Page 65 of Forged Absolution (Fates of the Bound 4)

It looked like burpees were on the menu.

Lila snorted. She hated burpees.

She and Nico trotted toward the opposite corner of the gym, which was set up for another class. Dixon, Connell, and Mòr stretched their legs upon the mat-strewn floor.

“You run fast, Lila,” Mòr said. “Really fast. Crazy fast. You made me tired just watching you. You’re a sprinter?”

“In college. I’m getting a bit slower in my old age.”

“I highly doubt that, Lila.” Nico grinned as he said her name, then lifted the hem of his shirt. He wiped his damp forehead, baring his ridged abdomen in the cold air.

Connell kicked off his sneakers and rammed them into a wall of cubbies, gesturing for Dixon and Lila to do the same. “Nico didn’t find out anything about the break-in at your cabin.”

“I didn’t find anything out yet. Give me time. I’ll figure out which little punk did it.”

“Plug the hole in your security instead,” Lila said. “Fill in the cameras where the kid disappeared and move on to something more serious.”

“This is serious. We don’t let our young treat outsiders like this.”

“We’ll handle it,” Connell said. “In the meantime, let’s see what sort of hand-to-hand training you’ve had.”

“With an audience?” Lila’s eyes flicked toward Mòr and Nico.

“Nico helps with the beginner class, and I train Mòr. I thought she could help demo a few things.”

Lila’s head whipped around to the oracle. “Wait? You fight?”

“I didn’t turn Connell’s head because I’m the oracle. I pinned him a few times.”

Connell put his fists on his hips. “I let you pin me because you were cute, woman. That cuteness fades when you goad me.”

“You didn’t let me win.”

“Did too.”

“I did not.”

“You did.”

“He did not,” Nico interjected. “I was there. You should have seen his face, Lila. He looked shocked through and through every time she got the better of him.”

“Shut up.” Connell fixed Lila with a stare. “What sort of training have you had?”

“Plenty. I just suck. I rely on my tranq and my speed to avoid fights, but…”

“Fights have a way of happening,” he finished for her. The small group did a quick warmup, the same warmup Camille and Cecily had suffered through.

It seemed that burpees were back on the menu.

Lila finished fifty, then suffered through several more sets of lunges, bear crawls, squats, pushups, and crunches.

“Pair up with Dixon,” Connell said at last. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Lila sighed, knowing she’d do nothing from that point on but embarrass herself in front of a gym full of strangers.

Dixon crouched and waited for her to attack.

Or lurch forward drunkenly.

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