Page 36 of The Onyx Covenant

He grins, stepping forward with that cocky swagger that’s gotten him into trouble more times than I can count. “Always happy to volunteer, Covenant-sister.”

“Excellent.” Melian’s smile is razor-sharp. “Stand here.” She positions him before us, then walks ten paces away, her back to him. “Attack me.”

Kieran glances around, confused. “You want me to… attack you? From behind?”

“If you can,” she says simply.

Kieran shrugs, then charges, silent and quick—I’ll give him that. Before he’s taken three steps, Melian whirls, drops to one knee, and sweeps her leg in a wide arc. Kieran goes down hard, the breath knocked from his lungs as his back hits the grass.

Laughter erupts from the onlookers.

“The first lesson of trust,” Melian says, offering Kieran a hand up, “is to recognize when you can’t trust your own assumptions. I told you to attack me. I never said I wouldn’t be ready.”

“Lesson learned.” Kieran accepts her help, his grin unwavering despite his wounded pride. “Though I maintain its poor form to humiliate your students so early in the morning.”

More laughter, and even Melian’s lips twitch. “Pairs, find an empty spot near the edge of the woods that surround us.”

Kieran brushes grass from his clothes as he rejoins me. “Go find your priestess. And try not to look so murderous. You’re scaring the children.”

I bark a laugh and leave him, making my way toward Lyra, who’s already waiting for me. We head toward the perimeter of the woods.

“So,” she says. “What are we meant to do? Fight each other?” A ghost of a smile touches her lips. “That could be entertaining.”

“I wouldn’t fight you,” I say as we pause by a lofty pine. “That’s unfair.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Because I’m a priestess and?—”

“You should stop talking,” I interrupt. “Before you embarrass yourself more.”

Her shoulders shoot back. “Excuse me?”

“I wouldn’t fight you because you’d lose,” I clarify, enjoying the flash of indignation in her eyes. “And I take no pleasure in easy victories.”

“Is that what you tell yourself about us?” she counters. “That I’m an easy victory?”

“You know I don’t.” I step closer, unable to stop my gaze from trailing over every perfect inch of her body. The leather bodice cinches her small waist. Even bruised and angry, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

“Up here, big boy,” she calls me out, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

I laugh, deep and genuine, just as Melian approaches us.

“Theron. Lyra.” The Covenant member glances between us. “Your task today is simple in concept, difficult in execution.”

“Isn’t everything?” I mutter.

Melian produces two black silk scarves from her robes. “You will be blindfolded.”

Lyra tenses beside me. “Both of us?”

“Yes,” Melian says. “You’ll be connected by this.” She holds up a thin rope the length of my arm. “Wrist to wrist. You must traverse the forest and return with the token hanging from the heart tree.”

“While blindfolded and chained together,” I clarify. “Anything else? Maybe set the forest on fire for ambience?”

“The forest has its own challenges,” Melian says cryptically. “You’ll need to communicate. To trust each other’s instincts. And most importantly”—her gaze locks with mine—“protect each other. Not all dangers will be physical.”

With that, she binds the rope to my left wrist, then to Lyra’s right, leaving about a hand’s length of rope between us.

“Each pair must find their own path. You’ll know when you’ve found yours.”

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