to the next rider of my squadron.
I ball my fists. This was my first class with her, but I already know we won’t get along.
And that she is going to tell Tate—Centurion Kyronos, I correct myself—I suck at magic, is not earning her any bonus points either. On the other hand, maybe he will kick me off his flight? A girl can hope, right?
The following morning erases that hope. We stand in formation, and the air is electric.
Since no one talks about anything else lately, it’s no surprise when Janus announces the upcoming flight games as well as the lineup of the competing flights.
The list had been hanging in the common room the previous night, but since we had already started training with them anyway, I didn’t need to consult it.
My best friends, along with Joel and me, are part of Tate’s flight now.
I don’t share the whispered excitement around me. It’s just a silly tournament, and I have no intention of wasting my time on it. The only plus is that I have a patrol plan now.
“For the last century, the flight games honored Otero,” Janus starts, and everyone hushes.
“This year, and the nine games to come, will be dedicated to Iza, our goddess of the hunt and secrets. Now doesn’t that sound promising?
” There are a few excited whoops, and I roll my eyes.
Considering the fickle nature of the gods, every participant is just as likely to be prey instead of a hunter.
“But this year, we not only honor our gods and the peace with neighboring realms…” Janus pauses for dramatic effect. “The king also announced the coronation of his heir for the end of the trials.” Another round of cheers goes up into the morning air, covering my groan.
Dammit, now I really wish I were not part of this.
“So expect this year’s festivities to be more lavish than they ever have been, and the royal family will be more involved.
” He looks pleased, but I stifle another groan.
“You’ll have a few weeks until we start with qualifications.
Deputy Commander Foley took over planning.
” I look up and find Foley’s gaze on me, with a cruel smile on his lips. That can’t mean anything good.
“In Avina, you’ll then face competitors from all over the continent to earn the favor of Iza herself.” I blink, and the formation hums like a nest of honey flies.
“A favor of the gods?” I whisper to Mariel next to me. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“An audience, maybe?” she whispers back while looking straight ahead.
“Quiet!” The buzzing stops immediately, and Janus has our full attention again.
“Apart from the honor of competing in this challenge and the favor, it also holds the chance to win as a flight and bring back the trophy to our Aerie.” Another cheer.
“You’ll face a combination of single and group challenges, just like you do in your service.
You’ll need a full flight to compete and throughout the competition.
Losing a member means disqualification of the whole unit. ” There are gasps.
“You heard it. No dying, everyone,” Jared mutters in front of me, and I snicker while Zaza jabs him in the side.
“Ouch,” he complains, overly dramatic.
“Seems like we are already one down,” Zaza counters, blinking at him innocently.
“If you want to take me down, you only have to say it, and I come willingly.” Jared grins down at her, and Zaza rolls her eyes.
Nothing changed between those two. I grin. Maybe all of this is not going to be so bad. I’ll just have to ignore Tate, who happens to be standing in my line of sight, facing us.
“Centurions, you’ll have the next weeks to bring our young riders up to speed. I hope you chose them wisely.” A prickle of awareness skates over me, but I avoid meeting Tate’s gaze and keep my eyes locked on his chest. Okay, maybe ignoring him will be harder than I anticipated.