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Chapter Fifteen

RAIN

B racken worked us hard. Even harder when he saw how the six of us were practicing.

About halfway through the class, he sent us to the back of the room with orders to swap one person at the end of each round.

Needless to say, when Keir, Hawke, and I were finally on the same team, we decimated the other three sentinels.

I pushed myself too. My shirt was sticking to my skin when Bracken called for all of us to start cooling down. I bent to stretch, but I wasn't done yet. When everyone else got to go home, I had one more class. That didn't get me out of helping clean up, though.

Once the students were released, most headed for the door. The building began to empty out, but Axel dropped down onto one of the benches. Pascal put his stuff away, but then he also came over to wait.

"What are you doing?" Keir asked, seeing them too.

"Helping," Bran answered as he made his way over with another guy beside him. It was Daivon. "I mean, the court is all working late, so shouldn't the sentinels?"

"And I want to help," Daivon said.

"The sentinels are more than you four," Bracken said as he came around the corner.

"Maybe," Pascal agreed, "but Keir, Hawke, and Rain makes seven. If Beverly, Iris, Asher, and Marlowe want to fuck off, that's their lives they're risking."

"And all of ours too," Keir pointed out.

Bracken just waved him down. "They've all put in the time and know what they're doing. Plus, this lesson isn't for - " He paused as the door opened. "... sentinels."

But the sound made everyone look over as Wilder, Torian, and Aspen walked in. Immediately, Torian's eyes narrowed. A smile lit up Aspen's face. Wilder just jerked his chin in greeting.

"Guys," he said.

"Hey, Wilder," Pascal greeted him.

"Pascal!" Aspen squealed as she hurried over. "I've been meaning to talk to you ever since..." She gestured at her head. "Um, what kind of plants do you like? Flowers? Vines? Easy ones? Good-smelling ones?"

"I'm good," he assured her. "I also don't expect that to count as a debt, Aspen. I stepped up because I could, not because you asked."

Which made Aspen wrinkle up her nose. "But I feel like I owe you something."

A sly look began to take over Pascal's face. "Ok, so tell me your real title? I mean, only if you can, or want to."

"Go warm up!" Bracken snapped, clearly trying to stop that before it started.

Aspen just ignored him. "Queen," she said. "It's a new thing."

Then she turned and walked off in the direction Bracken had just indicated. Axel and Daivon were gaping, but said nothing. Wilder followed Aspen with Hawke right after. I lifted a brow, waiting to see how the sentinels would take that, but Torian stepped up and crossed his arms.

"You scared now, boys?" he taunted.

"Oh, fuck off, Torian," Pascal grumbled.

"Torian, don't," Bracken warned.

"He hasn't done the mental math yet," Torian said casually - too casually.

"What, that her being a queen means you're a prince?" Pascal asked. "Yeah, trust me, I've heard that rumor. Not much of a leap to get there either." Then he stood, grabbing his practice stick. "What you can't seem to wrap your mind around is that I don't give a shit."

"I'm your prince!" Torian hissed.

"And a dick," Pascal said. "In case you missed it, we're not on Faerie. I'm not even pure fae. The way I see it, that means you're not shit to me. At least not with that attitude." Then he headed off after Aspen.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Torian called after him.

Keir shifted, clearly ready to block Torian from doing anything stupid.

Bracken had a hand over his mouth to hide his smile.

Me? I had my head whipping from side to side taking all of this in.

I hadn't expected Pascal to blow Torian off so bluntly!

That the other three looked shocked made me feel a little better.

"Prince?" Daivon finally asked. "Like the real thing?"

"Which one?" Bran asked. "He uses both seasons."

"Summer," Keir said. "Yes, he's that prince. The son of that queen."

"Fuck me," Axel breathed.

"Pass," Torian said as he started heading for our normal room. "We're also done hiding, so if you don't like it, fine. But if you come at me..." He paused to glance back. "I will kill you all."

"Good thing I'm good with it," Axel said as he stood.

