AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My classmates have only been gone for a few minutes when Ayden shows up. Lately he hasn’t been taking part in regular training and only comes by at the end of class. I haven’t asked why or what he does instead. It’s best if we keep our lives separate and know as little as possible about each other’s habits. I get that now.
“Are you ready?” Ayden asks. He assumes a stance, and Snow looks at me with alert eyes, waiting for his master’s command to attack me. This is generally how it goes. We hardly exchange a word – we’re only here to fight each other. A weird feeling.
“Sure, I’m ready,” I say, and I see the glint in Ayden’s eyes that tells me a powerful attack is about to come my way. Snow hurls several fire balls at me, I watch out of the corner of my eye as Ayden transforms. Fire flickers on his skin, spreading across it until he’s surrounded by flames. Snow changes too. As he drives me across the hall with his attacks, he gets bigger and flames dance across his fur too.
They don’t make it easy for me and Yoru to launch any kind of counterattack. But now I know to be patient and wait for the right moment. And it comes. When I’m forced to throw myself on the floor to evade one of Snow’s fire balls, they assume they’ve already won. Ayden commands Snow to launch a final attack, but I take advantage of the fact that it takes his spirit a few seconds to do this. I quickly combine my powers with Yoru’s and send him odeon.
I realize that Snow and Ayden are more experienced and can summon a hex much faster than I can. But sometimes it’s not just about the odeon.
Yoru and I run at Snow, whose flames are leaping higher and higher. We’re met with incredible heat that’s almost unbearable. But we don’t stop, and at precisely the moment that Snow hurls a mighty wall of fire at us, I leap aside. Yoru darts out of the way too, running to the left of it, and Snow is still sending out the final blast when I charge at him from the right.
Ayden sees what we’re trying to do and gives Snow the command to cut short his attack. His key spirit turns and lunges at Yoru. Ayden rushes at us, assuming I’m aiming at his spirit too. I raise my hand and summon a fire ball, positioning myself so that it looks like I’m about to hit Snow in the back with it. At the last moment, I turn and hurl it at Ayden instead. He’s forced to fall back to narrowly dodge my fire ball. I charge at him again, trying to take advantage of his weak position. But he doesn’t make it easy for me. With a rapid motion, he knocks my feet out from under me; I put out my arm to stop myself and push myself up again, but I have to drop my shoulder to dodge his counterattack. Ayden looms over me. His eyes look cool and merciless as he reaches out with his burning hand and the flames lick at me. I’m panting as I try to summon the last of my energy. I call silently to Yoru. He leaps away from Snow, turns around, and shoots a beam of searing fire at Ayden’s back. Ayden has to lunge to dodge it. This is my chance. I attack too, raising my arm and summoning the flames, but Ayden sees it coming. He simply throws himself at me, and I can’t stand my ground. We both fall to the floor and skid a short way. Ayden’s holding my hands pressed against my sides so that I can’t move. He slowly retracts his flames so as not to hurt me and returns to his ordinary form. He too is breathing fast from the exertion of combat.
“That wasn’t bad at all,” he says as this implausibly attractive smile spreads across his face. I’m gasping for air, and all I can do is stare at him. His heat is transferred to me. It’s as if my body was waiting for it, as if it needs this warmth to stay alive. I soak up the feeling of Ayden, his strong arms around me, his long legs and muscular chest against me. I can feel all of him and he all of me.
Something in his expression changes, although I can’t quite put my finger on it. His eyes grow brighter, inviting, challenging, and I imagine I can see a trace of longing in them. I’m captivated by those wonderful eyes and the feeling of his body on mine. I slowly free my hands, and he lets it happen. I lay them gently on his arms, hold them, caress them. I’m not sure if he’s surprised at this, but his expression changes again. He moves closer until his hair tickles my face. He puts his right hand gently against my cheek. It excites me in a way that a simple touch shouldn’t.
I gasp as his thumb moves over my lips, opening them slightly. I wish he would move just a few inches closer and close them with a kiss. I’m so inflamed with desire that I can barely contain myself. And I think it’s the same for Ayden.
He moves his other hand to my hip and then slides it up my side. I exhale with relief as his fingers push up under my shirt and touch my bare skin. We’re still looking into each other’s eyes, connected in a way that I can’t explain. It’s as if there’s this magical magnetism between us that we can’t escape. And I don’t want to. In fact, I want more of him.
My skin prickles as Ayden’s hands wander up under my clothes. I clutch the back of his head and pull him closer. Our breath comes fast, expressing the desire that dominates us both. He opens his lips slightly, closes his eyes, and bends down toward me. I suck in his scent as I close my eyes too, my heart in my mouth.
We’re startled by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Ayden and I turn to see a person leaning in the doorway: Alfredo Fabrici. His eyes flash with bewilderment and disgust.
“If this is supposed to be some kind of training, then it strikes me as pretty odd. I’m afraid you’re going to need a different kind of guidance to get your powers under control. You’ll never make any progress like this.”
His cold eyes are fixed on me, his lips drawn into a thin line, and he regards me like an insect caught in his trap that’s about to be sentenced to death.
“But we’ll find out soon enough,” he continues.
I extricate myself from Ayden. My pulse is racing, and I haven’t felt this angry in a while. Where does this guy get off being so arrogant and condescending?! But I know that I have to tread carefully and can’t afford to provoke him.
Ayden stands up too and acts as if nothing happened. “What are you insinuating?” he asks. “What will you find out soon enough?”
I’m pretty sure the guy was waiting to be asked that question. He relishes the moment and seems to be trying to draw it out and savor it as long as possible. And that’s how I know what he’s about to say.
“Uh, time’s up. The test is about to start.”
I stare at him and can’t believe my ears.
“I convinced the other Council members to let me come and collect you.”
At first, I’m speechless. I assumed all this time that they would announce a date. The idea that this unspeakable test is about to begin from one moment to the next… But I’m sure it’s deliberate. It’s part of the test. The Council wants to put me under as much stress as possible, starting now. When I realize this, I square my shoulders and look Alfredo straight in the eye. I hide the nervousness and the escalating fear as deep inside me as I can.
“You can’t be serious!” Ayden snaps at Alfredo.
I turn to him and say in a calm voice, “It’s okay. I’m ready, and I have to do it sometime. Why not now?”
“Hmm, we’ll see if the timing works in your favor or not.”
I don’t let Alfredo’s comments get to me. I go to him with my head held high. “Then what are we waiting for?” I don’t dare glance back at Ayden, afraid that my mask might slip off – I can’t afford to let that happen. I have to be strong.
Chapter 16
Alfredo leads the way, and I try to calm my pounding heart. My thoughts are racing, but I focus on what’s important. I remind myself of everything I’ve achieved in the last few weeks by training hard and call to mind Ayden’s instructions and the hints I gleaned from the photographed pages of Mr. Brian’s books.
I’m not completely in the dark. I know a few details at least. So they can’t surprise me. That’s how I try to reassure myself. But I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being escorted to my own execution.
