Alex still felt raw from their visit. But she also found that she no longer minded the surprise trip to see the rest of his family, realising that perhaps Kaiden needed this. Fifteen years may have passed, but it can’t have been easy for him to visit his parents’ graves. Seeing his aunt and sister after that—Alex was suddenly very glad they had come.
“I’m surprised Declan didn’t demand to go along with you,” Jeera said, after the short, surprised pause that followed Kaiden’s statement. Her intuitive gift might have forewarned her of their arrival, but apparently nothing more. “Isn’t he still on a mission to find some toy he lost there?”
Kaiden huffed out a laugh and Alex turned to him in question.
“That’s where Declan and I first met,” he shared. “At Heartstone. He was a patient for part of the time I was there—he’d fallen out of a tree and shattered the bones in both his arms, needing a few days to recover while the Regenevators did their work.”
Alex wasn’t surprised to hear that about the lumbering, adventurous Declan. Even as a three-year-old, some things didn’t change.
“In true Declan style, he was bored enough to leave his bed, wander off and get lost, ending up in my room.” Kaiden shook his head slightly, as if he still couldn’t believe the other boy’s antics. “He gave me his jelly cup, and in return, I gave him my Sarinpox.”
It wasn’t funny, not in the slightest. And yet, Alex could vividly imagine the two young boys in hospital together, driving the medical staff up the walls. The picture was enough to bring a smile to her lips as she sought to keep the mood light and said, “Seems like a fair trade to me.”
Her comment had the desired effect, prompting another short laugh from Kaiden, this time with Nisha and Jeera joining in, too.
“I’m not sure he’d agree to that,” Kaiden said. “If only because he lost his favourite action figure when the hospital was abandoned. He’s adamant that it’s still there, no matter how many times we’ve gone back to search the ruins for it.”
“Jaxon is convinced you’re a bad influence on him,” Nisha said, hiding her grin by sipping from a mug of tea.
“Jaxon is convinced everyone is a bad influence,” Jeera said, rolling her eyes. “He might be invaluable when it comes to politics and matters of state, but the man has no social diplomacy whatsoever.”
That much, Alex recalled for herself.
“He’s not that bad,” Nisha said, perhaps feeling a sense of duty to defend the royal advisor. But then she pulled a face as if remembering something and amended, “I’m sure he’s pleasant enough to the people he cares about.”
“According to Declan, that’s a very short list,” Kaiden said.
“Well… we all have faults,” Nisha said, trying to rally. “Let’s just be thankful that Declan is nothing like his grandfather and leave it at that.”
Alex had to hide a smile at how uncomfortable the commander looked, as if she was waging a war between loyalty and honesty. But Alex also respected that Nisha wasn’t willing to slander one of her colleagues, no matter how deserving he might be. That said a lot about her—and also gave an indication as to how Kaiden was so… Kaiden. Integrity clearly ran in the family.
Their conversation moved on from the advisor when Nisha and Jeera asked about their classes—SAS, in particular, since Jeera had apparently apprenticed for two years with Hunter before being accepted into Warden training. She knew the man well and regaled Alex and Kaiden with tales of the arduous tests she’d endured.
Eventually their discussion drifted until they were asking Alex questions about Freya, followed by their curiosity over how she’d handled her early days in Medora. They laughed and grimaced as she shared some of her memories, with her feeling more at ease than she could have imagined.
It was only when they all began yawning between sentences that Kaiden and Alex rose from the couch and said their farewells. Jeera procured an authorised Bubbler vial for them—Alex had no idea how she’d managed to get her hands on one, chalking it up to mysterious Warden secrets—and after hugs all around, the two of them returned to the academy.
Kaiden walked Alex right to her dorm room. Neither of them spoke—after everything they’d shared that night, there was no need. Alex felt closer to him than she ever had before, but because of that, she feared one wrong move would ruin what was now tentatively growing between them.
