Page 8

D eah was right. I cannot handle my mead.

I’m struggling to handle the hangover from it, too.

Lamond dropped me off at our door last night, where I’d face planted into bed, still wearing my field clothes. The door creaks open, so I roll myself into a seated position and blink at the light streaming through the still open windows.

“Do you always prefer sleeping with the curtains open?” Deah asks, kicking her boots off and grabbing a change of clothes from her dresser.

“I typically prefer remembering getting home. How do we even have windows in a cave?”

She chuckles, quickly dressing and re-lacing her boots. “A handful ofrooms face the outside of the mountain. Lucky us, we got one of them.”

I groan. I’m not sure if I'm feeling so lucky at the moment as I bury my head under the pillow.

“You need to get up and get dressed, training starts in thirty minutes, and we need to eat first.”

Right. At the very least, I need to brush my teeth.

No problem.

I stand, reaching for the clothes I’d shoved into my dresser yesterday. My world swirls, and I grip the solid edge for stability.

Deah snorts. “You are going to be so much fun to train with today.”

“What are we working on?”

“Not vomiting on your opponent, apparently. Go get ready, you need fuel. ”

Deah is, unfortunately, correct again. Although we eat swiftly, somehow I manage to keep my breakfast down as we head to the training area. As my stomach somersaults over itself, I force deep breaths to calm my nerves.

“How does this work?” Directing my question to our group, Emmy and Lotog having joined us walking down the halls.

“Most days we have free training, we pair up and work on sparring or combat,” Emmy tells me, pushing open the doors to the training room. “Twice a week, we have more structured training. The instructors will pair us off and dictate what we work on.”

Everyone is huddled around a board, peering at a long list of names. My stomach lurches at the idea of exercise, and I remind myself to breathe. Lotog snorts, offering me a wide grin. “If it makes you feel better, the rest of us have structured training today. You’re going to be with Lamond until Deah wraps up her sparring.”

Training one-on-one with Lamond after last night? I need to get it together sooner rather than later. Scanning the room, I can see Lamond making his way over; Novices scattering out of his path.

“Good morning.” He seems too chipper. Perhaps he knows he’s about to humiliate me. “This way, we’re going over basics today.”

Relief floods my system as we walk away from the group. He leads me to a mat that is mercifully at the edge of the space. Nalin stands off to the side, taping his hands with white binding.

Lamond stops in the middle of the mat, arms crossed. I try to avoid staring at his bare skin and the markings there, instead looking at the space around the mat. “How familiar are you with basic workouts?” he asks, face guarded.

I think back to the solo drills I would do in Torrent; wielding a heavy branch and working on moving my feet swiftly. “Erm, mildly?”

He sucks his teeth, considering. “Let’s start with twenty push-ups, fifty sit-ups, one minute plank. Just three rounds.”

I swear my heart leaves my body.

“Three…rounds?” I catch Nalin snickering to himself in the corner .

“Most Novices are doing six rounds today. Would you prefer to join them?” Lamond asks, daring me to argue.

“Three is good. Three is great, actually.” I force a smile, wondering why I’d thought my silly routine I made up on my own would help me here.

You did the best with what you had, Artemis says firmly. Now focus on training so you don’t die.

Aren’t you comforting? I respond down the tether, dropping to the floor to start push-ups.

No one who cares about you is here to comfort you. The ones who care are here to push you and make you very un comfortable. Artemis’s tone remains direct; the words sticking with me as I go through the motion of each exercise.

By the time I finish the first round, heat radiates through my body. The second round, muscles go numb. The third round I remain on the floor after my plank.

Gods, you’ll make an easy target in battle at this rate. Her sigh grates me as my headache from the hangover intensifies.

I breathe through the nausea. Please stop talking.

“Get up, we have more to do,” Lamond commands, toeing my thigh with his boot. “We have sprints next, so don’t worry about not being able to feel your arms.”

“Perfect,” I mumble sardonically, turning my head to look at him from the floor.

“Some of us did eight rounds of a hundred push-ups, sit-ups, and minute long planks already this morning, Princess. We’re running next, get up.”

Heaving out a breath, I follow him across the training room to the short track. Deah is doing swordplay with a male I’ve seen in passing, Lotog is wrestling Nalin and losing, and Emmy is combat training. Based on what’s unfolding on her mat, Emmy looks like she could end my life within seconds.

We’ve reached the track, where Lamond comes to a halt and clasps his hands behind his back. “Fifty down and back. ”

I exhale deeply before taking off down the designated area. The fog in my mind clears with every strike of my heel as I jog away from Lamond. My mind quiets, my focus improving with every passing step. Still, a pit rests low in my stomach, nagging at me.

