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‘Everyone lower your weapons, now.’ Pure command, no room for insubordination.

Immediately, the lackeys released Kipp. Seb dropped the arrow, and Cal lowered his bow. Thea let her fists fall to her sides, but kept them clenched, her tingling fingernails digging into her palms.

Torj surveyed them coldly. ‘This can go one of two ways…’ he drawled. ‘One, I chalk this up to the usual shieldbearer hazing bullshit, and we don’t speak of it again. Two… If Ieverfind this happening again… I’ll string you up in the mountain cliff caves and let the storms drown you slowly. Is that understood?’

‘Yes, Sir.’ Came the unified mumble.

‘Good.’

After that, he called their training to an official halt. ‘Get yourselves back to the hall, eat up. I’ve got no doubt that this session was a warm-up compared to this afternoon’s.’

Thea and Cal waited until the group had dispersed before they rushed to an ashen-faced Kipp.

‘I’m fine,’ he mumbled, wiping the trail of blood from his neck.

‘He’s a fucking bastard,’ Cal snarled, watching Seb disappear towards the fortress.

‘That was never in dispute,’ Kipp replied.

Thea looped her arm through his and squeezed his hand. ‘You’re sure you’re alright?’

Kipp gave a resigned smile. ‘I can’t say that’s how I wanted to spend my morning. But yes, I’m fine. Thanks to you and Cal.’

‘I didn’t do anything,’ Thea said truthfully.

‘You would have,’ Kipp argued. ‘You looked… powerful, like you had some secret weapon you were going to bring down on him. I was almost scared myself.’

Charged energy coursed through Thea even now, but she laughed. ‘Apparently rage will do that.’

‘Apparently…’ Kipp echoed, sounding distant.

‘What is it?’ Cal asked.

Kipp hesitated, visibly swallowing before removing his arm from Thea’s, his body caving inward. He didn’t look at them when he spoke. ‘You both know that I’m more inclined towards military strategy, don’t you?’

Thea exchanged a confused glance with Cal and frowned. ‘What of it?’

‘Well… I just want you to know that I’m good,’ he told them tentatively. ‘Reallygood. I might be “useless” on the battlefield, but I will always have your backs from the War Room.’

Thea’s heart fractured for him. ‘We know that, Kipp.’

‘Of course we do,’ Cal chimed in. ‘Everyone has their strengths.’

Kipp forced a smile and tapped his index finger to his head. ‘This isn’t just for decoration, you know.’

‘Thank the Furies for that, cause it ain’t pretty.’ Cal threw an arm around Kipp’s shoulders.

Kipp snorted. ‘Can always count on you for a morale boost, can’t we, Callahan?’

Thea laughed shakily, the tension ebbing away at last.

As they started back to the fortress, Kipp’s hand drifted to where the arrow tip had broken the skin on his neck. Shaking his head, he muttered. ‘Fucking Seb Barlowe… He’d never get served at the Fox.’

For once, Thea and Cal didn’t comment.

Back at the Great Hall, Thea snatched up what food she could carry and made for the alchemy workshop. Even though her old cohort had every third afternoon free, she knew her sister would be tinkering away at her Ladies’ Luncheon Teapot.

Wren was hunched over a workbench, scowling at some part of the porcelain design, when Thea walked in. Ida was seated a few benches over, she glanced up and a slow smile spread across her lips. ‘Althea Nine Lives lives to fight another day.’