Page 29 of A Song of Shadow and Starlight

"Shall we show him what you've learned, my protege?" Nyx takes his stance and motions with his head for me to join him. "Slow to start and then we'll pick up speed."

I nod my head and take my stance.

Nyx takes the movement slowly and gradually our pace quickens, and with it my anxiety and competitiveness. I don't know why I have such a great desire to nail each move and impress Atlas. He's been a thorn in my side, but after our encounter with the Soul Eaters, my deep-rooted irritation for him has fizzled. I want him to see me as powerful and fearsome. Two things I pretend to be, but wish I actually was. In reality, I'm scared, and for the first time in my adult life, I'm unsure of my place in the world.

"Shaye," Nyx says softly, but it barely registers that he's saying something. "Shaye, slow down. Shaye –"

By the time I realize my speed increased because I was lost in thought, making me reckless, I jerk my hand to the left, but instead of dodging Nyx's blow, I feed into it, and he slices my right forearm.

"Ah!" I scream, dropping my knife and clutching my wounded arm.

"Shaye," Nyx reaches for me, but Atlas is already upon me. He rips a piece of his jacket and tightly wraps it around my arm.

"You're hurting me," I hiss.

"If I don't bind it, you'll lose a lot of blood before Finn can look at it," he explains without stopping his work. "Finn! Finn, come here."

Finn and Eris hop up and run over to us. The second Finn sees the bloodied rag, he springs into action. Rushing for his small leather pack, he has me sit in front of him as he goes to work with his tinctures, balms, and stitching kit.

"May I?" Finn asks, gently lifting my injured arm. I give my approval before he unwraps it to look at it. He exhales after examining my wound. "It's not as bad as I thought it'd be."

Nyx rubs a hand against the back of his neck, worry marring his features. "Shaye, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

I wave off his apologies. "It's not your fault. I lost my focus and got cocky. It's my fault."

He plops down next to me and stares deep into my eyes. I hold his gaze, narrowing my eyes, mentally asserting my dominance, and finally, he laughs. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"It's ok," I smile. "You'll just have to sleep with one eye open now."

"Hey!"

"I'm joking," I tap his hand. "I stabbed you. You cut me. We're even."

Nyx nods. "Even." He hops to his feet. "I'll let Finn fix you up."

I watch quietly as Nyx finds his way across the campsite joining Atlas and Eris who are whispering back and forth. I wish I could listen in on their conversation but they're too far for me to eavesdrop.

Finn pulls out a small container from his bag, twisting the tin top off revealing a white balm. "This will sting at first, but it'll help it heal faster and not leave a noticeable scar." He grabs my hand and slathers the ointment on my forearm. As promised, it stings but the pain passes just as quickly.

"It smells nice," I watch him massage the lotion into my wound. "Did you make this?"

He nods, looking at me over the rim of his spectacles. "I have my own apothecary in Tronovia. I spend most of my time making balms, ointments, and potions to help soothe people's ailments."

"And you made theDissimuloEris used in Midori?"

"I didn't like the thought of her going undercover, dependent on my mixtures. What if I messed up? What if it stopped working before I could get her another dose? What if it made her sick?" He shuddered, screwing the lid back onto the jar and stuffing it into his bag.

"Are you two…?"

His hazel eyes find Eris across the camp, talking with his brothers. "We're friends," he whispers. He meets my gaze again and I can tell he's lying, or hiding something from me, but I won't press the issue. He doesn't owe me an explanation.

"Thank you," I lift my hand and smile. "Your magic is working wonders."

Finn pales and I sense I've offended him, but I'm not sure how I did. He glances at the others but none of them are looking our way.

"I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?"

Finn snaps to and shakes his head, flashing a friendly, albeit forced, smile. "Of course not. I'm glad I could help, Shaye."

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