Page 155 of The Blairville Legacies

Lucky for him, David had the USB drive.

He, too, disappeared into the entrance.

“Fortunately, it’s the other way around,” my mentor sighed, his eyes on me.

I came up the stairs slowly, eager to see what moral lecture awaited me today.

“Take your training sessions more seriously. You know I don’t want to be to blame if Nicolaj is disappointed in you, and you don’t want his punishment either.”

He eyed me in a scrutinizing way.

“Take him apart properly, Bastien,” it came gleefully from inside.

Couldn’t Miles keep his mouth shut for once?

“What had I told you about your feelings?”

I tried not to screw up my expression.

Of course, he was reading me again.

I straightened my Rolex Submariner and came up to his step, which had a good view of the wide lawn with the many oaks in front of the wall.

A good playground for children. At least, that’s what it had been for me and the guys back then. Just like the parks on the other side of the estate, with the rose gardens and the lakeshore overgrown with water lilies and adorned with small gothic pavilions which overhung the shore and could sometimes be found in the nearby forest.

“I always notice you slacking off when Nicolaj is away on business.”

Bastien was right, and it annoyed me. I knew he didn’t mean it in a blaming way, which didn’t make it any better.

If there was anything I hated, it was his pity and concern.

His hand settled on my shoulder, and I turned to face him.

Here, you didn’t do that. You didn’t touch unless you were in combat or named Miles, who couldn’t care less about the rules. Otherwise, you didn’t show any feelings. It was best not to feel anything. Unless you were Bastien, and you were allowed to do anything.

Sometimes, I felt something like envy toward him, but since he could feel it, it often reminded me that he too had had to pay a price early on. Even though he never talked about his training with Nicolaj.

His private life was none of my business. He was my mentor, and I was his student. Nicolaj had made that clear.

“I want you in the garden in five minutes. Bring the swords.”

Chapter 37

Julie

“That with Mady was too harsh,” I sighed, making my way to the first floor of the largest Victorian mansion in town.

“She wasliterallybegging for it. And besides, I was doing Bayla a favor.”

By taking away her chance at human friends and treating Mady like some Air Quatura treated me in the Circle?

I didn’t know what to say. There were all kinds of confusing feelings inside me that I couldn’t categorize, and the ones I could categorize, I couldn’t express. On top of that, Grace rarely let me express myself.

“Luckily, Amara resolved everything.”

It sounded that easy. All she could think about right now was the Circle. But what else could she be thinking about? What was I blaming her for right now? Nothing was different.

Julie, relax.

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