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Alex’s only response was to purse her lips and refrain from arguing.

“Now that we know the mind readers can’t get into my head, I won’t have to be so cautious about sneaking out of the city,” Niyx said. “Aven still thinks I’m Claimed despite having no mental connection to me, so while I have to stay close and keep being careful around him, at least we don’t have to worry about the gifted humans discovering I’m not loyal. I’ve carried out enough of Aven’s orders that he has no reason to doubt me, either.”

Niyx grimaced slightly, the flash of emotion travelling across his face so swiftly that Alex barely caught it. But it was enough for her to realise he was trying to shield her from whatever he’d witnessed—or been forced to do.

“Niyx,” she whispered, not knowing what else to say.

He mustered up a half grin. “It’s not that bad, kitten. I know what I’m doing and I know why I’m doing it, so don’t feel sorry for me. And besides,”—his grin shifted into a smirk—“from tomorrow, you’ll be too busy feeling sorry for yourself to worry about anyone else.”

She looked at him in confusion.

“Your training hiatus is officially over,” he said, his smirk deepening. “I’m hauling your ass out of bed first thing in the morning to see what else you’ve forgotten in the past week. Knowing you, we’ll have to start right from the beginning all over again.”

Alex scrunched up her nose. “Tomorrow? Since today was so traumatic, can’t we wait until—” She broke off upon seeing his unyielding features, knowing she had no chance of changing his mind.

“I’ll be here at dawn,” he said, and the look he levelled her offered a silent threat that he would drag her away in her pyjamas if she wasn’t up in time. “Just like when we trained in the past, I’ll have you back before anyone notices either of us missing. Better safe than sorry—for us both.”

Alex sighed but nodded her agreement. She knew training with Niyx was important—if she couldn’t fight her way through whatever skirmishes she was yet to encounter, then there was no point in her learning how to strengthen her gift or anything else, since she wouldn’t survive to see that day.

“I’ll bring as muchlaendraas I can carry—some for you to give to Kyia, but also some for you to keep for yourself.”

Alex sighed again, fully aware that she would likely need copious quantities just to survive her session with Niyx. Their bond might make him feel every injury she sustained, but his pain tolerance was much,muchhigher than hers. He was truly merciless when it came to pushing her to her limits.

“Dawn.Laendra. Inevitable ass kicking,” Alex said, trying to inject some enthusiasm into her voice. “Can’t wait.”

Chuckling lightly, Niyx stood. “You need to rest. When we’re finished tomorrow, we’ll consider how you’ll keep Kyia and Zain oblivious to my involvement in your training—and everything else.”

Alex picked at the fraying edge where her bloodied jeans were sliced open. “It’d be easier if I just told them the truth about you.”

“Maybe one day,” Niyx said, “but it’s too much of a risk right now.”

Alex knew he was right, even if she wished he wasn’t.

“Try not to get stabbed by anyone else between now and dawn,” Niyx told her, his eyes sparkling.

“Try not to fall off theValispathon your way back to Meya,” came her immediate retort. “You wouldn’t want to ruin that pretty face.”

“Stars above, thatwouldbe a tragedy,” Niyx agreed, and with a grin and a wink, he disappeared from her room.

See you in a few hours, kitten, his mental voice called out to her.

You’re making it very hard for me to remember why I’ve missed you this past week, Alex responded.

If it’s any consolation, you’re making it just as hard for me to wonder why I’ve missed you for the last few millennia.

A pause, and then she said, You win this round.

Niyx’s deep laughter rumbled across Alex’s mind as she stood up and turned off the light. Stumbling fully clothed back into bed, she fell asleep with a smile still on her face.

Ten

Despite Niyx’s claim that Alex had forgottenall her hard-earned fighting skills, when he dragged her out of bed the next morning, she quickly proved him wrong. But that didn’t mean their workout on the summit of Mount Paedris—the peak resting high above the academy and overshadowing Lake Fee—wasn’t brutal. Because itwas.

“How are you still so fit?” Alex panted when they finally finished for the day. She collapsed bodily onto the snow, the icy coolness at once both a relief and a discomfort. “You’ve been stuck in a prison cell for the last gazillion years. Your muscles should have, like, atrophied or something.”

He took a quick swig from the flask of warmedlaendranectar he’d brought with him—in addition to the rest of the flowers they’d left hidden back in Alex’s room—and sent her a cocky grin. “We all have our secrets, kitten. But I won’t judge you for wanting my skills. It’s only natural that you’re jealous.”

“Nice to see you’re just as modest as I remember.” Alex sat up and swiped the flask from him, chugging back the heated liquid. Almost immediately, her aches and pains from their vigorous session disappeared, along with the mild hypothermia she’d developed from their early morning, high-altitude exposure.