Page 35 of A Touch of Stars and Stones (Kirrian #1)

I shift again, agitation racing through me at the fact that she doesn’t know this.

Yesterday was all nerves, and her technique sucked. It was her magic that did the work, and we’re all working that out.

She kicks out at Micah, but he twists out of the way, grabs her arm, and drops his knee to the ground, pulling her and connecting his palm with the earth. The usual tremor starts, nothing unusual. He used a similar tactic with me.

But as Ever holds her feet and steadies herself, the shake of the earth intensifies, building with a grumble that makes all of us reposition our feet.

Micah’s quick, and uses it as a distraction to knock Ever’s legs out, bringing her to the ground, as he wraps her arm up to her shoulder, pinning her in place.

The earth ceases to shake, and I have to use every ounce of training not to step over the threshold and throw him off her.

“Guess Micah’s been holding back,” Calix says.

“That was Ever, not him. He’s not that powerful.”

“You sure about that?” Ascella asks.

“I’m sure.”

“Well done, both of you.” Rowan patrols on the far side, and I notice that Nova and Perrin are showing an interest as well.

“Ever, don’t bother stepping out. We’re next,” Calix announces.

“Cal, don’t?—”

“Chill, Ten.” He cuts me off and steps in before I can stop him.

I look over at Ever, who’s gone deadly still, like prey after scenting a predator in the woods. At least she has good instincts.

Calix starts to prowl, and I see the shift in his stance that takes this from light-hearted to lethal. I know all his tells. Zuns, we fight the same, but he’s got his Warrior strength, so he’s the strongest of us all.

He doesn’t waste any time and steps right into her space, levelling a punch right across her cheek, sending her sprawling backwards. His follow-up is a gut punch that creases her at the waist, and she drops to her knees.

Anger races through my blood as I watch. “Calix!” I warn.

“She needs this, Ten. Nobody draws blood against my family. You should fucking know that.”

“Fuck!” I swear. I can’t intervene. It would mean crossing the threshold, which is forbidden. A particularly useless rule I’ve never thought about breaking up until about four seconds ago. Now, I’d enter and pull Ever out in a heartbeat. “Focus, Ever. Use his strength against him.”

“Not helping,” she wheezes, but at least she stands up.

Calix is ruthless. He builds every punch, layering them so they cover her upper body. She has no time to counter, her arms up in a feeble attempt to block and shield herself until he pulls back and unleashes his arm, repeating the harsh strike to her cheek.

To her credit, she’s still on her feet, but blood tracks down her cheek, and she hugs her torso to herself.

“Calix, this is about utilising power, not just a straight fight,” Rowan warns from the sidelines. Perrin’s attention is locked on Ever, thankfully.

“I can’t help it if my strength is my power.” He turns around, joking with us, as Ever staggers behind, hunched over and catching her breath.

Fight. Come on, Ever.

I watch as she staggers forward, then rushes the last few feet and jumps on Calix’s back, wrapping her arms and legs around him, clinging her whole body to his.

“What the zuns?” Calix grabs her arms, but she sticks tight, not sliding off. Then Calix twists and pushes all his weight back, falling and dumping Ever against the hard ground.

Her moan of pain shoots straight to my heart, and I turn away, pacing until I can’t help but look back to check. This is fucking torture.

But she still doesn’t release Calix. And he doesn’t thrash and fight as he would usually when he’s hit the ground, pulling out of his opponent’s grip.

They both lie there until Calix finally rolls to his side and leaves Ever sprawled on the floor. He crawls away, gaining speed the further he moves from her, and I breathe a sigh of relief. She’s still on her back, limbs lying limply.

Shit.

“Perrin!” I turn my eyes to the Custodian and hope he heeds my impatient tone. Thankfully, he’s already moving. Once he’s crossed the line, I head straight to Calix, but he’s already standing, a cocky grin curling his lips.

“Really? Her face?” I’ve been on the end of his fists, and I’m impressed she kept upright for so long. My hands grab for his collar and pull him towards me, but he just shrugs out of it.

“You didn’t seem to be that concerned for Crimson.”

It’s an effort not to roll my eyes. “Crimson can handle herself.”

“And Ever needs to learn,” he snarls at me, and the vision of punching him in the face is tempting as fuck. But he has a point. I just hate that he’s making it.

I turn back to the ring and see Perrin still working on Ever, his hands lightly placed on her face and ribs.

“Don’t worry. I won’t be so cruel. But he does have a point,” Ascella offers beside me. Ever still has two more opponents, and while she might have bested Crimson, she’s got no fighting skill to protect herself, no matter what else she might be able to do.

It takes Perrin several minutes to get Ever back to standing, and it’s only then that the tightness in my chest releases.

A fraction.

The second Perrin steps out of the ring, Ascella breezes right across to her.

They talk, but I can’t make out what they are saying from a distance.

At least this time, Ascella circles alongside Ever, and they both take their time before Ascella moves to jab Ever, first on the left, then another, quick as lightning, encouraging Ever to move and respond.

When she swings, I grin, but know she telegraphed it too well, and Ascella blocks. However, Ever grabs hold of her arm, holding it firm in her hand and takes a step towards Ascella, using her few inches to her advantage.

But then they both stop moving.

They both lock their gaze on one another and don’t move. It’s like they’re frozen.

And we all wait, even checking to see if Rowan will intervene. Because nothing…

An ear-piercing scream rips through the air.

Ascella drops to her knees, and the scream is followed by another that trails into crying. Ever’s hands are still on her.

“No. Don’t fucking touch me!” She screeches at Ever, who looks wide-eyed and terrified, but she releases her grip, stepping back in a rush.

It’s not just our group. All the trainees now turn their attention to us, Perrin moving into the ring and Raiden breaking the edge, following and running straight for Ascella.

Fuck this. I go, too, my feet sprinting towards Ever.

“What is it? What is it, Cella?” Raiden asks.

She’s curled her knees to her chest, hugging them to herself.

I reach Ever, who’s still motionless, staring down at Ascella, a darkness shadowing her eyes.

“She showed me… my death,” she croaks out, so softly I can only just hear.

“No, I didn’t. I mean. I don’t know what that was.” Ever starts to fumble with her words, so I get in her field of vision.

“Ever? Eyes on me, don’t look at her. You’re fine. Ascella’s fine. It’s all okay.” She blinks, and her eyes focus on me, the darkness dissipating but leaving them with a vacant look again.

“I don’t know what I saw. I don’t know how…” she starts, but the words fade.

“I was dead, Rai. We were on a battlefield, hundreds of Kirrians, our army around us, and her, walking straight for me, a blade in her hand. We fought. She fought like it was Calix or Ten with the sword, and she shoved it straight through my chest.” Ascella’s voice snaps on the last word.

She’s certainly firing the accusations. She pats her chest as if checking to make sure there isn’t a gaping hole there after all.

“We don’t know what you saw, but you’re very much alive,” I offer. However, I know what it’s like when you get one of those visions flashing into your mind. It turns you upside down, and you don’t know what you’re seeing.

“Perrin, take Ascella, Raiden too. Aurelia, you take Ever and Aten,” Rowan issues the instructions, having arrived.

Ever looks more shaken than Ascella now, and far too pale. I grab her hand, and that initial blast of heat descends into pain, a thousand tiny pinpricks, as I pull her with me out of the ring and back towards the training residence.

The pain is bearable and is joined by a steady shield of pure fear that eats into my body, but I shove it away. It’s Ever’s fear, not mine. Despite the instruction, I don’t wait for Aurelia and move us past the audience waiting on the edge of the ring and keep her hand in mine.

Consequences be damned.