Chapter 14 TRAINING MONTAGE
CHAPTER 014: TRAINING MONTAGE
I didn’t sleep after Morgana left those words hanging in the air.
The three days felt like three breaths. I kept replaying her twisted smile in my head no matter how hard I fought it. By dawn, I already felt like I’d lived a whole week.
I thought I’d walk into breakfast like a zombie. Instead, I walked straight into Kieran’s hand grabbing my waist.
“You’re training. Now.” He said.
No good morning. No smile. Just his sharp tone and the look he gives when he’s already decided something.
“Kieran… I just woke up.”
“Good. Then you haven’t wasted daylight.”
He dragged me toward the courtyard, ignoring every student staring at us.
“What are you going to teach me, punching trees?” I asked.
“Don’t tempt me.” He said. “Trees don’t fight back.”
He stopped in the center of the courtyard. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing the scars on his arms.
I could see old scars and new scars. His wolf was close to the surface today; I could feel it buzzing under his skin.
“First rule.” He said. “Don’t flinch.”
He swung at me.
I yelped and ducked.
He sighed. “You flinched.”
“You tried to punch me!”
“Exactly.”
We went again and again and again for hours. Kieran moved like he was made of steel. He didn’t hit me, but he didn’t hold back either. My arms stung. My legs shook. Sweat ran down my back.
“Come on.” He said. “Stop being scared of me.”
“I’m not scared.”
“You smell scared.”
“That’s rude.”
He smirked. “And true.”
He lunged again. I dodged barely. His hand brushed my waist and heat shot through me so fast that I lost focus. He noticed and His eyes lingered for too long. His breathing changed and mine ragged too.
“Thalira.” He said quietly. “You need to focus.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re thinking of everything except staying alive.”
We stood inches apart now. His chest rose and fell. My heart hammered.
For a second, I thought of him kissing me.
But Cassian’s voice boomed across the courtyard. “Break’s over.”
Kieran stepped back like nothing happened, but I saw the flicker in his eyes. That wasn’t nothing.
Cassian took me next.
He walked with the confidence of someone who believed the world owed him something shiny. His fire mark burned faintly on his palm.
“Alright.” He said, tossing me a towel. “Time to see if you’re actually a phoenix or if Kieran just likes throwing you around.”
I glared at him. “He wasn’t throwing me.”
“Sure.” He grinned. “And I’m a vegetarian.”
He snapped his fingers. A flame appeared like it was bored of waiting for him.
“Your turn.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You can. You just think you can’t.”
He placed my hand in his. His palm was warm. Heat crawled up my wrist, spreading fast.
“Close your eyes.” He said. “Don’t think fire. Think pressure. Something pushing to get out.”
I breathed slowly. Heat built under my skin, sharp and bright. A spark sputtered between our hands.
Cassian’s eyes lit up. “There… Now go again.”
I created another spark. Then a third. It was tiny.
A laugh slipped out of him soft, and surprised. I’d never heard him laugh like that.
“You’re doing it.” He whispered.
His breath brushed my cheek. His forehead almost touched mine.
Something pulled tight between us.
Then a voice slipped through.
“Enough.” Alaric said behind me.
Cassian dropped my hand like it burned him.
Alaric’s face was unreadable, but his jaw was tight. His silver eyes flicked from me to Cassian.
“She still has two more lessons.” He said. “Don’t tire her out.”
Cassian raised a brow. “Jealous?”
Alaric didn’t blink. “Of you? No.”
Alaric led me to the shade behind the old stone wall where the air was cooler.
“Stand still.” He said.
I did but my legs were still shaky.
He circled me slowly, his eyes sharp, taking in every detail like he was mapping my bones.
“You rely too much on sight.” He said. “Vampires don’t.”
“How do you expect me to fight blind?”
“You won’t be blind. You’ll be… aware.”
He stepped behind me and touched the back of my neck lightly.
“Feel.” He whispered. “Not with your eyes but with your skin.”
He moved so fast I barely sensed it, but something in me reacted. I ducked, just in time for his hand to miss my shoulder.
“Good.” He said. “Let’s do it again.”
He vanished and reappeared at my left. My heart jumped; my body turned before I thought about it.
Alaric smiled, small and proud.
“You learn fast.”
“Or you’re too easy.”
