-18-
The sounds of rushing water, birds chirping, and other nature sounds greeted us when we materialized. I looked around.
We were in an outdoor clearing at the bottom of a ravine. Sunlight filtered down from the wide crack running above us. Trees covered the upper parts of the ravine, casting shade on the valley floor and probably hiding it from prying eyes, but the bottom was all gray rocks. A waterfall disappeared somewhere to our right, the sound mixing with nature calls.
There were no sounds of talking and no buildings. “Where’s the school?”
“Look again. See past the glamour.”
I studied the rocks, and the stairs leading to the entrance of the school became visible. We were standing at the bottom. The entrance was elegant, with huge roped columns and a portico. On either side were huge glass windows.
There were no students outside, but a face appeared at a window, then another and another. A few waved. I waved back, though I didn’t recognize anyone.
“Ready?” Father asked.
“Yeah.”
“Nervous?”
I had fought Sir Norath, faced a room filled with people scared of me, and stood up for the ignored members of our society. There was absolutely nothing people my age could throw my way to make me nervous.
I looped my arm around my father’s. “I’m fine.”
He patted my hand. “That’s my girl.”
The foyer was beautiful—pillars etched with the scenes of the Principalities passing their vast knowledge to humans, an ornate staircase that wound to the second- and third-floor balconies packed with students staring down at us. The stares didn’t bother me. I’d faced all kinds—hateful, fearful, curious, adoring, even murderous. I made eye contact and nodded, recognizing faces from the beach or the shops. None were Katia or Lottius. I waved to Ravan and Skylar.
The entire teaching staff lined up to welcome us, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many of them had fought the Archangels and how many knew the truth about me. I tried to keep up with who was who—the classroom teachers and the power instructors. I was surprised to see Master Kenta. He was in charge of martial arts training.
Principal Kessler personally handed me the crystal with my class schedule and school map. The classes offered included our history, math, English, human studies, and technology. The computer lab had every gadget imaginable.
The tour of the school seemed to go forever. There were about five hundred students, two hundred of them seniors, Principal Kessler explained. Most of them were boarders. He pointed out the double doors leading to the dorms and the cafeteria. Most of the hallways were wide and had quotations from the Principalities, Queen Coronis, even my father, about feeding our minds, our powers and superiority, and of course, the school motto. Like the castle, most of the school was embedded in the mountain for security purposes.
“Where are the younger students?” I asked at the end of the tour. We were outside the classroom of my first class, math.
“At Mount Hermon Elementary Academy in the city. When they turn sixteen, we bring them here,” the principal explained.
I hadn’t seen Katia or Lottius, but I wasn’t worried. I could sense their energies, so I knew they were around. I was more worried about my father. Ignoring his guards, Ruby and Callum, and the principal, I turned and faced him.
“Okay. I’m definitely ready now.” And nervous.
“I know.” I wasn’t sure whether his “I know” meant he’d heard my thoughts or he believed I was actually ready. He put his arm around my shoulder and pressed a kiss on my temple. The open display of affection was a breach of protocol, if Lady Nemea was to be believed. “Be good.”
“Do I have to?” I teased.
He chuckled. “No. Just make me proud.”
I hugged him back, aware of students watching us through the open doorway. The teacher wasn’t in class yet. Be careful out there.
I will.
Don’t forget what I asked.
To wake you up when I come home. How could I forget? You’ve reminded me a hundred times.
Grinning, I reached up and kissed his cheek, then waited until he left with his guards. I stared at where he’d last stood and felt a little, I don’t know, alone and vulnerable. He was the only person I knew I could trust.
“The class is about to begin, Princess,” Ruby whispered.
I nodded, gave her and Callum a wobbly smile, and entered the room. Guys jumped to their feet and offered me seats. I guess seating was random. One dark-haired guy introduced himself as Tannin, the class prefect and captain of the junior varsity Earth team.
“We look forward to having you join us in the fourth period,” he said.
He had a beautiful smile, but he was no Green Eyes. I mean, no Bran. “I warn you, though. My powers can be off sometimes.”
“We like off,” a blond said, grinning.
“Especially when we crush the varsity,” another added.
“Down, boys,” a girl said, coming to my side. She was about my height, with smooth olive complexion, short pitch-black hair, and flawless makeup. She was built like someone who could kick some serious ass. “Come sit with us, Princess Lilith.”
“Lilith,” I corrected her. I recognized her from the ice-cream shop. She’d invited me to a party just before Katia and I went to Rocky Beach weeks ago.