I’m sure it has nothing to do with you being very hungover.

I liked it better when there was distance between us, I snap back at Artemis. I swear I hear a chortle down our tether.

It’s a miracle I survive my first day of training. Lamond had packed on weights after we finished running, then had me watch him and Nalin practice swordplay. Fortunately, that was about the time Deah finished. Unfortunately, she is even more ruthless than Lamond.

“Who knew I could be in so much pain from merely picking a weight up from the floor?” I moan as I slide into a seat at our table at lunch, my legs still quaking from the countless squats.

Deah cracks a smile, picking at her turkey. “To be able to lift a sword, we need to pack on muscle. I wonder if there is a way to get you up to speed quicker,” she muses, pursing her lips.

I’ve never been so hungry, so I all but ignore her as she lists off the hundred ways she plans to torture me during tomorrow’s training. Finally setting my fork down, I look up at her. “Are naps allowed here? I could use one.”

“Naps? With what time?” She snorts, waving over Lotog and Emmy. “We have twenty minutes until coordination training with our birds.”

Shit.

Those precious minutes feel more like seconds as I scarf down my meal. I’m so hungry, I could have polished off everyone else’s plate too. Making our way back to the Overhang, I’m greeted by an array of birds stationed in the landing area. Chills rake across my skin, taking in the beauty of them all in one place.

“This is Adonis.” Deah waves her hand, showing off her fiery orange Phoenix. He stands up straighter, angling his head to look at me. “He says you belong to Artemis. Which one is Artemis? ”

I beam as Artemis floats gracefully onto the Overhang, ruffling her feathers as she steadies herself. “Here she is,” I tell Deah, pride swelling in my chest. Her gorgeous red and orange feathers candescent in the afternoon light. “Artemis, this is Deah.”

“She’s extraordinary,” Deah breathes, scratching Artemis’s chin.

I like your friend, Artemis purrs in pleasure.

“Listen up, Novices. We take to the skies in a few moments, so pay attention.” A stocky male makes his way near the edge of the Overhang, dressed in all black fitted clothes like the rest of us. His short brown hair blows in the wind as he surveys what lies below. Turning back to us, he gives a feral smile. “This is why you all so eagerly joined the Ravels, correct?” A cheer rings out at that. “Good, now listen so I don’t have to scrape you off the side of this mountain.”

I stiffen. Even though I’d flown dozens of times, I wouldn’t call myself a strong flier. Artemis manages to keep me on her back, but she does most of the work. Doing my best to fight the nervous energy, I shift my attention to what I believe is the officer we report to.

“You’ll fly one at a time off the cliff, you will bank left, immediately climbing in altitude, and make your round. On the approach of the Overhang, come in with a similar fashion, land swiftly and move out of the way. The incoming rider has the right of way the moment your bird lands.”

Sounds straightforward enough.

We are tenth to fly off the Overhang, Deah just before me. We aren’t to mount until it’s our turn to launch. We have exactly thirty seconds to get on and ‘get out of the damned way’, as the male has shouted many times over the last few launches.

I lean forward toward Deah. “What is his name?”

“Officer Gredian; he’s intense,” she whispers, turning back to me. “Are you ready?”

“Define ready.”

“Twenty-five seconds remain for your time, Deah,” Gredian trumpets over my response. Deah’s eyes flare wide. She whips around and slings herself up on Adonis’s back—her speed and grace remarkable. They launch with fifteen seconds to spare.

Shit, that means it’s my turn.

Gredian holds up his fist, indicating to wait. My pulse thuds loudly in my ears. I’ve never launched off of something.

“Thirty seconds, Aledrya.”

I’ll process how he already knows my name later. I position at the side of Artemis, turning so I’m facing her tail feathers. Swinging my right leg up, I’m thankful my nerves haven’t deteriorated muscle memory. I’m shuffling into a comfortable spot when Gredian’s voice sounds again.

“TEN SECONDS.”

Damn, I’m dawdling. Urging Artemis forward, she springs off the Overhang before I can ask her to do so. The incline is sharp, and I cling to her neck to maintain my seat.

You wished for more practice without my help, so here it is. Her voice is smug as she banks to the left per our instructions. I can see Deah and Adonis up ahead.

Is this you making me uncomfortable? As she straightens out, I relax a bit. I survived the climb in altitude.

I won’t let you die . Does that make you feel better?

Are all Phoenixes this sarcastic, or is this a uniquely you thing? I snort aloud, thinking about our birds being this way to each other.

I am kinder to you than I would be to any of my kind.