Somehow, some way, Kaiden seemed to understand without needing to be told. Or perhaps he was merely staying true to his promise to give her the space and time she needed. Either way, with a gentle smile and a quiet, “Sweet dreams, Alex,” he turned away and began walking down the hallway.
“Kaiden,” Alex called, unable to help herself. When he paused and looked back over his shoulder, she whispered, “Thank you.”
Not even Alex was sure what she was thanking him for. Perhaps it was because he had trusted her with his past, and in doing so, showed that she could trust him in return. But whatever the reason, the words came from her heart—and at the look in his eyes, she knew he felt them just as much as she did.
“No, Alex,” he said. “Thank you.”
And with that, he continued on down the corridor.
Only after Alex had entered her room and slid into bed did she dredge up the nerve to talk to Niyx, sharing certain parts of her night and admitting her concerns about her growing feelings. He, in turn, grumbled about ‘emotional, love-struck girls,’ but he was also strongly in favour of Kaiden tearing down her walls, claiming Alex deserved a little fun with normal teenage problems for a change. He then listened to her repeated reasons for why it wasn’t a good idea before he finally had enough and interrupted to say, Sorry, kitten, but I’m rooting for Kaiden on this one. All the way.
It was only as Alex began to doze off beside Soraya that she realised she’d never mentioned Kaiden by name. Ever. And yet, Niyx had known exactly who she’d been talking about.
But before she could call out again and question him, she succumbed to sleep, and when she woke the next morning, she’d forgotten all about it.
Twenty-Seven
The next night found Alex walking out of the forest beside Jordan after finishing a Stealth and Subterfuge class where Hunter had tested their camouflage skills. Along with their other classmates, they were covered in all kinds of forest gunk, from mud to crusted bits of bark—and everything in between—and their hair was wet with unidentifiable ick from smooshing dirtied snow onto their heads.
Bounding happily along before them was Soraya, the Shadow Wolf having rarely left Alex’s side over the last few days. The only times Alex ordered her to stay away were during classes—other than SAS, where there was plenty of room for the wolf to run free—and when she trained with Athora at night. Surprisingly, Soraya obeyed and didn’t use her shadowing ability to stalk Alex unless she somehow knew it was at a time she could do so—which, unfathomably, the wolf always knew. The rest of the time, Soraya was glued to Alex’s side, including during her sessions with Niyx each morning—something he found both hilarious and exasperating.
After just five days, the Shadow Wolf was most definitely no longer a puppy, already reaching past the height of Alex’s hip. Every day Alex woke up, she had to resist the urge to scream out ‘Demon hound!’ at just how much the puppy had grown. But before she could panic, Soraya would give a happy bark and jump all over Alex, acting as if her awakening was the most wonderful thing in the world.
Other than scaring the stuffing out of the other students—like when Soraya burst into the food court in a cloud of lightning-strewn darkness—the wolf was a delight to have around. Her intelligence was beyond anything Alex could comprehend. Just that morning Alex had been running late for her Medical Science class and frustratingly cried out, “Where the hell is my textbook?” while rushing around her room. Not three seconds later, Soraya trotted over with the heavy book between her teeth.
Somehow Alex had managed again to not shriek about having a possessed dog, and instead she’d given S
oraya an appreciative rub and sprinted off to class.
The wolf was, quite simply, magical. And if Alex had any desire at all to keep her sanity intact, she knew she just had to accept that and roll with it.
It wasn’t like it was a hardship, after all. And now looking at the ecstatic puppy-but-so-not-a-puppy leaping through the snowdrifts with unreserved joy, Alex couldn’t keep the smile from her face.
All the same, she slowed her pace to allow the rest of their SAS classmates to pull ahead and quietly took advantage of the opportunity—and the privacy—to turn to Jordan.
Somehow she was able to not laugh at the streaks of muck all over his face, and as they slowly walked along, she said, “I feel like I haven’t been alone with you for ages. How are you doing?”
Jordan peered at her carefully. “You’re not going to start crying again, are you?”