“And I’m Daeva. Captain of the JV Psi team. Our class is second period, so sit with us. I mean, you can sit with us if you like.”
She stuck out her tongue at one of the guys and led me to a desk next to hers just as the math teacher walked in.
Math wasn’t bad. I was actually ahead of the class, so I spent the time studying the psi energies of the students. There were a few with strong psi, and unlike the older people, their energies weren’t red with dark spots. They were bright and without blemishes.
Second period was in a non-regular classroom, a gym with floor mats and glass walls. Soccer balls of different colors lined the walls, and the student seating area was outside the wall. Daeva was explaining what they did in the class when Skylar joined us. It was nice to see a friend. The balls were made of different materials and had different weights.
The point of the class was to channel psi energy to lift and control your own ball while knocking other ones out of the air.
We started with the lighter balls and slowly progressed to heavier ones. Most of the students had moderate psi energies. A few were powerful. Daeva was one of them. She was cocky, though. I wondered if she could wield several swords with her mind like me.
One timid guy stayed in the back of the group and always went last. His psi energy was powerful, yet for the entire period he was in a state of panic. I didn’t understand why. Lifting heavier objects didn’t seem to be a problem for him, yet he allowed people to knock his away with little effort.
I checked his energy just before the class ended and saw why. His energy was fluctuating. He was pulsing just like me when I was angry or scared.
“Who is that?” I asked Skylar.
“Locke. He’s a loner—keeps to himself, even in the dorms.”
“That’s because he’s an orphan, living with people he hasn’t even known for a year yet,” Daeva said, coming to stand beside us. “Lost his parents on the island. They were Specials, but he didn’t get their powers.”
Or he didn’t want people to know his energy was unstable and end up in Block C. Fear flashed in his eyes when he saw me watching him. He looked down. Part of me wanted to reassure him, but the other part knew he had reasons to be wary. I was the daughter of our supreme ruler, and Block C might be Father’s brainchild.
After psi gym, I was trying to find my next class when a familiar voice yelled, “Lilith.”
I turned to see Katia hurrying toward me.
“Where have you been?” I asked.
“We were told to keep our distance while they were showing you around. And you’re in a different math class. What’s your next class?”
“Tech.”
“Me, too. The labs are this way.” She took my arm and steered me down a hallway. Students stared. Others smiled. We turned a corner. “I’ll help you set up before the class begins.”
“Why do we need to understand technology? We don’t need modern machines.”
“To understand humans, we must keep up with their technology,” she explained. “Most of us are learning how each machine works. Computers, tablets, telephones, MP3 players… A few Earth Primes can recreate them, too.”
“That’s impressive.”
“Wait until human studies. We use social networks to study the human psyche. Every student has accounts on popular websites.” She grinned. “I have about three thousand followers on each of them.”
The rest of the morning went smoothly. In each class, the teachers treated me like any other student, despite Ruby and Callum’s presence outside the classrooms.
I liked the metaphysical classes better. Earth class had more guys than girls, and most of them had some serious powers. Five minutes with Tannin and his friends and I knew I had found the students to work on Rocky Beach.
I also learned something about my energy powers—I created lightning bolts differently than they did. Ravan and the others used their fingers to channel the bolts, but I did it with my mind.
Two sisters in the class could create omni balls. Even though the class was taught in the main gym, which was huge and had walls covered with heat-resistant materials, the instructor didn’t allow them to use their powers.
“Tomorrow, we’ll go to the training fields,” Master Yaza said. “We don’t encourage creation of omni balls within the building.” The girls, I noticed, had fluctuating psi energies like Locke’s.
The last class before lunch was history. The teacher, Master Otego, encouraged students to voice their opinions, which were many and varied. I just sat there and listened. It wasn’t bad for a history class. I might even say I enjoyed it.
Lottius, Skylar, and Ravan were waiting for me and Katia after class. Together, we walked to the cafeteria, passing through the double doors the principal had pointed out earlier and entering a broad hallway. There were more portraits of the Principalities, Coronis, and my father.
The cafeteria looked more like a fancy restaurant. It was huge, filled with cloth-covered tables set with artfully folded napkins and gleaming utensils. There were three buffet carousels. The first one was for salad, cold cuts, and soups. The second one had hot foods. The last carousel was all desserts, from ice cream to pies. Drinks and cups were on rectangular carts around the room. If I were starving, I’d be in food heaven. We lined up with our trays.
