Page 17 of Kingdom of Tomorrow (Book of Arden #1)

“You’ll have weapons, yes. And we’ll train with them. The problem is, there will be times your weapons fail, or you run out of ammo and the enemy keeps coming. That is why we’ll start with the basics. Strengths and weaknesses.”

Wonderful. A new nightmare unlocked.

“Feeders are more powerful in the dark. The lack of daylight in Theirland makes an already complicated situation worse, especially while you’re dealing with reversal of vision metamorphopsia.

RVM is a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree vertical inversion of your visual field.

In other words, everything is upside down.

” His gaze cut to me. “There’s no need to panic.

The problem is rectified with special lenses. ”

Miracle of miracles, he’d just uttered a reassurance without bursting into flames.

He waved at someone behind us. “These lenses correct RVM and allow you to see feeders in the dark whenever they enter a five-foot radius.”

I looked over my shoulder and spotted Mykal lugging a large box through the door. Strain etched every inch of her. The urge to rush over and help barraged me, but I didn’t dare “disrespect” my instructor or disrupt his class. Lesson learned.

She stopped near the HP, dropped her burden, and dug inside it, withdrawing a curved inch-thick metal band she then handed over.

He secured the band around his forehead, just over his brows, and danced his fingers over one side.

A green light flashed, and a clear screen unfolded over his eyes and molded itself into a type of half mask.

Still trying to catch her breath, Mykal passed a band to everyone else.

“Thank you,” I whispered, and she whimpered.

“To activate your lens, tap the button on your right with four swift strikes,” the high prince said. “Today, you’ll simply wear it while learning basic techniques for avoiding and causing injury to yourself during a battle with feeders.”

I donned the device and tapped the sides as told, and the screen lowered and reshaped. Very cool.

For the next hour, the HP demonstrated positions, gestures, tips, and tricks. I admit, I struggled to concentrate. His muscles. They rippled. Worse, he watched us as we copied his motions, offering critiques whenever necessary. With Juniper and me, it was often necessary.

“Do you enjoy harming yourself?” he asked as I beat at the air.

I’m not annoyed, I’m not annoyed. “I do not.”

He stalked over and righted the angle of my thumb, then guided my fist to his chest, mimicking a punch. After returning my thumb to its original position, he guided my fist to his chest a second time. “Feel the difference.”

“Oh! I really do.” But only after my brain switched back on. The warmth of his touch ... the roughness of his calluses ... help me. “My error puts too much pressure on my thumb.”

“Correct. Now let’s address the bigger problem. Fear is talking to you, and you’re coddling it rather than treating it like the enemy it is. Talk back. Tell it to leave, then hit me.”

What? “No!” This was a test. How did one talk to fear, anyway? “Even I know better than to strike a military officer.”

“But you haven’t yet learned to obey one, I see,” he quipped. “Hit me.”

“No,” I snapped.

He slitted his eyes. “I suggest you rethink your stance, Lady Pink.”

Fine! If he insisted on insisting, he left me with no choice. “I’ll do it. I’ll smack you.”

“In the face.”

That was even worse! I licked my lips and shifted from boot to boot. “I’ll do it. I’ll smack you. In the face. With my fist.”

“Now,” he barked.

Yelping, I squeaked, “Leave, fear?” Then I did it. I punched him. Kind of. Maybe tapped his cheek was a better description. Or I would’ve tapped his cheek if he hadn’t blocked me.

He swiped his tongue over straight white teeth. “Don’t ask a ridiculous question. Make a bold statement. Fear doesn’t listen if you don’t mean it. So mean it and hit me. Hard.”

“You’re acting as if fear is alive.” I tossed up my arms. “A living thing.”

“Isn’t it? It speaks to you, and you listen. It leads, and you follow. It commands, and you obey.”

Dang him. “Why would it be afraid of me and obey my command?”

“Because it’s fear. It can only give of itself, and it always backs down in the face of a stronger opponent. Hit me,” he repeated.

I didn’t want to, but I also did want to, but I didn’t, but I did. “Leave, fear.” Punch. I missed the HP completely.

“Lady Pink,” he growled.

“Leave, fear.” Swing.

Block. “Again.”

“Leave, fear.” Okay, yeah, I’d used a firmer tone and produced a surer swing that time. Not terrible. I swung with more force.

He blocked. “Maybe I wasn’t clear. Hit me hard enough to break through the mental barrier that’s telling you how weak and incapable you are.”

Anger stirred my pot of frustration. “Leave, fear.” I swung, putting a little thrust behind the blow.

He blocked once more but said, “Better. Again.”

“Leave, fear.” Swing.

Block. “Harder. Again.”

A kernel of strength dropped into my heart, swiftly taking root and choking out trepidation. I could do this. “Leave, fear.” Punch.

