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His lips curled, spreading the grin across his smug face. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“Do you have any training in hand to hand?” Hazel asked me when we returned to the mats.

“Not much. Only what went into disarming and some grappling. I didn’t know it was part of the advanced class. Maybe I should spend time in the beginners until I’m proficient.” I would do anything to avoid this.

“No, the sword play is more important, and you’ll be bored in a lower level. Nyx will work with you outside of class to catch you up with hand to hand and knife work.” Hazel gestured for Nyx to take over.

“Show me what you know of grappling so I can get an idea where to start,” Nyx said, far too smugly. If only I had secret skills so I could put him on his back. I’d have to work hard to get there to not give him the enjoyment. Maybe Kol would help me, too.

I went over the drills I knew with my weapon, and then he had me put them together without a sword. Every movement brought us closer—his warm breath against my ear, his damp chest pressed into mine, hands pulling uniforms. Thankfully, my flush from the exercise hid the color in my cheeks.

I tried another move Luka had shown me, but Nyx was too quick.

He flipped me over and rolled on top of me, pinning me to the mat under him, nose to nose. “Nice try, Sol.”

My mind instantly blanked of all the counter moves for a pin, filled instead with the way a fae his size could toss me around. Warmth stirred in my chest.

“Naughty.” He didn’t move to get up.

I clamped down on the flow of my thoughts. I realized I was improving that skill. “You can’t possibly know what I’m thinking.” I closed my eyes and tried to hook a leg around his hips to flip us.

He grinned down at me, thwarting the move with his weight alone. “I don’t need to know what you’re thinking. I can sense other things.”

“Like what?” I tried to get a knee between us.

He pressed lower, not giving me an inch. “I can scent it on you.”

“What?” Horror struck me cold.

His eyes gleamed. “I’m sure you can put it together.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Dragon senses are more sophisticated than your fae senses. We can see, hear, and smell things better.”

Goddess, no! Did that mean that if I was—I could hardly think it—aroused, every dragon nearby would know it? I moved again like I was going to try and flip him, and when he tried to block me, I shoved a knee between us.

Nyx’s reflexes were quicker, opening my knees and shifting to press his hips to mine. It was only for a half a second, but I felt everything…and we were in a hall full of fae.

We shot apart like magnets connected the wrong way, both on our feet, not making eye contact.Kol stifled a laugh, turning around to disguise it, while Hazel met my eyes, giving me a long, questioning look.

“I need some water,” Nyx announced, like it wouldn’t draw even more attention to us.

“I think that’s enough for today. All of you go do a couple of laps around the outdoor track and then stretch out before you go.” Hazel looked like she was going to say something else, but I slipped out the door with the other students before she could, not ready to face anyone.

TWENTY-ONE

ZARIA

Iwent back to my rooms after the laps, sweaty and in need of my bathing chamber, but as I turned into my corridor, I found Nyx sitting outside my door. He didn’t follow to do the laps, so I figured we were done for the day.

When he saw me, he climbed to his feet, looking serious.

“Can we talk?” he asked as I approached.

“I need to clean up,” I told him, hoping to brush him off.

“I can wait.” He moved like he was going to return to the floor and wait out here.