“Are you sure you should be carrying your tray, Princess?” Tannin teased as he and his friends walked past.
“Why? Want to carry it for me?” I shot back.
“If you agree to sit at our table,” he said, and his friends nodded.
Katia and Skylar laughed. Lottius rolled her eyes.
“Sorry, boys,” I said. “I’m going to stick with my girls.”
“How about a date? You know, take pity on a son of a lowly lord,” he added with a mock-sad face.
I laughed. He was cute. “I’ll think about it.”
The frown disappeared from his face. “Seriously?”
The girls laughed. Shaking my head, I faced forward and my eyes collided with familiar green ones. My heart dropped. Bran? Here?
He grinned, dimples winking on his cheeks. Hey.
My mouth went dry and I couldn’t think of a single thing to say. He was okay. And as usual, he was doing something menial. But even in a cafeteria server’s white shirt and apron, he looked gorgeous.
I heard you were looking for me, he said.
I nodded. At least, I think I did. This man loved me and was putting his life in danger to be with me. Except he wasn’t really with me. He was just hanging around, making sure I didn’t get hurt. How could Father not approve of him? He was amazing.
Move, sweetheart, Bran added. A line is forming and people can see you staring.
I didn’t care.
I do, he said, reading my thoughts. I don’t want to lose my job. Not now that they’re paying us per hour. We’ll talk as soon as I can arrange it. He indicated that I should keep walking.
I don’t remember serving myself various foods and following my friends to a table. Daeva and her friend Eisheth joined us. They were all talking at once while I was still processing. Bran was back. The telepathic conversation between Katia and Lottius caught my attention.
It’s the same guy, Katia said.
Lottius shrugged. So?
Katia made a face. So, I think he has a crush on Lil or something. He appears everywhere we go. Look at him. He can’t take his eyes off her.
Sure enough, Bran’s eyes were on me when I glanced at the carousel. Now who’s staring?
He chuckled. You look beautiful. Love the uniform.
Warmth flooded my cheeks. Thanks.
So, do you think I have a crush on you?
You shouldn’t be listening to other people’s conversations. So, how come Lottius never seems to remember you?
I pick and choose who sees me. About that crush…
I heard from a reliable source that you’re crazy about me.
He sighed. What else did my shit-for-brains brother tell you?
He wants you to go home because your sister is threatening to come to the island.
Bran chuckled. Celeste is okay now. She said hi.
I smiled. Then I remembered something and stopped smiling. Are you putting your life in danger by being here? Lord Gavyn said you were and that I should convince you to leave.
Bran frowned. I’m going to beat the crap out of him next time I see him. And please, don’t call him a lord. He’s Gavyn or…
Shit-for-brains? I asked. He grinned.
Bran and Gavyn were about the same height, but Bran looked like he could kick some serious ass. Gavyn had that pampered, rich-boy look most of the kids in this school had. Are you in danger?
Nothing I can’t handle. My brother had no business talking to you about me or asking for your help. I’m sorry he worried you.
I frowned. So, I wasn’t supposed to know about you?
It’s more like I made a deal not to interfere with your journey, and he swooped in and messed things up.
There was that journey again. A deal with who?
Women too powerful to con. I’ve already bent and broken enough rules, so don’t ask me who they are. Just know that, without their help, I wouldn’t have lasted an hour on this island.
He’d given me hints about us and my powers. Surely, that wasn’t wrong. Someone bumped me and I glanced to my right.
You’re staring at the server, Katia telepathed.
Heat rushed to my cheeks. No, I’m not.
It’s okay. He’s gorgeous and he’s always everywhere we go. I think he likes you.
No, he loved me. Smiling, I forked pieces of my salad and shoved them into my mouth. I studied his psi energy. It was dim and small like a Subsixer’s, yet I knew he had water abilities. How did he make it so small? Oh, I had so many questions to ask him.
Can we meet later? I telepathed him.
Nope. Your security team has tightened since your father left. I have to figure out a way past them first.
I glanced at the guards by the door. Callum and Ruby will cover for you.
I’m not worried about them. I’m talking about the others, the ones out of uniform doing a crappy job of blending in.
I glanced around, but I couldn’t tell the guards and the students apart by appearance. You don’t have to do menial work to see me.
Ah, but it’s the perfect camouflage. No one looks at a minion twice. Sorry, I mean a Subsixer.
Is it true you won a mortal combat and are really the future king?
