Page 27

Mia finds me in the library the next morning. I am skimming the three open books in front of me when she walks in.

“I thought you were hiding from me.”

“Not hiding, just trying to figure out any solution to help Ledger’s father. This morning, Humphrey told me his condition has started to worsen, and now it feels like I’m working against the clock.”

“How long have you been here?” Her eyebrow quirks as she eyes my wild hair and the bags under my eyes.

“Since last night.” I glance out the window, wincing against the brightness of the sun. I’d gone straight to the library after leaving Ledger’s room. I knew I wouldn’t be able to find sleep. I can hardly seem to remove Ledger and my impending future from my thoughts .

“Find anything useful?” She leans down fingering the open books strewn around the table.

“Not yet, but I’m sure it’s here.” I lick my finger turning the page.

“Why don’t you take a break, train with me for an hour or two?

” I continue reading, mouthing the words as she speaks.

“Give your eyes a break.” She shuts the book I’m scanning and holds it out of my reach.

I open my mouth to object but when I see the determined look on her face, I snap my lips closed.

“Fine. You’re probably right, I could use some fresh air,” I admit, stretching my sore neck to the side.

“I brought you a croissant, fresh from the kitchens.” She holds up her offering, and I snatch it from her, taking a bite.

“Thank you, I’ll go change.”

“Hold on.” She stops me, gathering my wild, tangled locks into her hands. She tames my hair into a long braid that falls limply onto my lower back. “Much better.” She smiles.

I change and then Mia and I walk to the training grounds.

I marvel at the incredible beauty of the castle, finally seeing it in the light.

The stark white stone sparkles bright and seamlessly.

The morning sun glitters through the dozens of windows lining the hallways.

I can make out the cobalt blue shingles littering the many roofs that seemed to defy the wear and tear of the elements .

Everything appears so pristine, ageless as I drink it in.

Mia opens the door to the training yard, and I step through.

It’s lush and green, the grass cropped short.

There are well-used targets for archery on one side, and wooden dummies lined up along the other.

An array of shiny silver weapons sits next to us.

Mia saunters over to the dirt running track that encircles the main training area. She bends down and begins to stretch her lean, muscled legs.

“Please tell me you’re not going to make me run,” I whine.

“We have to build your stamina and your speed, so yes, we run. Get to stretching,” she demands. I curl my lip in displeasure but do as she says.

“We are going to start with two miles to warm up. Are you ready?” Mia shoots me a dazzling smile, and I grimace.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” I try to muster some positivity, but it fades as I watch her take off. Her strides are long and fast, powerful and confident.

I spur my body into action, my ribs protesting at the jostling movements. I chase after Mia, determined to not to fall too far behind her.

The cool morning air whips at my skin, my braided hair lashing out behind me. After a few minutes, my lungs burn, and my muscles protest.

I watch Mia; her movements are lithe and nimble as opposed to mine, which are gawky and uncoordinated. She laps me continuously, but I force myself to keep pace and continue. I relish in the discomfort, the pounding of my heart. It feels equal parts good and miserable to push my body.

All the anger, frustration and fear of the past few days begins to melt away. The present moment comes into sharp focus.

The golden rays of the sun begin to warm my skin as it rises higher. I focus on the rhythmic hammering of my feet on the dirt. Sweat drips from my brow and runs down my face until I taste the salty perspiration.

Ledger enters the training grounds and my stomach flips when I see him. He glances my way before getting out various wooden swords and staffs, laying them feet apart around the yard.

“What is he doing?” I ask Mia as she slows to run with me.

“A few times a week, Ledger trains some children from the city. Some who are struggling with their powers, others who need a physical outlet.”

“Oh, that’s really… nice.” My eyes widen a touch.

“Why do you sound so surprised? I know you haven’t seen the best sides of him, but like I said before, where it matters, he’s good.

He struggled a lot with his powers as a child, especially because he has two.

So, now he’s made it one of his missions to make sure the kids of Westray don’t struggle like he did,” she says, annoyingly not out of breath .

I consider her words as I study Ledger. He meets my gaze, and I trip over myself, thankfully recovering before I can fall. Gods, the way he looks in this light, morning stubble and tousled hair, is a special kind of torture.

Children start to show up as I continue to run. They appear to be around five to fifteen years old.

