Page 124 of A Whisper of Cinders

“Didn’t I tell you? Every three months there is a small contest, just for practice of course, but also so we can evaluate someone’s skill.”

I clench my fists. “No. You didn’t tell me.” I let his words sink in. “And I haven’t even been here for three months.”

The shield around us disappears and he walks away from me. “Huh, I thought I had.” He looks over his shoulder, fire burning in his eyes. “I could search for someone else if you’re not up to it.”

A challenge.

One he knows I won’t back away from. One of the corners of his mouth tips up just a little bit.

I swallow down a sigh and ask, “When does it begin?”

He turns back around and walks towards one of the equipment rooms. “One hour. It should be enough.”

One hour later I stand in a crowded dojo, with an audience overlooking the mat and other competitors I recognise from when I was training, standing around me.

My palms are sweaty and I wipe them dry on my leggings. I shouldn’t be nervous. The fact that Conláed thinks I can handle it must say something, right? Let’s just hope he’s not overestimating me.

The first duo is called to the mat, a male and female I do not recognise. The female is petite, but her technique is immaculate. She receives a few hard punches, but hits back twice as hard.

“Are you ready?”

I jump up, looking to my left to see Aramis standing next to me. “Why are you…”

He wiggles his fingers, green dust dancing between them. “Someone needs to heal them when they get hurt.”

Makes sense. The girl lands a high jump kick against the temple of the male and he instantly falls to the ground. Point proven.

Aramis enters the mat and quickly heals him. He looks a little dazed, but manages to get off the mat by himself. The next competitors are called to the mat and Aramis stands next to me once more.

“Did you know about this? Of this battle?” I ask, nerves gathering in my stomach like a tight ball.

He scratches the back of his head. “I do not know who you will compete against, no. But I might have heard that you were joining the competition. I’m sorry, gorgeous, I wasn’t allowed —”

I place a hand on his arm. “Don’t apologise. It’s fine. Knowing it a little sooner would’ve given me more time to practice, but it would’ve also given me too much time to think and stress about it.” And I am already a tangled ball of nerves as it is.

We watch the following contestants enter the mat, two females this time that fight as venomous as vipers. If this is a preview of the battle I am in for, I am not sure if I am ready for it.

“So…you can heal others?” Aramis asks.

My gaze is instantly ripped from the fight in front of me. Calm yourself, Maily. Others are allowed to know you can heal. Nothing more though.

“It’s a handy skill to have, Mai,” he continues when I remain silent. “One that doesn’t appear often.”

So they say. I frown and tilt my head to the side. “You can heal.”

Aramis snickers. “Yes, gorgeous, I can. We all can do some mending, but mostly to ourselves. There are some — like me — that can do more than that, but let’s say someone’s hand gets cut off,” my eyes go wide and my mouth contorts. The thought alone gives me the shivers. “Relax, it rarely happens. But if it would, I could stop the bleeding, keep the heartbeat steady, and take a small amount of pain. But the hand would be lost. Althea on the other hand? It would take time, it’s something that demands a lot of power, but she could do it.”

Yes, the aura that clings around the head of the sanctum hums with power, but I wouldn’t call Aramis weak either.

“You’re staring. What are you thinking?” Aramis asks, eyes twinkling.

“…and Daelan.” A voice echoes in the distance.

“You’re not weak.” I say with certainty.

He grins, a bright light shining behind his forest green eyes. “Let’s say I possess other powers that are more powerful than my healing skills.”

Instantly my vision goes black, I grasp for air and know I am the only one who witnesses this. Around me, small sparks of light appear, not my fire but a warm light and I catch the faint sound of fluttering wings. The starflies from the cave. Phantom hands caress my arm, my waist, my ribcage. “You looked so beautiful there, I didn’t understand how you couldn’t see it. I know I just met you, but the urge to kiss you was overwhelming and —"