He chuckled. I didn’t win anything. Someone more powerful did. I was just an instrument. Let’s talk later. I gotta go. Duty calls. Don’t try to contact me. You still suck at shielding your energy and we might get busted.
I wrinkled my nose. Thanks a bunch.
He chuckled. It’ll come back when your memories return, along with everything else.
I hope so. Since he couldn’t tell me anything useful, I wanted him to confirm some of the things Gavyn had already said. Maybe I could convince Father to let him see me openly without all this cloak-and-dagger crap. After all, Bran had only joined the Guardians to be with me.
I checked the psi energies in the cafeteria and noticed the odd ones, red psi energy that was typical of security guards. Bran was right. My security detail had tripled. Would there be that many in the castle? I really wanted to go back to the dungeon and interrogate Prisoner Zero.
I focused on the conversation at the table. They were discussing who was dating and who was breaking up. Lottius didn’t bother to hide the fact that she was bored. Skylar and Ravan were lost in their little world.
“Tannin is on the prowl again,” Eisheth said.
“Isn’t he always?” Daeva said.
Katia glanced at Daeva. “Didn’t you two date once?”
“Ew, no,” Daeva said. “We are neighbors. That’s it. His parents are gone most of the time, and his sister doesn’t really keep an eye on him, so he throws wild parties and has all sorts of girls traipsing in and out of his bedroom.” She glanced over at Tannin’s table just as he looked over. Some girl sat on his lap. He blew Daeva a kiss. She gave him the finger. Katia and Eisheth laughed. Lottius just rolled her eyes. My eyes went to the food carousel, but Bran was no longer there. His psi energy said he was in the kitchen.
The conversation at our table moved to parties and, of course, next week’s tourney. Thankfully, no one expected me to contribute much until we were back in class, where the current affairs teacher decided to single me out.
“I’m happy to welcome Princess Lilith into my class,” Master Carmelo said.
“Thanks,” I murmured. All teachers had said the same thing.
“Today, we are focusing on the Guardians,” he added.
Snickers and telepathic whispers followed. The mental comments weren’t nice.
“Now, now, be nice.” He grinned. “And since you have so much to say, today’s topic is…drumroll, please.”
The students pounded their desks.
Master Carmelo raised his hands and silence filled the room. “How can we make the Guardians understand that they are misguided? How can we make them join us in the fight to reclaim this world? Go.” He sat on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms, his eyes darting from student to student.
“Convince them to love themselves first, and humans second,” someone called out from the back.
“They need to accept that survival is for the fittest,” another student added. “Even humans believe that.”
“And your point is?” Master Carmelo asked.
“If humans can’t compete with us, they should step aside and let us run things or get crushed into extinction. The dinosaurs once owned the world, and now they’re gone.”
The debate that followed showed how divided the students were and how passionate they were about their positions. Some were convinced the Guardians were beyond redemption and should be wiped out. Others were more forgiving and thought we should bring them to the negotiation table. No one mentioned the dark lords.
Master Carmelo’s eyes found me. “Lilith, any thoughts on the subject?”
Everyone turned to look at me. Yeah, pick on the new girl who was hoping to get a pass on her first day. Whatever I said could be misinterpreted or taken as my father’s position. Lady Nemea had drummed that in me. I was never to take sides, either. On the other hand…
“Violence only breeds more violence. Is negotiation the solution? Maybe. It depends on whether both sides are willing to come to the table and talk.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
“So, how would you go about making this happen?” Master Carmelo asked.
Seriously? I wanted to tell him to stop putting me on the spot, but princesses weren’t supposed to show excessive emotions. Dang, I hated hearing Lady Nemea’s voice in my head.
“I would find moderate Guardian and Hermonite leaders and start a dialogue,” I said.
The students started to whisper among themselves. Katia, seated beside me, leaned over and said, “Nicely said. Very diplomatic.”
“Annoyingly vague, typical bureaucrat mumbo-jumbo,” Lottius retorted from my other side.
I glared at her. “I can’t very well tell them to storm the Guardian enclave and demand they stop or else,” I said.
Lottius grinned. “Why not? You achieve results faster that way.”
“What if talks fail, Princess Lilith?” Master Carmelo asked.
Okay, the teacher needed to leave me alone. Then it’s time to kick ass. No, I couldn’t say that. “Then we up the pressure until they cave in. And please, don’t ask me how, because I’m not exactly sure whether we could do that without crushing them.”
Laughter filled the class.
