rocking back on his heels with a deep breath. “Where do we start?”
“First, you have to get this dagger back.”
Emane took a step forward.
Drem held up his hand. “Stop. You have to get the dagger back from where you are standing. We are working magic after all, not testing you ability to walk.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jasmine
KIORA STOOD IN THE second to the smallest circle, facing Alcander, still sore from yesterday. “I hope Emane is all right,” she said.
“What exactly do you think will happen to him?” Alcander asked dryly.
“I don’t know. This whole situation makes me nervous.”
“We don’t have time for you to be nervous. He is focusing on what he needs to
learn, and you should focus on what you need to learn. Which, if we are honest, is a lot on both accounts.”
She pursed her lips, and because she was feeling spiteful, took a page out Alcander’s rulebook—an early shot with no warning. To her dismay, he leapt neatly into the air, executed a perfect backflip, and landed almost exactly where he had left.
“That was behavior I would not have expected from an honorable person such as yourself,” he mocked.
“You said no rules,” she reminded him.
“I did,” he conceded. Placing his hands behind his back, he began to walk the circle. “There are many things I could teach you, but I don’t know how much time we have. So we need to focus on your strengths.”
“Will you teach me how to jump like you?”
He actually smiled. “No, that’s a Tavean thing you have clearly not inherited. You need a fair amount of grace if nothing else.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Hey.”
He shrugged. “You like the truth. Now, I want you to play to your strengths. Think outside the box.” No sooner had he finished the sentence than he bubbled.
“Great,” she murmured, tensing. He had of course forgotten to teach her the neat little trick he had used before to locate her bubble. The next second she found herself flat on her back, Alcander leaning over her, his fingers blazing with power.
“Never just stand there. Get up, let’s go again.”
Her eyes widened as he vanished. She leaped to her feet and turned in a circle, hands out in front of her before she was again slammed into the stone floor. She cracked her head this time and moaned. That was exactly the same spot she had hit yesterday. Tears pooled in her eyes against her will. Blinking, she refused to let them fall, no matter how bad it hurt.
“I said don’t just stand there!” he chastised. If I wanted you dead, you would be. Come on, Kiora!”
She pushed up on her elbows as he vanished again. Swearing, she leapt to her feet. Her back, elbows, and head were all throbbing, and the last thing she wanted to do was find herself on her back again. She scanned the room. The dust and dirt in the training area was thick, especially around the edges where it had settled into ridges and cracks.
She called up the wind, swirling it around the room. It recoated every inch in a sheet of dust, except for one circle not five feet from her. It wasn’t as impressive as Alcander’s methods for ferreting out a bubble, but it did the trick.
Grinning, she flicked her wrist and popped his bubble. He raised his hand but she was ready for his shot. She dropped flat to her stomach and knocked his feet out from under him in one sweep. He crashed down next to her. She pulled herself to her feet, bursting with pride. It was her pride that did her in. Magic slammed into her, throwing her across the room and into the wall. Several things cracked, and pain seared through her ankle and elbow. She dropped, her weight landing on the same elbow and ankle that had just snapped. She screamed in pain as her foot rolled backwards at an impossible angle.
Alcander ran, sliding onto his knees in front of her. “I am so sorry,” he said, his fingers hesitantly reaching for her. “Where does it hurt?”
“I broke my ankle, and my elbow, I think.” She threw her head back, clenching her fists as her breath came in short bursts. The pain was increasing in waves.
He reached out to her several times before stopping and running both his palms over his head. “I should have watched where I was throwing you. The spell doesn’t protect against walls, only magic.”