His eyes flashed with amusement. “Try me.”
The world blurred. For a split of seconds, he was everywhere but the more he moved, the more I felt him the shift of air, the pressure on the ground, the small flick of sound.
Then he stopped right behind me, his hand brushing my waist lightly. “See? You knew.”
I swallowed. “Lucky guess.”
“Not luck.”
His voice dropped. “You’re getting dangerous.”
I turned and almost collided with him. Our faces were inches apart. I could feel his breath on my lips. For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then Zev cleared his throat loudly. “My turn.”
Alaric stepped back, with his expression blank again.
Training with Zev was… different.
He didn’t touch me. He didn’t need to.
“Sit.” He said, motioning to the stone bench.
He sat across from me, legs crossed, eyes glowing faint blue.
“I’m going to enter your mind.”
“Okay, that’s horrifying.”
“You’ll be fine.” He said. “Unless you panic. Then you won’t be fine.”
“Great pep talk.”
His lips twitched like he wanted to laugh.
“Close your eyes.”
I did.
His presence slid into my mind like cool water. It was not painful but everything seems strange. My thoughts weren’t private anymore. He saw too everything.
“Your mind is loud.” He said softly. “Messy.”
“Yeah, well, it’s been a long week.”
“I know.” His voice changed. “You’re scared of the duel.”
“I’m not scared…”
“I’m in your head, Thalira. Lying is pointless.”
I sighed.
“Fine. I’m terrified.”
His presence steadied around mine, wrapping like a shield.
“That’s why I’m teaching you this. Create a wall. Imagine it. Any shape, any size.”
I pictured a tall metal barrier.
“Good.” He said. “Now hold it.”
He pushed harder. A wave of pressure hit me, but I kept the barrier up.
“Again.”
“Zev…” My head throbbed.
“Don’t drop it.”
I clenched my fists and forced the wall to hold. Sweat rolled down my neck.
Then suddenly the pressure stopped.
I opened my eyes. Zev was watching me, quiet and unreadable.
“You did better than I expected.” He said.
“That supposed to be a compliment?”
“Yes. Don’t get used to it.”
I smiled but he didn’t smile back, but something in his eyes softened.
Then he stood. “Take a break before you pass out.”
The second day was worse. The third day nearly killed me.
But something changed.
My reflexes sharpened, my fire sparked faster, my mental wall grew steadier and the boys…
They kept finding excuses to touch me, brush my hand, fix my stance, guide my grip and hold my waist and every time, heat rushed through me so fast that it made my chest tight.
At night, I lay awake replaying every look. Every almost-touch and every breath.
On the night before the duel, Sofia pulled me into her room. Her hair was in a messy bun, and her eyes were sharp like she hadn’t missed a single detail all week.
“You’re in trouble.” She said.
“I know. The duel…”
“Not the duel.” She cut in. “Them.”
I blinked. “The boys?”
“Yes, the boys. All four of them.”
She crossed her arms.
“You think they don’t notice how they look at you? How you look at them?”
“I don’t look at them.” I lied.
“Thalira, please.” She snorted. “I’ve seen the way you freeze when one of them touches you and don’t get me started on the staring.”
I groaned into my hands.
“It’s not like I’m trying to…”
“I know.” She said. “That’s the problem. You’re not trying and it’s still happening.”
She sat beside me and lowered her voice.
“Look, I’m not saying don’t feel anything but this is Duskmoor. Love triangles are messy here. Love squares? That’s bloodshed.”
“I’m not in love.” I whispered.
“I didn’t say love.” She said. “I said chemistry and danger.”
She touched my arm, her expression serious.
“Be careful. People here kill over feelings.”
Before I could answer, a loud boom shook the window. Sofia and I rushed to the balcony.
The sky above the dueling grounds glowed with a huge burning sigil. Morgana’s sigil.
Sofia’s face paled. “She’s already fueling the arena.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means.” She whispered, “She’s preparing to kill you.”
My stomach dropped.
A voice echoed through the academy, carried by magic, it was sharp and cold.
“THALIRA. TOMORROW. DON’T BE LATE.”
Sofia grabbed my hand.
“Thalira… something’s wrong. That magic… it’s not hers.”
“What?" I exclaimed. “If it wasn’t Morgana’s… Then whose voice was it?”