Page 34 of A Curse So Cruel (Fated Mates of Shadowbone Academy #1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

~ Shade ~

T he next few rounds go pretty well. Jensen moves slow enough that I can assess what he’s doing, and even though each sparring round ends with me being disarmed or his sword against my throat, I’m feeling pretty good about it all.

After mentioning the whole sex thing, Jensen has been even nicer to me, and I’m starting to think I might make it out of this class unscathed.

That is, until Knox stalks over, his face a hard mask as he watches us. “I think that’s enough playing around, don’t you?” His tone makes it clear he’s deadly serious, and he stares Jensen down. “Why don’t you show our new student what you can really do.”

Going by the flash of uncertainty in my sparring partner’s eyes, things are about to suck for me. Badly.

I wipe the sweat away from my eyes as Jensen answers an obedient, “Yes, professor.”

Do my panties dry up just a little after hearing that? Yes. Yes, they do. Not that I can blame Jensen for being compliant. Knox is scary as hell, and the anger he’s radiating has me on edge.

Lifting my sword, I grip it with two hands and drop into a fighting stance. I might not have sparred before today, at least, not that I can remember, but I’ve watched Blake train countless times, and this is one of her favorite sword stances.

“That’s right,” Tarlaz instructs me. “Don’t take your eyes off him.”

I follow his advice, but it doesn’t help. When Jensen comes at me this time, I struggle to stop him. I manage to block his sword twice before the third blow knocks me on my ass, his strength easily overpowering me. Not to worry, I tell myself, bouncing back to my feet. That wasn’t so bad.

The next time, Jensen sweeps my legs out from under me, and I land harder, pain ricocheting up my tail bone, and by the third time, I remain on the ground, panting.

Sympathy shines in Jensen’s eyes as he stares at me, but he doesn’t try to help me up. I don’t need to guess why that is.

With each lost sparring match, Knox looks more infuriated, and it’s obvious we’re doing something wrong.

When I get up again, Knox rounds on me. “Is that the best you’ve got?” Then he turns to Jensen, seething. “Do you think you’re helping her?”

Jensen shifts on his feet. “It’s her first day,” he mumbles.

Knox stares at him with disgust. “When she’s out there fighting the dark beings, do you think they’re going to take it easy on her?

That they’ll wait until she’s ready to attack?

” His gaze fans out, his attention going to the other students who are all watching us now.

“This is war, and shadow warriors are falling every day. There is no time to take it easy. I don’t care if it’s your first class or your one-hundredth, you fight like your life depends on it, because one day, likely sooner than you think, it might. ”

That last part sticks with me. There’s an urgency to Knox’s warning that has my pulse spiking. I’m reminded that I really need to find my portal ring, so that if things get bad, I have a way out of here. There’s no chance I’ll survive on the front lines of battle.

“Satine,” Knox barks, startling me. “Show our new student what it feels like to spar against a warrior who’s not holding back.”

“With pleasure, professor,” Satine replies gleefully.

I’m not sure why I feel so betrayed. I mean, Knox obviously hates my guts, the guy has made that clear, but there’s still this thread of disappointment that goes through me. Like I can’t quite believe he’s just asked Satine to ruin me.

Satine takes her place opposite me, wielding her own sword that’s only slightly bigger than mine, and once again, I move into a fighting stance.

“Come on, Shade,” Kenzie says from the sidelines as students stop what they’re doing and crowd around us. While I appreciate Kenzie’s support, we both know I’m screwed.

Without meaning to, I cast a pleading look at Knox. I’m already sore all over, and I’d rather not let Satine have the satisfaction of half-killing me. Or you know, doing the job properly.

But Knox only stares back at me with his coal-black eyes, his expression hard and emotionless as he stands with his arms crossed. I really hate that guy.

“Don’t worry,” Satine croons, her voice sickly-sweet.

“I’ll make this quick.” True to her word, without warning she lunges for me, and it’s only my reflexes that allow me to block the sword she had aimed at my throat.

Lunge, block, parry. For a short time, I manage to hold my own, relying on pure instinct, Jensen’s extremely limited lessons, and the moves I remember from watching Blake.

Every time I block her, Satine’s face grows a little meaner as her frustration grows, and a slither of confidence slides into me. When she starts second-guessing herself, I begin throwing out unusual maneuvers, attacking with my sword in random places she wouldn’t expect.

And then I strike. My sword makes contact with her right arm, slicing a flesh wound, and Satine curses under her breath.

“Woohoo, go Shade!” Kenzie cheers, whistling, and I grin, feeling like I’ve managed some incredible feat.

“Not bad, girl,” Tarlaz says, sounding like even he’s impressed.

My gaze goes to Kenzie, and when my friend’s face floods with panic, I realize I’m in trouble. Before I can look back, Satine has lunged for me. She knocks me to the ground with a swift kick to my chest, and before I can recover, she presses her sword against my throat.

“Thought you had me then, didn’t you, slut?

” she says haughtily, pressing her boot into my stomach and making it hard for me to breathe.

“And now that I have you here, I think there’s another lesson I should teach you.

” Holding her sword with one hand, her free hand goes to the dagger at her side.

The next part happens so fast I don’t realize what she’s done at first. Not until she’s drawing her dagger away from me again, and my skimpy tube top falls from me, revealing my breasts to the world.

“If you’re going to wear such a stupid outfit to offensive training, you may as well wear nothing at all,” she says, her voice shrill and unkind, and she laughs cruelly.

I force myself to smile at her. “Huh. If you’d wanted to get me naked that badly, you could have just asked.”

Her top lip curls, and she presses her boot down harder as my nipples pucker at the cold.

Of course, everyone stares. Not that it bothers me.

I don’t care about being naked. Hell, I was a crow for ages, and I never wore clothes.

Okay, so it’s not quite the same, but what really bugs me, is that Satine thinks she’s won.

And even worse, is the realization that if she’s doing this to me, it means she’s probably treated others like this, and that pisses me off. My eyes burn.

“You psychotic bitch,” Kenzie shouts, but two of Satine’s minions hold her back.

Fury makes my blood boil, but I focus on sucking in air, even as a strange tingling sensation rushes through me.

Power passes through my ring, but before anything can happen, I notice the shadows crawling across the floor.

They grow in number, the shadows clouding the air around Satine and me, and the students all take a collective step away from us.

It takes me a moment to realize what’s happening. My gaze goes to Knox’s, and I’ve never seen the man so angry. His power sizzles against my skin as the shadows curl and writhe around us, and darkness swallows the room.