Master Carmelo took pity on me and moved on to someone else. After that, the topic switched to current affairs. In the last twenty minutes of class, everyone went online. Katia helped me create accounts. By the end of the class, I’d received friend requests from everyone in the class.
Time-power class proved to be just as interesting as energy. Time was Lottius’s element and she owned it. Like her, most of the students controlled time by time-travelling. They didn’t go far, but the tricks they pulled were cool. Like in energy, my ability to control time was different from the others. I’d assumed I simply stopped time, but my teacher explained it better. I controlled time by putting it in a loop.
“How was school?” Lady Nemea asked as soon as I arrived home.
“I blew up a class, but they decided not to contact you, because I told them not to.” I opened the fridge and removed a bottle of water. “Is Father home yet?”
“You blew up a class?”
I saw her face and laughed. “I’m kidding.”
She shook her head. “You… So, how was it?”
“Great. I made new friends and I have an hour and a half before my session with Master Kenta. I’m starving.”
“I’ll ask the kitchen staff—”
“No, I’ll go and get something myself. Bilal promised me a mango smoothie.” I could tell she wanted to ask something. “Come. I know you’re dying to know what really happened at school.”
“Of course not.” She straightened her posture. “However, I will come to make sure the staff doesn’t ply you with too much food before your practice.”
I hid a smile. She’d missed me. For two and a half months, she’d been responsible for me. Monitoring what I ate, where I went and with whom, and all of a sudden I was gone for hours. She probably knew who had drained my psi energy, which meant I probably owed her for keeping my surging energy a secret.
I took her arm. “Come on.”
As usual, the kitchen was buzzing with activities. The aroma of spices and freshly baked pastries filled the air, but my eyes went to the tall glass of a yellow drink on the kitchen table. Bilal was removing more baked goodness from the oven when she noticed us. A smile creased her rounded cheeks as she led me to the table and handed me the drink.
“You’ll like it,” she reassured me. “How was your first day of school, Princess?”
The kitchen came to a standstill as everyone paused to hear my answer.
“Long.”
Laughter filled the room.
“I made friends,” I added, sitting. I took a long sip and sighed. Lady Nemea hovered by my chair. She probably wanted us to leave, but I had a few questions for the head chef. I patted the chair next to mine. She hesitated.
Dad would sit with me, I said. She made a face and sat. Someone asked her if she wanted a smoothie, but she declined it with a wave of her hand.
“What kind of friends?” Lady Nemea asked.
“Guys who could become useful,” I said softly, then spoke louder. “I want to throw a party on Saturday, Bilal.”
“What kind of party, Princess? How many are coming?”
“Pizza and finger-foods party,” I said, and sipped my smoothie, aware of a scowling Lady Nemea. “I don’t know the head count yet. We could do it in the banquet room.”
Lady Nemea looked like she was about to have a heart attack.
“Too formal?” I asked, ignoring the fact that she had disapproval written all over her face.
“Can we discuss this upstairs?” she asked.
“Sure.” I stood with my drink. “Or we might have it on the beach, Bilal. I’ll let you know once I talk to my friends.”
“I’ll be here, Princess,” Bilal said, and turned with a plate of pastries. “Chocolate-filled croissant?”
“Oh, my favorite. You’re the best.” I took the plate, kissed her cheek, and teleported upstairs.
“So, these boys you mentioned inviting…” Lady Nemea said.
“…will be working on Rocky Beach,” I said. “They are Earth Primes and I want them working on that beach by next week.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh. Can I go now and change?”
She smiled, relief in her eyes, and nodded. “I’ll let you know when your father comes home. Where will you be?”
“Around. I have homework.” I disappeared in my bedroom, placed the croissant on the bed, and headed to the closet. After I changed into my workout clothes, I settled on the bed and got busy.
Every few minutes, I did a psi scan to check for my father and Bran. Bran was around, but I didn’t dare connect with him. Father wasn’t back. I put the crystals away and glanced over at the bodyguards. I had thirty minutes to kill.
An idea popped in my head. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it. I did another psi scan. Lady Nemea was in her quarters, which were below my father’s. I let the image of Block C fill my head. I should just do it. I knew the place now. I’d be in and out before the guards realized I was there. Or maybe not.
I hurried to the door and stuck my head outside. “How many guards are assigned to me right now, Ruby?”
“You are the primary,” she said.
“Meaning?”
“Your every movement is being monitored twenty-four-seven,” Callum explained.
