my room. “But if Xander really wanted to help, he would be here.”
Cassius caught the door right before it closed, following me inside.
“Look, I get it—you’re upset. I’m upset too.” He glanced once at Ione’s sleeping figure, lowering his voice so he wouldn’t wake her. “He left without explaining anything, gave up his house leadership, and dropped all of his classes during what was supposed to be an epic senior year.” He winced at the last part, his tone slightly bitter.
I plopped back down on my bed, crooking a brow. “He really didn’t tell you anything?”
Cassius shook his head. “Nothing.”
“Then, he left us all in the dark.” I nodded toward Ione. “He didn’t even tell his sister.”
“Then we can agree he’s an ass. So, screw him.”
I blinked at that. “If that’s how you feel, why did you agree to help me?”
“I owed him a favor.” He shrugged. “And also, I don’t mind doing it.”
“I see.” I reached for my pillow, squeezing it to my chest. “Well, thank you again. Really. But he should keep his own promises. I’m going back to sleep.” I laid back down, closing my eyes, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.
“Get up, Sheridan.”
Man, this guy was relentless.
“I’m tired, Cass. I was up pretty late last night.”
He peeled back the curtains, sunlight flooding into the room. At that point, Ione groaned and pulled her pillow over her head.
“We are training today,” he insisted. “Put on something comfortable, and let’s get going.”
“Why?”
He paused for a long moment before answering. “Because by not training, you’re only hurting yourself. Not him.”
I swallowed. He could have said anything else, and I probably wouldn’t have cared. But for whatever reason, that seemed to do the trick.
“Okay,” I sighed, pushing up off the bed. “I’ll do it.”
Twenty minutes later, I was dressed in sweats and tennis shoes I brought with me from the human world, and we had made our way to a field just outside the woods. A perfect place to train.
“Call for your bow,” Cassius instructed.
That was the last thing I expected. “My bow?”
“Uh, yeah—how else did you think we would train?”
I shrugged. “Honestly, I was going along with this without much expectation.”
He chuckled. “Well, it’s a good place to start. Soul weapons are forged in response to the summoner’s purpose.”
“Purpose?” This sounded a whole lot deeper than I realized. “What does that mean?”
“For example, swords always go to heroes. Think about what the sword means. Historically, you think of defenders, warriors, and great armies of men keeping a duty to their nations. This is the will of the sword—to protect and defend.”
“Polaris,” I said, calling for my bow. It instantly appeared in my right hand, the quill attached to my back. “And arrows?” I said, wondering why I was given that particular weapon.
He tilted his head, a slight curve to his mouth. “The bow and arrow are less common. Most summoners receive swords, but there are always a few exceptions. For every ten swords, you’ll see the occasional spear, staff, or bow. Reina’s battle axe, for example, represents her soul’s purpose to wield her strength. What do you think the bow represents for you?”
My fingers drifted over the jewels encrusted in the gold, and I marveled at the way it glittered in the sunlight. “I have no idea.”
“Think about what the arrow represents. Usually, a direction. Historically, the bow is the weapon of a hunter. Your soul’s purpose is to hunt, to find, and discover. You’re not here to protect anyone, but rather, to journey toward something.”
I nodded dazedly, letting that absorb for a few seconds.
Cassius walked to the pine tree and pointed to the middle of its trunk. “To start, we’ll aim here.” Using his fire magic, he marked out an X to guide me.
I stood about twenty feet back, and then Cassius showed me how to hold my bow properly. The first arrow I released didn’t even hit the tree, much less its mark.
“Focus your strength here,” he said, guiding my elbow up. “Everything else is in your aim. Keep both eyes on your mark.”
I let the arrow fly, and this time, it hit the trunk of the tree. I sucked in a breath. It was below its mark, but still. I actually hit it.
“Nice,” Cassius said, grinning. “You’ve got natural talent.”
“Thanks.” I grinned back, proud of myself.
We spent the rest of the morning working on my archery, arrow after arrow, until my arms were so sore I could barely lift the bow. Even though