Rolling my eyes, I scan the valley below. I haven’t spent much time on this side of the mountain, and I eye the sprawling farmland, the calm sea beyond that. Pitching to the left, I grip tighter, my legs shaking from the weights earlier. I look to the side as we turn, noticing the hundreds of Phoenixes in a valley in the distance. I can’t hold back a gasp at the sight of that many, and the color variation of them all.

This is our home, Artemis says proudly. Zindell Valley.

It’s incredible, I tell her earnestly, a lump forming in my throat. I can’t believe I’ve lived this long unaware of what the world had to offer .

You still have much to see, Artemis reminds me softly. You will be great with training. It will finally be apparent to you why I chose you.

You chose me because I didn’t wet myself when you landed in front of me.

She squawks aloud at that. I chose you because you were made to be my flier. You were made for more than Torrent. I found you when we needed each other most, and when the time came for you to finally join us, I pushed so you would take the risk.

I stroke her neck as we fly, taking in the sight below in silence for several minutes. Looking forward, I notice Deah making a sharp turn as we round the final part of the mountain. I don’t have any idea if it’s been minutes or hours since we launched; I’d been too lost in the scenery to notice anything else.

Deah and Adonis drop sharply, moving away from the side of the mountain with notable speed. Artemis pulls up, floating in place as I grasp her neck to stay put.

What are they doing? I question. This wasn’t part of Gredian’s instructions.

Before Artemis can answer, two arrows shoot past so rapidly they leave a whoosh in their wake. I shriek, eyes immediately searching for Deah. An arrow darts past Adonis’s wing, narrowly missing him. “Deah!” I shout, desperate for her to hear me.

We need to gain altitude immediately. Hold on. Artemis starts to climb, flapping hard.

“Deah, climb!” I shriek down to her. She snaps her head my way, Adonis immediately climbing after us. The fliers behind us retreat the way we came, those in front of us already landed safely at the Overhang.

“Shit. I’m not sure what to do.” Deah’s eyes widen, looking below as our birds try to stay afloat in one place.

Panic fully taking over, I feel myself freezing up. My idea to climb higher had been from Artemis, not my own knowledge.

Cease the hysterics and calm yourself, Artemis orders, likely feeling overwhelmed by my emotions through our tether.

Has this ever happened before? I question, bile rising in my throat .

Yes, why do you think we’re here? We protect, and it’s not from rabid bunnies.

Something catches the corner of my eye, and I notice a flier and bird launching off the Overhang swiftly. They climb the necessary altitude quickly, bank to the right, and head straight for the source of the arrows. The bird is engulfed in flames, surrounding both of them as they nosedive at the archers.

Arrows still slicing through the air, Deah turns to me, her composure returning slightly. “We need to get out of here. We’re near the Overhang.”

I swallow hard. That will require flying back down the mountain and getting within striking distance of the arrows. “All right. I’ll follow you.”

Artemis and Adonis drop rapidly, my lunch threatening to make its way up my throat. I secure my hold and we dive for a sickening amount of time before Artemis straightens her wings; catching the wind that will take us to the Overhang. As the breeze pushes us up, she banks left, but my body slips right.

Oxygen leaves my lungs as I clamber to regain my grip and come up short. The warmth of her body vanishes, and then there is only the cold mountain air against me as I tumble through the sky. I’m going to die on day two of being a Novice. I’ll either be shot before I can fall to the dirt below, or the impact will kill me instantly.

A flash of color bursts at the side of my vision, and Artemis is under me again. I’ve landed haphazardly on her, though, and I’m too far back for her to manage the flight back up like this. I grasp on, inching my way up to a safe space.

An arrow whizzes by, and I clamp down on the urge to scream. Artemis darts abruptly as another arrow narrowly misses her wing. Muscles shriek in agony as I hoist myself up inch by inch.

I’m almost back in my seat when another flies by, barely nicking my arm. I have my seat well enough, go back to the Overhang, I tell her urgently.

Artemis makes quick work of climbing higher, aiming for the Overhang. That flash of light again to my side, but I don’t dare look at the status of the flier and bird.

Hold tight. Her command is sharp, and I immediately see why. We have to bank one last time to make it around an outcropping in the mountain .

Despite her decreasing speed, we slam onto the ledge of the Overhang. I lose my seat as Artemis stumbles forward, my crotch flying up her neck. “Shit,” I breathe, swinging off her on shaky knees. We’re breaking one of the first rules by taking up the landing area, even with our crash landing. I dart to the side, Artemis rushing to follow.

