Page 36 of Phixmery

“Good luck,” Ember whispers while Roz pats me on the shoulder and gives me two thumbs up before rubbing his throat again.

Gregor’s yellow eyes track me as I move into the ring while he fixes the tie holding back his raven hair. All I know about him is that he’s Vopn Fö; their magick literally makes them better fighters—I’m fucking screwed. I know Craven did this on purpose. Especially because Gregor is known for his anger issues, much like Sergeant Driscol.

“Don’t forget you have fire, Rav,” Nero bellows, and that’s when I notice him flying above me again. “So use it! You won’t get any respect from these males if you don’t start showing them what a damn badass you are!”

Right, I’m a badass. I can use my fire. I take a breath and wait for Craven’s signal to begin.

“Fight!”

Gregor charges at me and I strike my fire starter, gathering the spark in my hands and expanding it before creating a wall between us. He stumbles to a stop before growling in frustration. I use the flames already available and begin flinging them through the wall which he easily dodges before doing something I don’t expect and jumping through the flames towards me.

He throws a series of jabs, and I manage to avoid two before the third catches my cheek. I crouch and spin out, attempting to do a move Ember has been trying to teach me and take him out at the ankles, hoping to bring him down to my size. He stumbles and I take the opening to throw a fist towards his nose when he catches my hand. Acting with my reactions, I summon the flames that are still alight on the sand and blast him off of me. His tunic sizzles as he flies back. He drops back first into the sand and rolls to try and put out the fire coating the front of him.

I raise my hands to blast him with more flames when he moves so quickly with a tackle to my waist that he takes me to the ground with him, and just as he’s about to knock me out, “I tap!” I breathe, holding my palms towards him, but he doesn’t hear me, or doesn’t care, and I know it’s lights out again.

A wind gust blasts him off of me and Craven stands off to the side, looking at me with something akin to respect and suspicion. “It’s about time you figured out when you’re beaten. Stay down. Lesson dismissed.”

My head hits the sand. I’ve improved, but I need to be better. I have to be.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

EMBER AND ROZEN KEPT CHECKING on me after the sparring match with Ellis, but after numerous times of me explaining that I’m fine, they finally let it go. For some reason their worry makes me feel slightly uncomfortable; it brings a warm feeling to my chest I haven’t felt since I was young, not including my bond with Nero—from beings that aren’t bonded to me.

I settle in at the long table with the rest of my squad in the Wilderness Survival lesson, ignoring the seething gazes from Cresida and Evera who are sitting in the row in front of us so they can gossip or scheme. Whatever it is that they do.

Captain Reiner clears his throat, the sound silencing the room. “Alright, I know you have heard about the upcoming Trial. Yes, it pertains to everything you’ve learned in this lesson thus far. Yes, some of you will not make it back. We need to know that you can survive not just the war but the dangers that lurk in our lands. There’s no point in sending squads on missions if they aren’t even going to make it there in the first place.”

Damn, that’s harsh, but it completely makes sense. The lands outside of communities are barbarous, most deciding not to leave their hometowns, their safety.

“Because this is a test, I can’t give you much information other than you will be dropped in an undisclosed location with your squad. You will work together and make it back to Phixmery. You will have two days,” he states, glancing around the room, meeting each of our faces, so we can understand that these trials aren’t going to be a vacation—even if he can’t elaborate more on the subject.

He moves around the podium into the center of the room. “Now, our next topic I’ve pushed back, wanting to make sure you have a basic understanding of the things that roam our world. But there’s more than what goes bump in the night. Sometimes by luck of the fates, we are offered the chance at a familiar. Now, hundreds of years ago we used to have an abundance of familiar bonds and mate bonds. No one knows for certain why these bonds have faded out, but there have been many theories and much speculation.”

I knew this would be coming at some point, and he did let me know he was pushing this lesson back. Honestly, I was hoping he would have forgotten about it. This is not the time to be a spectacle in front of everyone.

Cresida interrupts Captain Reiner. “Wait, did you say mate bonds? Like fated mates?” she gushes excitedly.

He sighs. “I must ask that you refrain from interrupting me, Cadet Fellowes. Questions can be asked at the end of the lesson. But yes, fated mates, blessed by the fates themselves; fae would be granted the loves of their lives, all centered around the Heart. Some of you may recall that our late monarch, and many before her, kept the tradition of having four mates, be it female or male. Like familiar bonds, no one knows why they faded, but they did.” Reiner claps his hands, weaving his fingers together. “Now back to familiars!”

He gestures for me to come down with an excited smile on his face.

“Are you ready for this?” I ask Nero as I slide us out of our seat and begin making our way down the stairs towards the captain.

The stares grow heavy the closer I get but Nero nips my ear. “We agreed that this would be good so we can learn more about our bond.”

My skin prickles as a chill skims down my spine. “I know, I just have this feeling I can’t explain. Never mind, just ignore me. It’s probably just all the stress lately.”

Nero and I have been trying to practice with our bond, and other than sensing and hearing each other, we haven’t made much progress. I’m hoping to find a space under the castle so he and I can properly train without prying eyes. That way I can use the full extent of my magick and we can truly see what we’re working with. But as for seeing through each other’s eyes, we haven’t felt safe enough, even with Rozen and Ember saying they will keep watch. The book said I’m vulnerable during that state and it’s not a risk I’m ready to take.

As I reach the bottom step Reiner nods encouragingly. “We are lucky today because we are in the presence of the last known familiar bond, as most of you know from seeing Cadet Solace and Nero around Phixmery. Now, can any of you tell me something about familiar bonds?”

We both glance around the space and I internally cringe when Cresida raises her hand. “Well, from what I’ve seen, the bond is useless. She’s weak, and was practically a null a few months ago. If this bond is anything special, the fates chose wrong.”

Even though I know she’s just spewing hate, her words still hurt, but I don’t let them see a reaction. None of them, especially her, deserve to see any ounce of emotional pain from me.

Reiner tsks. “That is enough from you, Cadet Fellowes. You and your squad will be signed up for gryphon duty for the next week. I suggest if you have nothing respectful to say about your peers, to keep your mouth shut. You are a full grown fae, not a damn fledgling. Act like it.” He turns to the rest of the room. “We are fighting a war against the very people who destroyed and wiped out our royals—a whole race of fae. We don’t need to be fighting against ourselves, no matter how cut-throat this academy may be. Work together to survive it.”

He lets his words sink in. Of course some look ashamed, but most of them couldn’t care. Reiner is one of the more gentle-hearted fae I’ve met. He’s kind and compassionate, not at all like the bloodthirsty nature of most fae. It’s part of the reason I enjoy this lesson so much. Every other captain enjoys the bickering between cadets and soldiers. Some even encourage it.

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