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I turned to Syrra, determined not to see Gerarda’s smug grin again. “What are we training first?”

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

“DON’T YOU THINK THREEon one is a little unfair?” Vrail shouted as Riven and I circled around Gerarda. I smirked and tightened my grip on my blades. We had already been training on the posts for an hour. It was time to end this and I would be more than happy if Gerarda fell first.

Vrail jumped from one of the taller posts to a longer, flatter one at the same height as Gerarda’s knees.

Gerarda hopped over the swing of Vrail’s sword. “Don’t concern yourself with me when you should”—Gerarda somersaulted through the air, kicked off Vrail’s post with both feet and landed on the post below—“worry about yourself.”

Vrail’s post shook wildly to the left. She tumbled off onto one of the beds of faelight Syrra had set up along the ground. Uldrath,Pirmiith’s young son, cheered from where he watched along the roof of the training room. The other children behind him giggled.

Gerarda turned her sights on me and Riven. Riven was on one of the lowest posts with swirls of shadows curling around him in all directions. Gerarda’s gaze caught along the thick blade of Riven’s long sword and I took the opportunity to attack.

I jumped from the highest post, swinging one blade and then the next as the children gasped. Gerarda leaped backward to the post behind her, blocking my strike with her own sword. I didn’t give her any time to think before I pushed off the next piece of wood and slashed again.

We danced through the air, setting the tempo with the clashes of our blades, barely stepping on the posts as we twirled and spun. The youngest Halflings clapped each time one of us dodged a strike.

Vrail rubbed the back of her head and rolled off the faebed. “Riven has it easy,” she mumbled, pointing her chin at where Riven stood in a defensive position taking even, perfect breaths.

Syrra’s eyes narrowed as I sliced through the thin end of Gerarda’s laces but missed her boot. “Conserving your strength is a wise strategy, especially for one as large as Riven.”

Vrail crossed her arms. “Keera’s tall.”

Gerarda leaped over my head, twisting her torso as she swung her blade at me. The sharp edge missed my braid by the width of a hair. I snarled.

Syrra chuckled under her breath. “Keera isniimithir vraak.”

Vrail’s eyes went wide as I jabbed the sharp end of my blade into the blunt end of a post. I left it there and jumped to the lower post beside it, setting my trap.

Vrail tilted her head, trying to map out my plan of attack from the ground. “You always say the lightning-hearted make for the most fearsome warriors.”

I evaded Gerarda’s attack by feigning a leap to the left and hopping over her blade. I ran along the tops of the posts, climbing toward my abandoned sword. I jumped. My hand wrapped around the hilt and I spun mid-leap. My body rocketed at Gerarda’s chest like a sling shot.

“Thevraakalso die the soonest,” Syrra said loud enough for me to hear.

I grinned and raised my hand in victory, but a tiny blur of black pounced at my legs. I cursed, realizing I hadn’t won quite yet.

Gerarda had clung to a nearby post by her fingernails. I swung at her with my remaining blade but she was already gone. I wheezed as I jumped to the center pole and watched Gerarda make her next move.

She ran along the posts in wide strides, her black cloak trailing behind her. I predicted her path and jumped, sword drawn over my head.

Gerarda dodged, sensing the attack. She threw one of her knives into the middle pole, embedding it to the hilt as I chased her through the air.

My body was on the verge of collapse. I needed to win so I could drown myself in a warm shower and the wine that was waiting in my burl. Then I would sleep for eternity.

I hopped to the next pole and then another. I was barely watching my feet as I stepped onto the third. Riven took advantage of my momentary lapse in focus and slammed the hilt of his sword into the pole with everything he had.

The rattle was enough that I slipped off the edge. The blunt end of the post rammed into my side but I clung to the top, determined not to fall.

Gerarda grinned and rolled through the air. I watched from below as a flash of silver cut through her neck and her cloak floatedslowly, directly in Riven’s line of sight. He pushed the cloak out of the way, but Gerarda was already there—on the post beside him. She dropped into a tight spin and landed a blow right behind his knee.

Riven fell so hard he bounced off the faebed with a heavy gasp.

I dropped to the lower post and Gerarda pounced on me. I ran along the wood, realizing too late that was exactly what Gerarda had planned. Her tiny hands clasped the hilt of the knife she had thrown into the center post, using it as an anchor as her body spun through the air and was launched directly at me.

My rage flared knowing she used my own trick against me.

I dove for the bottom pole, but Gerarda’s boot collided with my stomach leaving me short. My fingers split as I grabbed for the post but all I left behind were amber streaks in the sunbaked grain.