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“As opposed to…?”

A dark grin tipped at the corner of Axel’s lips. “Baby doll, Luka is a Sargon Legacy. The god of war and courage. Remember that’s who is going to be training you.”

“Where did he learn it all?” she asked, going into the bathroom. She left the door open so she could hear Axel’s response.

“Father sent him to several trainings. He’d be gone for months. Theon would be a prick the entire time, but that was when Father was preparing Luka to be his Guardian, not Theon’s,” Axel explained. “Still, I think a lot of it is natural instinct. Theon and I attended a few of the trainings with him and didn’t pick up on things half as quickly.”

“Luka had fire. But it was black,” Tessa hollered, her words garbled while she brushed her teeth.

“Well, yeah. It was dragon fire,” Axel called back. “Three minutes, Tessa.”

She spit into the sink before quickly shucking off the pants and tank she’d slept in, shutting the door to take care of personal needs. Slipping on her running clothes and sneakers, she had the banana stem clenched between her teeth when she emerged while tying her hair back. Sighing, Axel grabbed it, peeling the banana and handing it to her when she finished her hair.

“What’s dragon fire?” she asked.

“The fire of a dragon,” Axel said dryly, grabbing her phone from where it was charging. Theon must have plugged it in because she hadn’t even thought of it after the events of last night. “Let’s go.”

“Your answers are as helpful as your brother’s,” she retorted, taking a bite of the banana.

“Ask Theon about dragon fire in your lessons with him. I’m sure he’ll talk about its properties for hours.”

“What lessons?”

Axel glanced over his shoulder. “He probably hasn’t had time to tell you yet, but part of your lessons include ones with him. Detailed history of Arius Kingdom. I’m sure you’ll get hours of him talking about all his ideas and theories.”

Pen was at the door with two water bottles in hand, holding one out to each of them. “Your protein shake is in the fridge, Axel.”

“You’re too good to me, Pen,” Axel teased affectionately.

Pen rolled her eyes, but smiled as she pulled the door open for him. “See you in a bit.”

There was no more talking after that. Axel pushed her even more than Theon did, and after running through the Acropolis bare foot last night, her legs and feet were already sore. By the time Axel let her stop, she wanted to vomit and her muscles were burning.

“I…hate…you,” she gasped out between dragging in lungfuls of air as she plopped to the ground, her head hanging between her bent knees.

“You’re acting like you’re dying,” Axel chided, kicking an ankle back to stretch.

“I am dying, you ass.”

“Not yet, but you will be after Luka’s done with you.”

“I need food.”

“He has some for you,” Axel replied. “Get up. We’ll walk there for a cooldown.”

“Walk where?” she grumbled as Axel pulled her back to her feet.

“The training arenas.”

“I’m training there?”

“Mhmm.”

“But that’s where they train the Fae assigned as warriors and sentinels.”

“Sure is.”

“I am…not that.”