Reckless Souls (Saints Academy, #1)(77)

my shoulder, pulling me tight into their side. The woodsy scent screams Xander, and my eyes

immediately widen. I remember his mention of enhanced hearing, and my panic increases.

“Everything okay?” he asks, not speaking to me, but Professor Riva, who nods, offering a forced

smile as he takes another step back away from me.

“Of course,” he says, his eyes holding mine for a moment, before he claps, gaining everyone’s

attention, and moving to the center of the space again.

I try to fight it, but my gaze lifts to Xander who looks down at me expectantly, his jaw tight as he

looks me over, which tells me he heard my conversation with the professor, but I can’t deal with his

thoughts or opinions intruding on the situation. Professor Riva’s comments are something I have to

manage on my own since it involves my gift.

Shaking out of his hold, I move to join Harmonia, who raises her perfectly shaped eyebrow at me,

and I roll my eyes in response. Apparently everything I do right now is a public show for everyone to

observe, and I fucking hate it. Between the intense gazes of Riva and Xander, I need a break.

I push my shoulders back, seeing a hint of concern in Harmonia’s eyes as Riva addresses the

class. “When I call out names, I want you to pair off, find a space on the grass and attempt to spar.

Then I can come around and assess what you can improve on, or point out what works well for you.”

I feel Khaos come to a stop at my side, his smoky scent enveloping me, but I keep my attention

forward, waiting for my name to be called.

“Selene and Xander… Hector and Adonis… Khaos and Zen… Rhea and Harmonia…”

Fuck, I hate the thought of Xander paired with Selene, but he’s a grown ass man, he can handle

her. I hope.

I drown the rest out, looking to my friend with a smile to find her staring at me already. In sync we

step away from the group again as I methodically spin the blade in my hand, loving how comfortable

it feels in my grasp. I’m a little disappointed I’m not training with someone I would actually like to

sink the end of this steel into, but at least with Harmonia I can get a good feel for positioning and

strength against an opponent.

“Hell, I was watching you practice, Rhea, is it too soon to hold my hands in the air and call it

quits already? I will surrender to you,” she says with a giggle, and I shake my head with a chuckle

too.

“You can’t let me down like that, Harm, especially when I don’t get the joy of taunting the

supreme bitch with my dagger,” I say with a grin, wiggling the blade in my hand. It’s hard facing the

knowledge that Riva and all of the Academy professors know what my gift from Pandora’s Box is,

when it’s supposed to be a huge, private, personal secret.

“Fine, but you have to go a little easy on me, otherwise I’ll bypass the medical center and go

straight for the morgue,” she replies, a shudder running through her as she comes to a stop, turning to

face me, and I immediately plant my feet, shoulder-width apart. She slowly copies my stance but

looks uncomfortable holding the weapon.

We both lift our blades, the tips touching before we begin, and Harmonia immediately takes a step

back, but as I swing my blade toward her, she lifts hers to block my move, with more strength than I

think she realizes she has.

A grin spreads across my face with a hint of excitement at just how fun this is actually going to be.

Our blades clang in harmony between us repeatedly as we dance around in a circle, both attacking

and defending as Harmonia swings for me once more, but as I block this time, I twist my blade,

forcing her grip to loosen, and her blade falls to the floor.

Pointing the tip of mine toward her, a wry grin spreads over her face as she raises her hands in

surrender, chuckling as we pant for breath.

“This is too fucking fun, Rhea,” she states, swiping her damp hair back off her face as I drop my

blade too, the tip slicing into the grass perfectly, before I brace my hands on my knees, trying to catch

my breath.

“Agreed,” I reply, enjoying it far too much, when a shout from behind me catches my attention. I

hadn’t realized how much we had separated from the group until now. We’re closer to the edge where

the sand starts. Lost in the movements and the intense practicing, we drifted away from the sparring

crowd.

Searching for where the noise is coming from, it takes me a moment, until I hear Zen call out my

name. Uncertainty spikes my veins, and I find myself reaching down and grabbing my dagger before

taking off in his direction. I have a feeling I’m not going to like what I see when I reach him.

“What’s going on?” Harmonia hollers from behind me, but I’m too focused on what has him

drawing my attention to answer her. Besides, I have no fucking clue either.

I notice everyone else has stopped, watching whatever is happening, and a few glance in my

direction too, presumably because they’re intrigued why Zen called me specifically.

“Calm the fuck down, Xander. It’s not my fault you don’t like what I have to say about that little