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Thea didn’t hesitate. She shoved her way through the crowd, determined to get her hands on a set of throwing stars. At lastshe could put her Dancing Alchemist skills to the real test. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for. Her body came alive with anticipation; she might not have been as big or as powerful as some of her peers, but Thea was fast and accurate. She had been honing her blade-throwing skills for years and now was her chance to show her potential Warsword mentor exactly what she was capable of.

Ensuring she was in Torj’s line of sight, Thea took up a position in the centre of the clearing, and planted her feet apart, facing the target that still bore the proof of the warrior’s prowess.

She didn’t wait; she threw the stars in quick succession, the small metal points flying with startling precision, burying into the parchment and the tree trunk in three satisfying beats, exactly where she’d intended: a hair’s breadth beside those Torj had thrown.

‘Whoa,’ Cal’s voice sounded from behind her.

The rest of the cohort seemed to pause in curiosity as their comrade approached the target, studying her work with a slack jaw.

‘You’ve done that before,’ her friend accused.

‘No idea what you mean,’ Thea replied.

‘Oh, come on…’

Thea offered him a conspirator’s grin. ‘My sister and her friends have this game…’

‘Go on.’

‘It’s called Dancing Alchemists.’

She threw a star that landed between Cal’s boots, and he jumped back, swearing.

‘What the —’

Another left her hand in a blur and he leapt again with a yelp.

‘Now imagine you were an alchemist worker.’ Thea grinned and threw a final star, causing Cal to lunge out of its path dramatically.

‘See? Dancing Alchemists.’

Cal looked from the stars that had nearly severed his toes to Thea, letting out a surprised laugh. ‘Impressive.’

‘What would be more impressive…’ Torj emerged from the dense undergrowth, his hand on the hilt of his sword. ‘Is if my shieldbearers wereactually trainingrather than laughing and jumping around like prized fools.’ There was an edge to his tone that made Thea’s stomach churn. Had he not seen her throws? Had he not noticed the accuracy of her work?

‘Whitlock,’ he snapped at Cal. ‘Longbow, now.’

Cal surged into action, snatching the bow from the rack and shouldering a quiver of arrows. ‘Target?’ he asked.

Thea watched nervously as Torj considered the shieldbearer before turning his gaze upon the forest, scanning its depths for an undoubtedly impossible mark. Time seemed to slow as he did so, and Thea knew it was now an exercise of humiliation for them both, for appearing to not take their task seriously.

At last, Torj pointed. ‘See that little red flag? About a hundred yards or so ahead? Mid way up that big tree.’

A hundred yards away?Thea followed the line of his finger and had to squint in order to see the tiny scrap of red fabric he referred to.What’s that doing up there, anyway?

‘Yes, Sir,’ Cal replied, already readying an arrow.

He can’t be serious…Thea stared.

But it was the most serious she’d ever seen Callahan Whitlock. He drew the string back expertly, his gaze trained on the target she could barely make out in the dense forest.

The arrow hummed as it soared through the air.

And impaled the flag into the tree.

Slowly, Cal lowered the bow.

Torj clapped him on the shoulder, smiling broadly. ‘Just as good as I remembered, Whitlock. Keep it up and you’ll be Thezmarr’s lead archer in no time.’