Page 86 of The Awakening of Essensia

“You tell me.”

“I have no idea. The only other time the moonstone’s reacted like that is when I’ve been in danger. My best guess? Demons or summoners.”

“Keep your voice down,” he said, looking over his shoulder. The streets were empty, but he was right, she was speaking too loudly.

“We should have gone in,” she said, quieter this time.

“No, we shouldn’t. If there was a demon, we don’t have sunlight to fall back into if things go south. Better I check it out during the day.”

“On your own?”

He glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow, the mischievous glint back in his eyes. She wouldn’t fall for it this time.

“Take Erryn with you at least.”

“Worried about me, Vaelira?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, then turned on her heel and continued down the street.

By the time they returned to the barracks, the moon was high, and her thoughts had drifted to her bed. She unpinned the Royal Crest from her cloak, and Elijah slipped it back into his pocket.

Coins passed hands at the gate, and Vaelira wondered if Elijah was trying to buy her trust with gifts and privilege. Part of her wanted to care, but she was too tired to follow the thought. She gave him a nod and headed for the dormitories. When she reached her room, she unstrapped her sword, then lay on the bed without undressing, too exhausted to care.

Vaelira awoke to the sound of knocking. She didn’t move. Her limbs felt like stone. Pale light shone through the window, making her eyes sting.

The knock came again. She rolled off the bed with a grunt and landed hard. Something dug into her side. The dagger.

Pulling herself up, she shuffled to the door. Ressa stood in the hall, a roll of bread in hand.

“You missed breakfast,” she said, shoving the bread at Vaelira. “We leave in ten.” Ressa eyed Vaelira’s bandaged hand, then turned on her heel and left.

Vaelira took a bite. It was soft and warm. She chewed in silence, watching Ressa disappear down the stairs, guilt twisting her insides.

Ten minutes later, she stood in the courtyard with the other recruits. Grey clouds pressed low, thunder booming somewhere overhead. Kolborn waited on the stone steps of the training building, hands clasped behind his back. His gaze passed over the group, pausing briefly on her, but before she had a chance to read his expression, he looked away. The doors behind him opened, and Jurah stepped out, the hood of his thick waxed cloak already drawn. A hush fell around the courtyard.

“Training is in the outer field today,” he said, voice echoing off stone. “From now on, drills and combat will be outside twice a week. You need to get used to training in all weather.” He glanced up as lightning arced overhead. “The Gods agree, apparently.”

People laughed, then followed their Commander towards the Old Town gate.

Vaelira spotted Fang's broad frame cutting a path through the group and jogged to catch up. “Hey,” she said, pulling her hood up as the first drops of rain began to fall.

Fang grinned and clapped her on the shoulder. “Heard you had a late night.”

She tried not to react. “Something like that.”

“Slept through breakfast again,” came Ressa’s voice from Fang’s other side.

Fang chuckled. “Like you haven’t?”

The rain picked up as they made their way through Old Town. Thunder rolled above and lightning cracked as the tall gates to New Town came into view. Vaelira’s pulse quickened. She hadn’t been this far out since arriving in Caerthalyn. “Where is the training field?”

Fang shrugged, but Ressa answered. “Right on the perimeter wall. Used to be farmland until the crops were pushed outside the walls. The Academy uses it now.”

“The Academy’s in Old Town though, right?”

Ressa nodded. “It grew too fast. There wasn’t enough room to train everyone. My father used to bring me along to watch the training when I was little.”

A memory stirred. Vaelira was a young girl, hiding behind a blackberry bush as she watched the Anhaven Guard train. She’d tried the moves herself and fallen headfirst into the thorns. She’d returned the next day more determined than the last.