Page 59 of House of Ydril

We take as many books as we can carry and find a seat close to one of the cathedral windows. “To start,” I say to Nuala as I crack open the first book, “let’s focus on the mystery stone. We can do mentions of the Trials later.”

My friend nods and gets to work. And I know how much she doesn’t like doing research, so I throw her a grateful look before I bury my nose in the book in front of me.

There are only a couple of moments of silence before I hear Nuala let out a squeal. “Ah, the Navarre stone.”

I look up, my heart skipping a beat as I wait for her to keep going. “It says here that just being close to it makes you see the entire color spectrum.”

I let out a sigh, cursing myself for getting my hopes up. “Yeah, I don’t think so. The power that my parents talked about has to be greater. Also, I don’t think it can be something we have very ordinary technology for.”

It’s comical, the way Nuala’s shoulders slump in disappointment. “Guess you’re right. I’ll just keep looking.”

A few hours in, we find ourselves with a bunch of notes on every kind of stone there is. Moon stone. Blood stone. The Banshee Stone. Even one stone, the Mhaenal Stone, that’s been in the property of the Academy for centuries, but there’s no mention of it having any powers. It’s just a weird-looking stone some General brought over from the faraway lands that we today know as South America.

I let out a sigh and glance around. We haven’t even scratched the surface, let alone started on researching the Trials, but I’m worried about the growing possibility of someone catching us red-handed.

Disheartened and pissed about my fight with Moswen, I suggest we leave and come back another day. Nuala seems thrilled, but once we’re out of the Restricted Section and back to walking around the castle, my mind rushes to tomorrow’s training session,again.

“Everything will be okay,” my friend stops to tell me, smiling as she gives my shoulder a squeeze. “You’re going to kick their fucking asses and find out everything you need to find out.”

It’s as if she can read my mind. “I know.” I force myself to throw her a grin.

But it’s not just the Vipers I’m worried about. It’s their leader as well. And I haven’t told either Nuala or Moswen, but I’m afraid I don’t know Faust’s real motive for letting me join the team and the thought fills me with dread.

Chapter twenty-six

Thenextmorning,Ihave to drag myself out of bed. It’s five AM and it’s fucking cold outside, but the Vipers don’t seem to like having their sessions indoors, even if it means the risk of losing a limb or two. So I let out a low groan, I pull on my clothes and I head straight for the training grounds.

A part of me hopes that this is all some kind of prank. That they’ve arranged for me to show up while they’re all still snoring away in their respective Houses. But there they all are and they seem to have started without me.

As I approach, I breathe a sigh of relief when I notice Faust not there. But as soon as my eyes land on Sarya blasting the straw dummies to pieces with her fire magic, all that relief shrivels up and dies on me.

“Look who was crazy enough to actually show up,” Harry drawls mockingly as soon as he sees me.

Before I even realize what’s going on, the four of them have me surrounded. “What should we do with her?” Sarya asks as she throws the rest of the gang amused glances.

“I know,” Leo says with a sly smile. “What’s your record for those flexed arm hangs, Harry?” He turns to the shifter, who lets out a rough chuckle before he says, “Three minutes and five seconds.”

A couple of them give a low whistle, making me frown. “I’m here to work on my magic, not do PE.”

“You’re here to do whateverwethink you should do,” Leo gets in my face.

Perfect, I think to myself. Now I have to suffer the consequences of pissing off my very own crazed stalker.

“Flexed arm hangs, you say?” I squeeze out, fighting to make my voice chirpy as I add, “Bring it on then.”

“Perfect,” Sarya says. “And remember, you’re only done with your first exercise after you’ve broken Harry’s record.”

As if that’s ever going to happen, I think to myself. They all laugh and go back into their positions, while I look around, blinking stupidly. “How am I supposed to do them?” I ask Sarya when I realize there are no overhead bars I could use.

She’s already started sparring with Harry. She stops to look over her shoulder and points at something so far away from where we’re standing, I can barely see it.

“What the,” I start, breaking off almost as soon as I start.

It won’t just be impossible for me to finish the exercise. It also ruins any chance I have of starting a conversation with any of them. But I grit my teeth and start walking to the far end of the training grounds, aware that anything I say in protest to their decision will only be viewed as either nagging or a sign of weakness. And I won’t be giving them that satisfaction. Nope, not me.

Of course, my first attempt at doing a flexed arm hang ends up just as I expect it to. With my body coming crashing to the ground after only a couple of seconds, my arms shaking from the effort. Now, I’m not some weakling. I’m wiry and I have thighs of steel thanks to years of doing midnight runs, but my arms are a whole other story. Lisa used to joke that they have the strength and resilience equivalent to that of cooked pasta.

Still, I keep at it. After a couple of dozen tries, I manage to do fifteen seconds. Fifteen. And I actually feel proud of myself, for that one second before I notice a stir among the gang.

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