I sighed. “So, if I went to the dungeons?”
“Sir Malax would know before you arrived there.”
“Does he know we were down there?” I asked.
They shook their heads.
“If he does, he hasn’t said anything,” Callum added.
“Hmm.” The dungeons were off-limits. “Okay. Thanks. I’m heading downstairs to warm up for my session with Master Kenta.”
I was starting to sweat when Master Kenta arrived outside the gazebo twenty minutes later. I put the staff down and teased, “I’m almost done, and you’re just arriving.”
I was surprised when he smiled. His smiles were rare. “We are not going to practice here today. We are going back to the Academy.”
“Oh. Am I joining the other students?”
He chuckled. “Not really. Interestingly, they asked the same question.”
“And?”
“I told them you are too advanced for them.”
Oh, gee, thanks for setting me up to be disliked by the entire school population, I thought.
“They’d like to see why,” he added.
“Oh.” I grinned. “They want me to join them in the tourney.”
He shook his head. “You can’t participate in the tourney. You’d give your team an unfair advantage.”
“Unfair? They’re going against seniors, twenty-five-year-olds who’ve had years of training.”
He shrugged. “The tourney isn’t a big deal. This is Kessler’s attempt to start a school tradition, but he’s going about it the wrong way and it’s going to fail.”
Why was he such a killjoy all the time? “Who am I sparring with?”
“Me. Come on.”
We teleported to the hallway outside the main gym. The buzz of student voices reached me before Master Kenta pushed open the door. Unlike earlier, the bleachers were down and packed with students, teachers, and non-teaching staff. Something about the gathered students and the anticipation in the air was vaguely familiar. Bran would know if I’d ever fought in front of an audience. A quick scan told me he wasn’t around. I waved to Katia and Lottius.
Master Kenta raised a hand and the room became silent. “This is going to be a short, friendly fight.”
Somehow, I doubt it, Bran said, and I searched the audience for him. I found him at the top of the bleachers. He winked.
“Lilith is a gifted fighter and has learned a lot since I started working with her.”
Now, that’s a joke, Bran piped in. I tried hard not to laugh.
“We will start with hand-to-hand combat before using staffs, then swords,” Master Kenta continued.
Of course, he starts with what he’s good at, Bran added. What a douche. Heads up, sunshine. You can control solids now. Use it to your advantage.
But I didn’t need to prove anything or let Bran’s dislike for Master Kenta mess with my head. The fight was intense, but he backed off when he could have taken me down a couple of times. When we switched to staff and swords, I took it easy on him, too. I even warned him before pulling some new moves. The crowd, on the other hand, ate it all up, the silence so thick it was spooky. Even Bran shut up.
When we finished, the applause was deafening. The excited whispers and telepathic communication that followed said they were impressed. Well, not all of them. A few die-hard skeptics still didn’t trust me and I could feel a trickle of suspicion, even hatred. I tried not to dwell on haters, but I still noticed. I wiped the sweat of my brow and bowed.
“Just so you know, she was playing nice and let me get away with quite a bit,” Master Kenta said, taking me by surprise. “I would say without shame that she, my pupil, has surpassed me. Anyone want to try and take her on?”
“I’d like to try,” a girl said, and waved from the middle of the bleachers.
“Me too,” a guy said from the bottom on the bleachers. Oh, one of the haters.
“Same here,” another guy added.
Master Kenta frowned and I knew he had been joking when he’d asked the question and hadn’t expected the students to volunteer. I knew he was going to turn them down.
Please don’t turn them down, I telepathed him.
I already told you—
I’m not asking, Master Kenta. It took a lot of guts for them to step up. Shooting them down will only undermine their self-confidence. I want to spar with anyone who volunteers. I didn’t look at him the entire time we were having the exchange, but he knew what that meant—if he turned them down, I would go against his wishes. I’ll keep it fun.
He nodded, but he wasn’t happy. Smiling, he acted the part of a master allowing his prized student to educate lesser-trained recruits, and invited the volunteers to the floor.
I started by fighting individuals, then pairs, and finally several at once. I didn’t push too hard, but I didn’t toy with them, either. A few seemed more determined than others, but they had good sportsmanship and accepted their losses gracefully, except for the ones who didn’t trust me. They were actually better trained than Master Kenta had led me to believe.
“Can you train with us?” a student asked, and the ones surrounding us echoed her.
I glanced at Master Kenta. It’s your call.
He nodded, although reluctantly. I grinned and bowed. Thank you.