Page 7

C rawling my way through the shallow water along the edge of the lake with a group of other girls was not how I expected to spend my weekend.

But Instructor Dane doesn’t believe in weekends and rest. Apparently, every single day of the week should be torture.

All while he gets to stand there and spew comments about how weak we all are while staying warm and dry.

I’m starting to see a trend in all of these males. They’re all cocky, over-confident and way too good looking, but it’s overshadowed by their bad temper, lack of manners, and asshole-ish ways.

Half the day is gone before I stumble to my feet and limp back to the house.

The four are already outside, all looking like they’re waiting for something. I figure out what that something is when they spot me and glare at me as I made my way toward them.

“About fucking time,” Knox huffs, acting all annoyed when all I’m doing is trying to exist.

“What?” I grit out, ready for my bed and not this shit.

“You’re training with us,” Malakai says like a statement instead of a request.

“No, I’m not. Especially not after last time.” I move to step around them when they span out, blocking my way.

“Let’s be honest, you deserve that and more,” Knox says like it should be obvious. But I haven’t a clue who they are, and whatever happened between them and the other Sena wasn’t my fault.

I pause, realizing they don’t know that either.

And it just makes this all the more confusing and frustrating.

I should be mad at them, and I am. In fact, I’m livid most of the time I see one of their faces.

But I also know the Sena before me did something to make them this angry. And I haven’t a clue what it is.

Cyrus has been silently watching me and the exchange between the others these last couple of minutes, but he finally speaks up. “You really don’t remember any of us?”

I sigh and shake my head. “No, and up until the other day I didn’t even know your names. Someone else pointed them out. That day, you all got demoted from eye color to assholes by the way.”

A round of chuckles rings out. But they quickly realize they’re laughing at something I said, and they cut it off, clearing their throats and frowning at one another before glaring at me like it’s my fault they even laughed.

“Fine,” Malakai says. “Let’s pretend you don’t know or remember .” He glances at the others and shares a look I don’t quite understand. But they nod to whatever silent question he asks.

“Let’s start over,” he says.

I narrow my eyes on him, not trusting his little truce for even a second. “You left me in a pit of mud when it was lashing raining out. I could have died.”

He rolls his eyes at me as if I’m being dramatic. “You would’ve been fine. You got us back with the Vims. I was fucking drained most of the day. Could barely lift my legs and arms.”

The thought puts a nice big smile on my face.

He shakes his head at the look, but I don’t miss the slight curve to his lips. “Let’s call it even and move on.”

I groan, not wanting to walk any farther, let alone do another couple of hours of training.

“Look, I’ve been training all morning. Instructor Dane is a fucking dick.

Just like you all.” I give them all a pointed look.

“He made us crawl through the edge of the lake over and over before moving onto the obstacle course from hell. I’m tired. ”

I glance up at them when I realize they’ve all gone quiet. And all are wearing frowns.

“What?” I ask.

Theon clenches his jaw. “Your training is supposed to come from us. Not anyone else.”

“All the other females train along with me,” I tell them, and their frowns only deepen.

“Where the hell did you think I went all this time?” I ask, realizing that they just assumed I was off living my best life.

Malakai shrugs. “Class?”

“To do your nails?” Knox says making me narrow my eyes on him.

“If I was ever doing my nails, it would be to sharpen my claws to tear you apart,” I warn him, but instead of getting annoyed or angry with me, a slow sliding smile curves his lips that has something inside me stirring awake.

“How do you know I’m not into that kind of thing?” he says.

“Why would I care?” I reply, but his smirk only grows.

“I’ll talk to him,” Cyrus says, cutting off the little back and forth between me and Knox.

I shake my head. “Don’t bother.” It would only bring more trouble than it’s worth.

“Fine. But you still need to train with us,” he says, and the others nod agreeing.

I glance around trying to think of something that will get me out of this but then I remember I have to spend time with them to help push back the madness.

At least that’s what Robin said. And even though they’re assholes, I don’t want any of them to have to end up in that Void place she described.

“I’m hungry,” I admit to them, feeling weak for even having to say it. But I didn’t get to go to the canteen this morning with surprise training starting at the crack of dawn, and I’m not allowed to touch anything that belongs to them.

Cyrus takes out something from his pocket and throws it to me.

I catch it and glance down at the green apple in my hand. “Is it poisoned?”

He smiles, and it’s fucking devastating that he’s so handsome. “No. But maybe next time.”

I roll my eyes and take a bite, moaning when the first juicy bite hits my taste buds.

Knox clears his throat. “Let’s get moving.”

I nod and follow them, but my focus is on the apple and trying to make it last as long as possible. But it’s gone far too quickly.

After a few minutes, I realize we’re not heading to their obstacle course as we would’ve been there by now.

“Where are we going?” I ask, and Knox glances over his shoulder to answer.

“Malakai wants to shift, and Cyrus wants to let loose, so we go out a bit beyond the forest to a large clearing to train. It’s just up a bit farther.”

A bit farther ends up being another half an hour walk before we come to the large clearing.

I glare at them while they spread out around me.

Malakai immediately shifts into a huge black wolf made from shadows while Cyrus becomes the shadows. They grow and grow around him, turning the afternoon light instantly into night.

“Cyrus, I didn’t say fucking blind us,” Knox groans.

I hear Cyrus chuckle from somewhere around me, but it’s so dark I can’t see where he or any of the others are.

“I thought this was supposed to be training. How am I supposed to do anything if I can’t see?” I ask them.

Cyrus reels back his shadows, containing them to just him, Malakai and Knox.

I take a step back, wondering if they’ll notice if I slip away while they do their thing, but another step back has me hitting a brick wall. Or what feels like one.