I watch each of them greet Ledger with a high five or hug. He gets down on his knee when a particularly nervous-looking little girl walks in. He says a few things to her, and in seconds, she is smiling. After another moment, he even gets a laugh from her and ruffles her frizzy hair.

I can’t seem to keep my eyes off him as he continues his lesson with the children.

He’s really good with them, patient and kind.

When a little boy gets frustrated, he gets on his level.

He takes the boy’s arm and guides it with the wooden sword to demonstrate and then steps back and lets the little boy try.

I get glimpses of him as he moves from child to child, helping where they need. He gives them the right amount of space and instruction. I watch as their faces light up when they do something well and how he praises them.

I’m so focused on watching I hardly notice when Mia comes up beside me, eyeing me suspiciously. “Speed up, Layla, you’re barely moving!”

“I’m going as fast as I can!” I yell back as my leg cramps. I collapse onto the grass, massaging the rebelling muscle. “I didn’t realize how out of shape I am.” I wheeze as Mia jogs back to me.

“That was barely over a mile, Layla.” I give her a pathetic look, and she sighs, handing me my water bottle.

I notice a few of the older boys are practicing their magic as I drink. One of them throws fireballs while the other tries to put them out with his water ability.

He misses one, and I hear him hiss in pain as the fire singes the skin of his arm. I drop my water bottle and stride over to them before I can stop myself.

The one with the fire ability is profusely apologizing as the redheaded boy grasps his arm, howling in pain.

“Hi,” I interrupt them, seeing Ledger coming out of the corner of my eye. “I’m Layla.” They look at me confused. “I have healing powers,” I offer, and they look at each other before gasping at my confession.

“I’ve never met anyone with healing powers!” the boy with fire abilities exclaims his brown eyes wide with shock.

“Well, now you have. Do you mind if I look at your arm?” I look at the boy. He has curly red hair and light blue eyes. I can make out blisters already forming on his arm and know he must be in a substantial amount of pain.

He seems hesitant as he glances at Ledger, who is now at my side. “Layla is an incredibly skilled healer; she saved me after I was attacked by some wild Kerolu in the woods.” Ledger pulls down his shirt, exposing his scars .

The boys gape at Ledger’s scars before the red-headed one winces, holding out his arm to me. “Will it hurt?” he asks when I raise my hands.

“No, it might itch or tickle even, but you shouldn’t feel any pain,” I explain, and he nods. I notice a smattering of freckles littering his face.

My power rumbles to the surface, flowing out of my palms and wrapping around the boy’s arm. He gasps, bracing himself.

“Does it feel alright?” I ask and he pauses, relaxing and nodding his head. “What is your name?” I question while I continue.

“Holt.”

“Holt. I like that name.” I smile at him and withdraw my power.

“That is so totally awesome!” his friend exclaims when he sees the healed skin.

Holt looks astonished. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” He touches it, smiling, revealing a gap between his two front teeth.

“It might be tender for a few days, but it shouldn’t cause you any further pain,” I explain. I feel eyes on me, and when I turn my head I see all the children gawking in my direction.

“Thanks, Layla.” Holt turns to Ledger. “Can I see your scars again? I want to fight a Kerolu one day.”

“No trust me, bud, you don’t.” Ledger mouths a thank you as I walk back to Mia who now stands with Cam .

“Hey, Cam!” I greet as I get closer. They both are holding staffs. “What are those for?” I ask.

Cam vanishes, and a brush of air on my neck is the only warning before he reappears behind me. “You’ve got to work on your reflexes, use more of your senses.” He disappears, then reappears in one of the training arenas.

“This is really not my strong suit. Maddox used to make fun of my reflexes. He would always be right up on me before I realized he was even there.”

“I’m a good teacher,” Cam says confidently tossing me a staff.

The second I enter the training ring, Cam disappears. I look around looking for any hint of where he might reappear.

Before I can even blink, the staff slams into my back.

“Ow.” When I turn around to face Cam, he is already gone.

This time, I move my feet and raise the staff, waiting for him to reappear. I catch his blurry figure in the corner of my eye but before I can react, he smacks me hard in the leg.

“I’m starting to not like this game.” I shake out my leg, refocusing and swallowing the frustration that bubbles up inside of me.