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The female lunged directly forward while the male disappeared in a swirl of shadows. With Alex’s attention divided, she focused on the threat shecouldsee and deflected the female’s attack with her forearm. Despite still blinking back stars from the initial strike to her cheekbone, it was an easy block on Alex’s part, something that helped boost her confidence.

Knowing her best shot against them was to follow the same method as when she’d sparred with Kyia and Zain—using the element of surprise to take them down quickly—Alex turned on the offensive, attacking the female with a speed that startled the Shadow Walker.

But Alex was only able to land a handful of solid hits before she was blinded by shadows and violently yanked from her position in the centre of the star. She suddenly found herself in one of the outer triangles, the male Shadow Walker having reappeared only to transport her with him.

Unprepared for the instant travel, Alex struggled with the repositioning. She was tweaked, everything about her on high alert, and that was the only reason she was able to recover fast enough to jump over the sweep of his legs and then duck when the female appeared beside them and went for Alex’s face.

Before she could return their attack, shadows surrounded her once more and she was relocated to another triangle. Not allowing her the chance to stabilise from the move, she was instantly transported again… and again… and again.

Head dizzy from being leapfrogged around the purple star, Alex was too slow to react when the female caught her in the chest with a powerful forward kick. Somehow she was able to remain upright, but she still staggered back a few steps, her arms cartwheeling for balance.

It was as she was trying to keep her feet under her that she stumbled over one of the currently dormant fire lines—right as the flames rose up again.

Most of her body had cleared the line in time, but one of her wheeling arms was caught in the blaze of purple, and agony—such blinding agony—seared along the fleshy underside of her forearm.

Aeylia!

She heard Niyx’s alarmed cry when he felt her pain, but she couldn’t respond because both of her opponents reappeared from within shadows and continued their unrelenting assault.

Adrenaline pumping, Alex forced herself to compartmentalise the shooting torture of her wounded arm, keeping her focus on resisting their continued attacks and giving back as best she could. But not even her Meyarin abilities could stand up against their appearing-and-disappearing tricks. Half her hits never landed, since her opponents would simply vanish into empty air. It was like trying to fight a ghost—a merciless ghost who was capable of fighting back.

Only as she began to realise that she had no chance at winning did Alex find an opening. Remembering how she’d fought the cursed Sir Camden as a headless suit of armour, the next time she was yanked through the shadows against her will, Alex pushed past the dizziness and, with a burst of Meyarin speed, spun behind her attacker. It was the male, and she didn’t hesitate to jump straight onto his back, wrapping her legs around his torso and latching onto him for dear life.

Startled, he grunted and tried to throw her off, but she was stuck to him like glue. As she knew he would, he carried them through the shadows, trying to loosen her grip through the disorienting swirls of darkness. But she refused to let go.

Ruthlessly, he scored his nails along the raw flesh of her burned arm and she cried out—as did Niyx, with palpable concern—and the male took the opportunity to reach back, grip her waist, and haul her over his head like a sack of grain.

The air was forced from her lungs as she landed hard on the ground. Even with her immortal reflexes, she barely managed to roll out of the way when he attempted a body slam on top of her.

A sickening crack sounded when his elbow shattered against the floor, right where her stomach had been a fraction of a second earlier.

Leaping up to her feet and wheezing air into her winded lungs, Alex listened to his pained moans while considering her next move, but in doing so, she realised—much too late—that she hadn’t been keeping track of the female.

While the male remained on the ground at her feet, shadows materialised to her left, followed instantly by a swift uppercut to Alex’s temple that, winded and wounded, her reaction speed was too slow to duck.

All she saw as she crumpled to the ground was blurring purple fire followed by blissful darkness.

Alex awoke to a splitting headache and a throbbing body.

She hissed as she pulled herself into a sitting position, drawing her arm protectively to her chest. Someone had bandaged it, but the pain was extreme.

The more she looked at the bandage and wondered just how bad the damage underneath was, the more it seemed tothumpin time with her heartbeat, so she turned her attention from her wound and looked around the room she was in.

Alex had no idea where she was. It was small, dark and somewhat musty. Frankly, it reminded her of a crypt—one that she was eager to be away from.

Standing carefully to her feet, Alex’s back cracked with loud popping sounds. And no wonder, since she’d been lying on a slab of solid stone—hardly comfortable sleeping arrangements, let alone after being beaten unconscious.

The room was dimly lit by more sconces of the purple fire, enough that she was easily able to make out the door. Before she could reach it, it opened inward.

“You’re awake.”

Alex nodded at Caspar Lennox’s statement since she was, clearly, awake.

“You lost the trial.”

Again, Alex nodded, succumbing to the weight of her own disappointment.

She had failed. And because of that, she would have to wait a month before speaking to the elders. A month where Aven could wreak all kinds of havoc upon Medora. Hurt all kinds of people.