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“I did it!” she shouted. Her wide eyes stared at the length of her arm.

I nodded at the circle. “Try hitting the target.”

Fyrel nocked an arrow and took a deep breath. She pulled back on the string, adjusting her grip as I’d showed her. She let go and her arrow flew across the field. The arrowhead pierced the inner rim of the target around the small red dot.

“I’ve never hit the target before!” she shouted, wrapping her arms around me.

I knelt to the ground, leveling my gaze with hers. “What is your best skill? Your favorite one to do?”

“Sword fighting,” she answered immediately.

I called one of the other girls over. A petite Halfling with dark hair and thick brows. She was the best archer of the group.

“What’s your name?” I asked her.

“Saraq,” she said.

“Do you two know each other?” I asked. They nodded shyly.

“Good,” I said. “Fyrel here needs help with her archery, and I know you’re the best in your year.” I smiled at Saraq, she nodded proudly. “And Fyrel is the better swordsman. I want you two to train together from here on out. Use each other to hone your skills.”

The two girls locked eyes and turned back to me. They nodded in unison just as the bell tower rang for the dinner call. The two initiates gave a short bow before they raced each other up the hill where their food was waiting.

“That was kind of you,” Hildegard said. I peered over my shoulder. I hadn’t heard her approach the training session.

“It’s easier,” I said, letting my shoulders fall, “when you have someone at your side.”

Hildegard sighed. Her eyes followed the initiates up the hill, and I knew she was wondering when the king would make her call them to their deaths. “You would know,” she said after a moment.

I turned toward the cliff edge, watching the waves crash against the stone. I didn’t want to talk about that. Abouther. I bit my lip and waited for Hildegard to say something else.

“Tell me what happened in Cereliath.” She was always quick to read my moods.

I sighed. “I danced with a Shadow.” It was more than I should admit, but I knew Hildegard wouldn’t tell the king. She knew one foul mood of his could mark any of us for death. Even his Blade.

Her brows lifted.

“But you could not catch it?” she asked, walking toward the cliff edge. I followed beside her.

“No.” I kicked a stone with my boot. “I was not at my best that night.” The words scraped along my throat, but I swallowed down the shame.

“Ah,” Hildegard said, crossing her arms behind her back once more. “I assume that’s why you showed up here looking like you’re on the brink of death?”

“Yes.” No point denying it. Hildegard’s eyes traced the red veins in mine and the dark circles that hung like cloaks under them.

“How long?” she asked.

“Thirteen days.” It was such a short amount of time, but with the craving time stretched. Every minute without a drink felt like an hour. Or ten.

She smiled softly and pulled something out of her pocket. It was a vial of black liquid.

“Take this,” she said, placing it in the palm of my hand. She clasped my fingers around the bottle, pressing my thumb over the cap. I brought the vial to my nose and sloshed the dark liquid.

“Is this—”

“Winvraelixir, yes,” Hildegard said. “Just one drop every day should help you through the worst of it. It will numb the pain until you can handle it on your own.”

“I can’t accept this,” I whispered, handing it back to her. It was too expensive. I wasn’t even sure how Hildegard got ahold of it.