Page 109 of The Awakening of Essensia

“Me either,” Fang said. “What are you going to do now?”

Vaelira didn’t answer. She had no idea.

He glanced at Ressa and back at her. “Whatever you choose, we’ve got your back.”

Ressa squeezed her hand. “You can count on us.”

Morning light filtered through the high windows of the empty training hall. Vaelira had skipped breakfast and come straight to drills, hoping to draw as little attention as possible. Anything was better than staying in her room with her thoughts. She needed to prove she still belonged here, not only to the others, but to herself.

Last night had helped. Ressa and Fang had stayed late, until she’d finally kicked them out, insisting she needed her sleep if she was going to show up for training. She hadn’t planned to go, but when she woke, she’d felt different. Maybe she could get through this if they were by her side.

Recruits trickled in and Vaelira avoided their stares. Elijah’s visits these past days couldn’t have gone unnoticed, she only wished she could. Ressa and Fang spotted her and came to sit on the bench she was slumped on.

“I didn’t think you’d actually come,” Ressa said quietly, watching their new combat master, Lorven, enter.

“Hopefully I can keep a low profile,” Vaelira replied, eyeing the man. He strode to the centre of the room, turning in a slow circle until his eyes found hers. Her skin prickled but he just gave her a crooked smile before turning away.

“Come on,” Fang said. “Let’s grab a mat before they’re all taken.”

As was to be expected after several days of missed training, Vaelira was soon out of breath and slick with sweat. Bent double, hands on her knees, she gasped for air.

“What’s wrong?” a woman sneered from the next mat. “Prince’s whore can’t keep up?”

Vaelira turned away, forcing her breath to slow, ignoring the prickling heat in her palms. She rejoined the others on the floor, lying back to begin crunches.

“What was that about?” Ressa said between breaths.

“The usual.”

Her abdominals burned, but she welcomed it, let the fire in her muscles drown out the one rising in her chest. She needed to get back to her routine. Drills by day, research by night.

Galfri had promised to look for a map of the Heartlands, but she didn’t hold out much hope. Even if they found Korveth, how would that help them find Maerin Vireldane’s Veritas? His mother was long dead, and she wouldn’t have told anyone her son’s true name, not if what Vaelira had read in A History of Mages was true. Keeping it a secret was the whole point, and his mother would have taken it to her grave.

“Recruit!”

She snapped out of her thoughts. Ressa and Fang were standing now, eyes wide.

Lorven towered over her. His hair was tied into a bun at his neck, his tanned skin flecked with pale scars. A thicker one sat below his right eye, as if someone had tried to drive a blade through it. “Did the knock to your head make you stupid, girl?” he barked, arms folded.

She scrambled to her feet, wiping her palms on her trousers.

When she didn’t answer, he laughed. “It seems so. Drop and give me fifty.”

The training hall stilled. Every recruit stared. Her face heated, but not with shame. Drawing a breath, she dropped to the floor. Each push upwards of her arms was heavier than the last. When she finished, sweat streamed down her temples and her biceps ached.

Lorven wrinkled his nose in disgust and turned back to the others. “What are you all staring at?” he snapped. “Back to it!”

Fang offered a hand and helped her up. “You sure you’re okay to be back?”

Vaelira just gave a tight smile and stepped past him, sinking onto the bench.

Hand-to-hand drills began and people got into pairs. Ressa and Fang glanced her way once, then began their training.

They didn’t need her. In just a few days, she’d fallen behind. Maybe Queen Mairese had been right, maybe she didn’t deserve to be here. She’d spent too long focused on training her essensia and trying to find out everything she could about the summoners. She’d neglected her training, and now everyone could see it.

The bench jolted as someone sat down heavily beside her. Lukas.

Vaelira made to rise, but he gripped her shoulder and shoved her back down. His fingers dug into her skin. “Looks like the Prince fucked all the sense out of you,” he sneered.