She rolled her eyes, but given her breakdown last Saturday night, his concerns were justified. She had been a tad emotional. “No tears this time. Promise.”
He sent her a slight, somewhat reflective smile and said, “In that case… If you’d asked me a fortnight ago, I probably would have lied and told you I was good. That I was moving on. But you would also have known I was lying.”
His words, while upsetting, weren’t surprising. He had certainly tried to act like everything was okay. Even if he hadn’t quite pulled it off.
“That’s why it’s so crazy that I can actually say that truthfully now,” Jordan continued, both his expression and his voice amazed. “It’s like… as impossible as it sounds, I am okay. I am good. Or—I’m getting there, at least, which is more than I thought would ever be possible.”
His awe remained visible as they trudged through the snow, following the path Soraya cleared for them with her leaps and bounds.
“I had nightmares that whole first week,” he admitted quietly, and suddenly Alex understood the reasons for his and D.C.’s late night visits to the lake. “Horrible nightmares that made me wake up screaming. I scared the life out of Bear. But—and I know it hasn’t been long—but it’s like time has helped. Every day that I wake up in control of my mind is a reminder that I’m me again. That I have control over my body, over my life, and Aven can’t get to me anymore. There’s strength in that. And I feel like if I dwell on what happened, then I’d still be giving him power over me. Power that I will never allow him to take again.”
Jordan shrugged off his intensity and finished, this time grinning widely, “Plus, having a hot girlfriend for when I need a distraction is an added bonus.”
A laugh escaped Alex and she gave Jordan a playful shove, his last words proving more than anything else that he truly was as okay as he claimed to be.
“While I doubt Dix would appreciate being labelled as ‘hot’ or a ‘distraction’, I’m glad you have her, and I’m glad you’re doing so well,” Alex told him. Her voice gentled as she added, “I’m really proud of you, Jordan.”
Pulling her close as they walked, he smiled down at her. “Couldn’t have done it without you, Alex. My life changed for the better the day Bear and I found you in the forest. You know that, right?”
Warmth spread through her at his kind words, and she whispered, “My life changed for the better that day, too.”
Jordan, surprisingly, snorted. “Wasn’t that when you first met Aven?”
Alex made a choking sound of laughter and corrected, “Okay, so most of my life changed for the worse that day, but some parts changed for the better.”
“Ah, the relentless balance of life,” Jordan reflected. “We can’t know good without first knowing bad, we can’t see anything without first being blind, we can’t feel heat until we’ve been cold, we can’t hear sound until it breaks the silence, we can’t hold—”
“Is this going to last a while?” Alex interrupted when it appeared like he was going to continue being a walking, talking fortune cookie.
Frowning at her, Jordan said, “You cut into my monologue. People pay for that kind of wisdom.”
“People should get their money back,” Alex said bluntly.
Thankfully they reached the dorm building then, and they parted ways before Jordan had a chance to argue—or, worse, continue soliloquising again.
It was in the early hours on Saturday morning when the summons came. Alex was sleeping soundly, but when Soraya started growling a deep, warning sound, she shot up in bed and gasped when she saw something move in the shadows.
“Be at ease, human,” Shirez said, quiet enough not to wake D.C. who had managed to sleep through Soraya’s warning. “I’m here to pass on a message.”
Heart pounding from the instant hit of adrenaline, Alex could only stare at the Shadow Walker while wondering what the point was of the bio-sensor security for their dorm rooms if the other races were able to come and go as they damn well pleased.
“The vatali targo has come to a completion,” Shirez said, causing Alex to sit up straighter. “A victor has been named.”
Alex’s already thumping pulse ratcheted up a notch.
“The elders have since announced publicly that the victor will face a final battle—a battle against you.” Shirez paused. “There has been much protest to this announcement.”
Alex was hardly surprised.
“The victor, however, has agreed, which has helped calm the outcry. By all accounts, it would seem as if she is eager to fight you again.”
Licking her dry lips, Alex asked, “Again?”