"Does explain his bad attitude," Daivon pointed out. "So where are we doing this?"

"What 'this?'" Bracken asked.

"Helping," Bran clarified for him. "The four of us discussed it Friday. If the court's working this hard for something, it means they could use some backup. Since half the court are sentinels, we figure that makes it a group effort, right?"

"And since Keir's our friend, we're willing to step up," Daivon explained.

"And hopefully learn a bit," Axel added.

"No," Bracken said.

But I spoke over him. "Sounds good. Torian will be pissed, but he usually is. It's a lot easier to learn how to protect ourselves when we have someone else to spar against, though."

My zez groaned, but he didn't try to stop me from leading the guys back to our room. There, the rest were spread out. Wilder was warming up. Torian was leaning against the wall, and Hawke was showing Aspen how to stretch her arms.

"Fine," Bracken said as he followed us in, "but if we're doing this, we're doing this my way. Rain, create weapons for everyone."

"Uh..." I gave him a confused look.

"Shadow weapons, since that's what you've been using lately."

"Technically shadow armor," Keir corrected.

Bracken just crossed his arms, putting on his stubborn look. "So try some shadow weapons."

"I don't know how," I admitted.

"Give me a sword," Torian said. "Like the one Aspen used Friday, but a little longer."

"Morrigan!" Jack cawed as he flew in to join us. "Rain-Jack. Court!"

"How?" I asked.

"Not how," Bracken told me. "Rain, don't think about it. Just make it. One sword, or I'll have you fighting everyone in here."

Shit. Ok, that was a threat! Mostly since I knew he meant it. So, calling a little of my Wild magic out, I tried to imagine the type of sword Torian had asked for. A blade. Light, solid, but elegant. That was what Aspen had been using, at least.

Grabbing at the first hint of shadow, I pulled it, stretching it out while trying to image a blade. I'd made armor before, and it had withstood a few hits. That meant the shadows could do this. It was possible. I just didn't know how!

But I hadn't known how to do any of this.

I'd still managed. I also worked best under pressure, and so many eyes watching me sure felt like a lot of pressure.

I just needed to give the magic freedom.

I couldn't force every detail, because that was too controlling for something wild. Instead, I needed to trust it.

Between my hands, the blade curved slightly.

The hilt rounded, offering a basket to protect his hands.

The whole thing was black, but when it solidified, it was exactly what I'd been hoping for.

This was the kind of weapon I'd expect royalty to use - except for the matte black shade of it all.

And yet, that was somehow even more fitting for Torian.

"Perfect," he said as he plucked the blade from my hand. Swinging it before him a few times, he looked over at Pascal. "You think you can show me something?"

Chuckling, Pascal turned to the closest wall and pulled down a sword. We usually used practice sticks, but clearly Torian had upped the ante. Testing the blade the same way Torian was, Pascal moved into the center of the room, then bowed.

"On your call," he told Torian.

"Tor, that's not fair," Hawke mumbled.

"Fuck fair," Torian said as he lifted his blade. "Fight on!"

Immediately, Torian swung. Pascal blocked, his blade ringing metallically. It wasn't steel, but the blade was still a silvery color. Titanium, maybe? Considering that was one of Bracken's weapons, I knew it wouldn't be a cheap piece of crap. No, my zez liked quality weapons. He collected them.

But Pascal didn't flinch from the collision of their weapons. Nor from the fact that Torian's shadow blade was completely silent. Instead, he parried and thrust, making Torian hop to stay out of reach. Back and forth the guys moved, and I hadn't expected that.

Torian was good!

Torian, the guy who'd refused to use a weapon because he said magic was enough? He was fighting as well as Keir could. He moved like he'd actually been trained in this! His style was different, but he was locked-in mentally, and moving like he definitely knew what he was doing.

"What the hell?" Keir asked.

"Hit me, Pascal!" Torian snapped. "Me, not my blade. Me, because if you can't hit the body, you won't survive until the end." And he swung faster.