He blocked, but not quite as easily. “Don’t be afraid to hurt me.”

Too far! “Of course I’m afraid of hurting you!” I tossed my arms up.

He rolled his eyes. “Your fright insults me. Do you think I’m capable of protecting myself from a novice, Lady Pink?”

“That’s not ... I don’t think ...” Gah! I hated that he always made such good points. “I could hurt you accidentally.”

“Another insult.” He bristled, as if gearing for a real fight. “You will punch me in the face as hard as you can. I won’t block. If you draw blood, I’ll reward you with apples and figs.”

Excuse me? I must’ve misunderstood him. “You cannot be bribing me to injure you.”

“I am. Until you accept the power you posses—”

Punch. As his head whipped to the side, pain exploded through my knuckles. “Ow!” I shook my throbbing hand. As the discomfort faded, horror took its place, deluging me.

I forgot everything but my foolishness. I’d punched him. Me. Even though he’d commanded me to do it, he was going to punish me. He had to. I’d failed the test. Surely. Lowly lords and ladies did not physically abuse their leaders for any reason, ever.

He straightened, wiping a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth. A smile curved his lips, there and gone. “Good job, Lady Roosa.”

“Sir, I wish to apol—you’re kidding me.” A ball of light cast golden beams into the shadowy corners of my heart.

He’d called me lady without Pink ! Because I’d done something correctly and aced a test. Bonus: The strike itself hadn’t been nearly as awful as I’d imagined.

Grinning, I pumped my fist high in the air.

“That’s right I did a good job. Chew on that, Sir Grumpus! ”

When he tilted his head and blinked at me, I realized what I’d just said and sank into myself. Something must be wrong with me.

“My apologies, High Prince Dolion. I didn’t mean to refer to you as—I shouldn’t have—”

“Out in the field, feeders will surround you.” His voice was low, almost affectionate.

“That’s an unavoidable fact. At some point, you’ll need to deliver a quick pop to an opponent’s face to buy yourself precious seconds and escape an untenable situation.

When feeders are jolted, they become confused.

Confused, they turn on each other.” He lifted my hand and brushed his thumb over my knuckles.

I’d already noticed his warmth and calluses, but there was something different about this touch.

Something infinitely sweeter. “You landed your blow, and you didn’t break a bone.

Now you know you can do it when it counts. ”

Goose bumps spread over me. Okay, I needed to stop reacting to contact with him. It wasn’t appropriate or welcome. I should stop noticing the sexiness of his appearance too.

“Thank you, sir.” Determined, I pulled from his grip.

He lifted his lashes, his gaze holding mine. Caged aggression radiated from him. “Do you have the confidence to strike me again?”

I didn’t let myself think, just threw another punch. No holding back. “Leave, fear.”

This time, he captured my wrist, and he flashed another quick grin. “That was your best yet.”

A megawatt smile bloomed, and there was no erasing it. “Thank you, sir.”

“I may make a soldier out of you yet, Roosa.” He walked off to help another lady, calling, “Medic, check her out.”

I turned my grin to Shiloh, who hurried to my side. “Did you see me?”

“I did. You did good.” Appearing amused, he cleaned and bandaged small cuts I hadn’t realized I’d sustained. From the HP’s teeth, no doubt. As quietly as possible, Shiloh said, “We both have Thursday off.”

“Only two days from now,” I replied just as quietly. Thank goodness! This was my first full day of academy life, and already I required a break to recharge.

He wrapped my knuckles with tape. “Will you go on another date with me?”

Ribbons of pleasure unfurled. No need to consider my response. “Yes.” I liked this boy and the comfort he provided. He didn’t make me nervous, as the HP did. “I would love to.”

“Good. Meet me at transport at six. In the morning,” he clarified.

Transport? Whatever that was, I’d find out.

We shared a soft look before he returned to his post. At the end of class, I saluted the HP.

He traced his fingertip over the scab forming on his bottom lip, rousing another smile in me which roused an answering smile from him.

Just a flash, there and gone, but enough to thrill me.

Spirits high, I waved to Shiloh on my way out, then removed, folded, and pocketed my RVM band as I followed my teammates to first aid, where we endured a fifty-minute lecture from Dr. Korey about possible injuries amid combat. I admit, my good mood fizzled fast.

Afterward, I attended drills. The HP sent a knight to teach in his place.

That soldier taught us proper battle formations and had us perform countless trust exercises while we wore our lenses.

For a brief period, I experienced the awfulness of RVM and the horror of seeing a feeder spotlighted in the dark, when the creatures became the center of your world.

“The more you practice, the faster your eyes will adjust,” the soldier called at the end of class.

Everyone else headed to dinner, but I set off to search for High Prince Dolion’s office. Dread settled on my shoulders. The time had come to receive my punishment.