“The victor was Trell Roven,” Shirez said. “She was one of your combatants the other day.”
Trell—the one who had sucker punched Alex before she’d known the match had started.
With a sinking heart, Alex drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, not caring how uneasy she must look. “When do I fight her?”
“Today,” Shirez said. “Noon.”
With a shallow inhale, Alex nodded. “I’ll be there.”
Shirez nodded in return and, just as she was about to leave, quietly said, “Unlike last time, today you will use weapons. Trell Roven favours a double-bladed staff. She is one of our finest warriors.”
Alex swallowed. “I figured as much, since she beat six others to win your trials.”
“She is also overconfident, especially when it comes to you. She will not expect you to be prepared.”
Alex peered into the shadowy corner where Shirez stood as still as a statue. “Why are you telling me this? Why tell me what weapon she will use?”
“Knowledge is power, Alexandra Jennings,” came the Shadow Walker’s barely audible reply. “And you will need every advantage you can get.”
A moment later, the shadows rose and Shirez was gone.
Middle of the night or not, Alex drew back her covers and pulled herself out of bed, hushing Soraya when she gave a low whine and a pointed yawn.
Niyx? Alex called, then louder when, for the first time ever, it was she who got to wake him. Not surprising, given the time.
Kit’n, s’three ’n th’mornin’, came his grumpy, slurred reply.
I’m really sorry, she said, moving to her wardrobe and grabbing her warmest outdoor gear. But I need your help.
Shirez was right: knowledge was power. And knowing the kind of weapon Trell would be using was a great advantage indeed. So, despite the early hour, when Niyx heard that Alex’s battle was scheduled for noon that coming day, he swept in to collect her.
Hours went by as they sparred relentlessly, Niyx attacking her with a staff and Alex trying out different weapons against him. In the end, while she had more power in her strikes when she too fought with a staff, she was more comfortable with A’enara in her hands and needed to be as confident as possible during her fight. Her magical blade rarely let her down; there was no other weapon she would trust to help her in the coming battle.
As the sun began to rise across the horizon, easily admired from their position atop Mount Paedris, Niyx brought their session to an end.
; They still had plenty of time left before Alex was due at Graevale, and she told him as much.
“You need to rest,” he replied, tossing her a pouch full of mixed berries and a flask of warmed laendra. “It won’t do you any good to wear yourself out before your match.”
Throwing back some of the fruit and chasing it with the heated nectar, Alex said, “I’ll be running on adrenaline anyway. Might as well make sure I’m as prepared as I can be.”
“Kitten, you are,” Niyx said firmly. “You won our last three rounds, and I’d have the cuts and bruises to show you if I hadn’t just drunk my weight in laendra.”
Alex winced in apology, since she had nicked him a few times. And by ‘nicked’, she meant stabbed, sliced and very nearly gutted him.
Her Meyarin friend deserved a medal for being such a good sport. He hadn’t even protested when Soraya had eventually decided to join them and, at Alex’s request, ran around their legs to make their sparring more challenging than it already was. He’d actually encouraged the wolf, instructing her on how to be the most distracting to Alex. Soraya had thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the team and now lay panting in the snow, waiting to see if they would start fighting again.
“The only way you could be more prepared is with months, even years, of additional time,” Niyx went on. “And that’s something you don’t have. But what you do have are keen reflexes, strong intuition, practised skills and natural talent.” He reached out and tilted her head up to his. “Your opponent might have her shadowing ability to her advantage, but on every other level, you can more than hold your own. And if you manage to pull off Aes Daega’s plan with your Shadow Ring, then you not only have a chance at winning, you almost have a guarantee of it.”
His faith was like a balm against her fears, but still Alex whispered, “If I don’t win—”
“Then we’ll come up with another plan,” Niyx interrupted firmly, even though he knew more than most how important it was for Graevale to stand with them. “Don’t think about it—just focus on the fight, not on what might or might not come afterwards. One step at a time, kitten.”