"Fuck off, pretty boy," Pascal snarled - and then he did exactly as Torian said.

His swings began aiming for arms, legs, and Torian's body. The blocks clanged with gusto, proving the hits weren't being pulled, but Torian was keeping up. Yet when Torian tried to attack, Pascal was able to block his shots too. Some were too close for comfort, but he did block them.

"Halt!" Bracken barked, moving toward the pair. "That's enough. You two aren't trying to learn anymore. You're trying to show off!"

"Keep up," Pascal panted. "I didn't know he was any good."

"Swordsmanship is a royal skill," Torian pointed out.

Which explained so much - at least to me. If his mother had forced him to learn this, then he wouldn't want to use it. He might know how, but he'd made it clear he was trying hard to reject everything about her - and what she considered necessary to rule.

"Is that why you refused to spar with me?" Keir asked.

Torian just shrugged. "I didn't want us to get distracted. Now, since these four are already making a distraction..."

"Sentinels, this side," Bracken ordered, pointing to where I was standing. "The court, that side. Everyone needs to get weapons."

"Six against four?" Wilder asked.

"Five," Bracken said as he took the sword from Pascal. "No blades. Everyone uses sticks and magic. Dirty fighting is allowed. Pull your shots if you can."

"Damn," Daivon breathed. "Ok, so this is serious?"

"Very," Keir said.

"What about me?" Aspen asked.

"You're in the front, at the center," Bracken told her. "They protect you."

"Majesty," Bran whispered as a reminder.

"She's family, so no," Bracken told him. "After all, if we're done keeping secrets, then I want it clear which side I'm on."

Jack fluttered over to a shield on the wall, then perched precariously on the edge. "Jack!" he cawed.

"Ok, then you start it," Bracken told him. "What word will you use?"

"Court!" Jack replied.

Bracken nodded, then gestured for us all to line up across from each other. "Ready when you are, Jack."

"Court!" the crow called.

And all of us moved. I was right beside Aspen, so I reached out to block Bracken's first attack. Hawke covered my arm when Pascal tried to smack it. Wilder used that as a chance to attack, and my entire left side moved like a well-oiled team. The right side, however?

Torian and Keir lashed out with a vengeance.

They weren't striking with any constraint.

Both of them were aiming for Bracken, knowing he was the hardest of our opponents, but Daivon was right beside him.

Surging in, they all but forced my zez to focus on them, which left the rest of us to take out the other four.

Sticks cracked together. Bodies moved, sometimes bumping into each other. Surprisingly, Aspen was right in there, doing her best to hit one of the sentinels. She also had a few plans of her own.

A hiss sounded right before the floor glazed over with ice. Bran slipped, allowing Wilder to tap his chest, knocking him out. Axel moved over, but that separated him from the rest of his team. Hawke went for him.

I stayed with Aspen. She was my responsibility, but Pascal seemed to know that. His eyes were locked on her. Every time I tried to take him out, he would dodge me and go for her. That lasted for a moment until Torian had enough.

With his free hand, he shoved at Pascal, knocking him onto his ass.

Hawke surged forward to handle that. Wilder turned for Axel as if he understood the assignment.

I ducked in front of Aspen to help the guys with Daivon, allowing Keir and Torian to gang up on my zez.

Within only a few more swings, all four on the sentinel's side were "dead. "

"Nice," Bracken said, bending over to breathe easier. "Seems you six work together nicely."

"You need to use more magic," Pascal pointed out. "Rain, you didn't do anything with yours."

"I don't know what to do!" I admitted.

"Which makes me think that's where we need to start," Bran panted. "Fuck, they make me work for it."

"He's not wrong," Bracken said. "Rain, I want you with Wilder and Hawke. Aspen, you're with Bran and Keir. Daivon and Axel? You'll serve as Torian's opponent. Pascal, float around between them."

"Starting to feel like that's a compliment," Pascal joked.

"It is," Wilder said. "To us, it's called helping. Even Torian will agree."

Torian just grunted. He also didn't say Wilder was wrong.