I turn around to find Theon staring down at me with a scowl.

“Start running to warm up,” he says.

“The walk here made me warm enough,” I tell him, and he clenches his jaw.

“Fine.” He takes something from his side and hands it to me. I glance down to see he’s placed a small silver dagger in my hand.

“Don’t cut yourself, and aim for that.” He points at the thick tree trunk with a red target drawn onto it. “If you?—”

I flip the dagger in my hand, aim, and throw it, hitting the target dead center. I glance at Theon to find his mouth open and his eyes wide with shock.

The darkness beside us shutters out, revealing Cyrus, Knox, and a human Malakai fully clothed, all are wearing similar shocked expressions.

“How the fuck did you manage that?” Malakai asks.

Knox is the first to drop his shocked expression and scoffs. “It was a lucky shot.”

Biting my tongue, I take the second dagger in Theon’s hand and move farther back before throwing it, all while imaging Knox’s head at the center.

I hit him right between the eyes.

“What the actual fuck?!” Malakai frowns, glancing from me to the target while Cyrus moves closer to me.

“Where did you learn how to do that?” he asks.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I tell him.

“Maybe we can—” Cyrus starts, but Malakai cuts him off.

“Let’s keep going.” He glances over at Theon. “Switch it up and challenge her. She looks like she needs it.”

I groan, realizing my mistake. I should’ve faked it for a while at least.

Theon has me practicing the shot over and over, moving as I hit it and getting me to throw the dagger from every angle until my eyes blur and the target starts to look like two inside of one.

I start missing more shots, and they all go out of their way to let me know about it.

The sun starts to set, and I realize how long I’ve been doing this. As soon as I stop, the exhaustion sets in on every bone, joint, and muscle in my body.

“I’m done,” I tell them, and they actually agree with me.

I start making my way back the way we came—already regretting my life choices—when they practically zoom past me in a mass of shadows, chuckling.

They’re gone in seconds, leaving me here in the middle of nowhere while the night sets in.

What did I expect? Really, I only have myself to blame. Besides this isn’t that bad. I was going to have to walk back anyway.

I keep moving, hoping I’m heading in the right direction. But I get to a point where I don’t recognize anything and curse myself for paying too much attention to that apple instead of my surroundings on my way here.

My stomach growls loudly, reminding me I haven’t eaten much today either. I rub it and keep moving, planning to pig out in the canteen tomorrow no matter who’s staring at me.

A twig snaps from somewhere to the left of me, and I pause, trying to listen out for anyone.

“Hello?” I call out, but nothing but silence greets me.

It’s probably one of the guys playing a trick. That or a wild animal.

Not wanting to meet either, I try to quicken my pace and head in a direction I hope is the location of the house.

But after another few minutes, another twig snaps and another until I hear something following me and moving closer to me from behind.

I whip around ready to call out whoever it is trying to scare me when I freeze.

It’s not one of the guys or a wild animal. It’s a terrigon.

A huge alien-like creature on all fours with black metal-like skin covering its entire body, a thick snout, razor sharp teeth, and two sets of eyes, and I know I’m in trouble.

Images of dozens of huge terrigons surrounding me flash across my mind, freezing me in place. It was almost like a memory.

But it’s not mine.

The terrigon growls in warning, snapping me out of my spiraling panic and confusion, and gets me moving, running like my life depends on it. But lack of food and exhaustion from training all day wears me down, making the small adrenaline spike wane faster than it normally would.

Something slams into me from the side, making me gasp in pain. I roll and try to scramble to my feet, but my eyes find the newcomer.

Another terrigon.

I reach out a hand, trying to find a rock or a stick. Something I can use as a weapon. But they rush forward.

I grab whatever I find and fling it at them. But instead of a rock or stick, a glowing light bursts out of my hand, pushing the terrigons back a few feet.

I shake off the shock of whatever just happened and get to my feet, running as fast as I can once more. But the sound of their clawed feet thump behind me as they catch up to me.

I try to call on that glowing light again, but nothing happens. Not ready to give up yet, I push my trembling legs and think of how I’m going to kill each of the guys when I find them… If I make it.

I come to a stop, my eyes widening when I glance up and around me to realize I’ve run myself into a dead end of thick trees that sit side by side.

I move to climb the one closest to me when I spot the small sharp spikes that run all over it.

What type of tree has spikes on it? I glance over at the other trees, but they all look the same, all hiding those tiny spikes up and along the entire trunk.

If I only had an actual weapon, I might stand a chance.

I turn and quickly get into a defensive position as the terrigons move in on me, all while still trying to think of a way to escape them.

My stomach drops, and I hear a swoosh right before something hard and cold flies into my hand. I glance down at it, and my eyes widen when I spot a long black blade now sitting in my palm.

I don’t get much time to think about where it came from as one of the beasts lunges forward.

Diving out of its way, I roll and get to my feet before shooting forward and slamming the blade into its side.

The beast howls before shattering into dust. I turn, ready to use the blade on the other—hoping it will have the same impact—when more long black blades appear as if from nowhere and slam into it, destroying it in seconds.

After the second beast is destroyed, the new blades fly back, and my gaze follows them. Turning around, I find a group of male Shadows all watching me with shock slashed across their faces.

But it’s the four in front that quickly draw my attention. Their intense stare and dark eyes veer from mine to the weapon in my hand, a similar expression of shock slashed across their faces. But also rage. So much rage it has me taking a step back from them .

Malakai raises his hand and the black blade in mine flies into his before disappearing completely.

It was his. Then how… His eyes glow gold for a moment, distracting me completely, and seconds later Theon, Knox, and Cyrus’ eyes do the same thing.

Malakai takes a step towards me, his rage not dimming the slightest. “Mate,” he growls.