Deah spots me and races over, Adonis trailing. “Are you okay?” she asks, looking over both Artemis and me. “I wasn’t expecting that at all. It’s been a few weeks since anything like that has happened.”

“What was that? And who went down there after them?” I blurt out my questions, voice wobbling.

“More than likely a small group of soldiers from Torrent. If I had to guess, Ridge went down there after them. He’s typically at the frontlines, and a few others,” Deah answers, moving closer so she can pull me into a hug. “I know we hardly know each other, but it’s all right to be jarred from what happened.”

The last thing I’m distressed over is myself. We’re in the safety of the cave, but the Phoenixes—“Are the Phoenixes safe in Zindell?”

“A small group like this would never be able to get into Zindell,” Deah says, her hands visibly shaking. “The Phoenixes will defend it with their lives.”

I release a trembling breath, the realization of what occurred washing over me; I’d fallen off my Phoenix.

Gredian ushers us back into the training room, the Phoenixes remaining on the Overhang. “Ridge has handled the archers in the Pass. There is an hour before dinner; go and rest.” He assesses each one of us, eyes lingering on Deah and me. “Are you both good?”

“Aledrya was nicked on the arm by an arrow,” Deah tattles, and I whip my head in her direction.

“I’m fine,” I begin, glancing down at the cut there. It’s already stopped bleeding and has nearly healed over. “How is that possible?” I whisper toward Deah, gesturing toward my arm.

Deah leans closer, squinting at the white line forming down my arm. “Fae heal much faster than humans. The more powerful the Fae, the quicker their healing process. Looks like your wound wasn’t too deep.” She smiles, nodding at Gredian.

Lotog raises his hand from the other side of the group, Gredian tips his chin in response. “Will this affect Campout Weekend?”

“No, you will all still have your Campout. In fact, this will be even more training for you, since you will need to be on high alert at all times.” Gredian crosses his arms, eyeing each of us. “I expect you all to make it back in one piece, so be on your guard. You’re dismissed to your rooms or the dining hall.”

Retreating indoors, Lotog and Emmy join us as we make for the dining hall. I try not to be obvious as I scan the area to see if the flamed flier returned safely. I don’t know what I’m looking for, but Deah mentioned I’d know if I ever saw Ridge.

“What is Campout weekend?” I ask no one in particular, eyes still surveying the faces we pass.

“We head out with only a backpack for the weekend,” Emmy answers as we secure a table. “We have to catch our own food, find a safe place to sleep, stick together and come back alive.” She smiles wide.

“I heard it’s the best weekend of the year, but we’ll finally get to see for ourselves.” Lotog drums his fingers on the table. “Growing up, I used to hear stories about it. Only the Novices get to go, and they change things up each year to keep us unaware. We’ll set out at the end of the week after dark.”

I swallow my fear of the dark, forcing my head to move up and down. “Sounds fun.”

Deah smiles softly, as if she can hear my inner thoughts. “None of us have ever done Campout Weekend either, so we’re all learning.”

I’m thankful for the assurance, the nerves easing a bit. “Do all Novices go together?”

“No, we’ll be split into groups. We don’t get to pick, but if we run into each other, we can combine groups,” Emmy responds, picking at the ends of her hair.

The dining hall gets too noisy to hear each other, so we decide to go back to our rooms to rest before dinner. Deah heads to talk with a friend about training, so I make my way back alone. Reaching our door, I grasp the handle as someone firmly snatches my arm.

“Are you hurt?” Lamond questions, spinning me to face him. “I saw Artemis and Adonis out there, they both looked unharmed. Are you okay—and Deah, too?” he quickly amends.

“We’re all fine. Sounds like it’s part of it, right?” I attempt to crack a smile. “Were you out there too? I saw that flier dive into the valley, but we got out of there before we could see who else went.”

His forehead is etched with worry, eyes scanning my face. I hadn’t noticed how close we were standing until now, but I have no room behind me to add distance between us.

“Everyone is fine,” he says curtly, still leaning toward me. “Just wanted to check on you. And Deah,” he adds the second half again like it’s an afterthought.

His eyes flick over my face again, and something in my gut tightens unpleasantly. There’s a strange tension between us. Lamond’s features are full of disquiet, lines forming between his brows, lips thinned. It’s as if he’s willing me to say something—anything.

“I should go study,” I say softly, glancing towards the door. “We’re supposed to read up on the history of the Ravels.”

Studying was done on our own time. The only teachings they offer here are combat and flying.

His crystal eyes change, a look of dejection passing over his face. “Yes, and I need to go brief with the others. I’ll see you around.”

Then, he drops my arm and stalks off without another word.